Newspaper Page Text
The Christian Index.
V0L.57--N0 34.
Table of Contents.
First Pa e—Alabama Department: Ramb
ling Thoughts About Preachers and Preach
ingr; Punctuality; Alabama News; The Re
ligious Press; Religious News.
Second Page Correspondence : Revival
Scenes and Incidents—J H Campbell;
Ministers and Deacons’ Meeting; Letter
from Milner; From the Church ,at Madi
son; Womans’ Missionary Societies; Pro
gramme of the Rehoboth Sunday -school
Con vention; A Deacon’s Request The Sun
day-school; Missionary Clippi».
Third Page—Oppressing the Indians; The
Judson Family, etc
Fourth Page—Editorials: For Cbri«’s Sake
—The Other Side; Mercer’s Windfall;
Church Fellowship; The Other Cheek; Rev
J S Kalloch; D.D; Georgia Baptist News.
Sixth Page—Obituaries, etc.
Fifth Page—Morals in our Public Men;
News from the Field; Boman; Notes of
Travels, etc.;, The Whole Truth; Secular
Editorials; A Good Man Gone; Legisla
tive Summary; Georgia News.
Seventh Page—The Farmers’ Index: Farm
Work for September; Agricultural Educa
tion.
Eighth Page—Florida Department: Florida
Associations; Banana, Florida—G W A
Mcßea; Woman’s Mission Societies; Mis
sions; Special Notices; New Advertise
ments.
Alabama Department.
BY SAMUEL HENDERSON’.
RAMBLING THOUGHTS ABOUT
PREACHERS AND PRE A CHING.
Os all men in the world, a preacher
should be most disposed to learn, and
yet we have seen some, who, of all
other men, were least inclined to learn.
Having had their own way so long in
the pulpit, and having been deferred to
so often in expressing their opinions,
they have come to regard themselves
as a kind of oracle, whose ipse dixit
should seal conviction and be the end
of all strife. It would be sometimes
amusing if it were not so pitiable to see
the air of importance with which some
of those ministers deliver their senti
ments upon the most abstruse and
mysterious points in theology. They
are never without an opinion upon any
branch of Bible truth, and the minus
of their knowledge is the plus of their
assumptions. These, however, are
rare exceptions, but such there are.
But not so with your really improved
and improving minister. True worth,
whether intellectual or moral, and, es
pecially when these combined, is always
modest. It is one of the incidents of
knowledge, one that marks bvery step
of its acquisition, that the more a man
learns, the more he is conscious he has
yet to learn. The acquisitions of each
day reveal ever enlarging regions
of unexplored thought luring him on
to still richer and brighter fields—his
capacities meanwhile enlarging as he
essays to “comprehend with all saints
the height and depth, the length and
breadth” of that stupendous theme
“that passeth knowledge.” And this
process, conceding a healthy state of
mind and heart, accompanies him
through life; nay, follows him into
the world to come, where, in “that
everlasting sun-light of the soul,” and
amid happier auspices, this progress ,
will go on with the roll of eternity.
Doubtless the reader can recall an I
intance or two of a style of preaching
—at least we have a confused idea of
having encountered it at occasional in
tervals—in which the preacher occu
pied an hour and a half to tell—well,
nobody could exactly determine what.
He seemed to have set out in search of
—nothing, and to have overtaken it.
No mortal could tell why he might not
have taken any other text in the Bible
than the one he announced, as the
starting point for his harangue. A
confused idea that one has been con
templating the gyrations of a wind
mill, is about the kind of impression
left upon the mind. Then there is
another style of preaching—and it
matters little whether the man is edu
cated, in the technical sense of the
term, or not, as in the former instance
—in which, from the very first
sentence, our attention is arrested,
and held with a rigid tenac
ity to the last syllable. Every word
has a meaning—every sentence con
veys a truth —every illustration flashes
light——every argument seals conviction
—every division and subdivision in-!
tensities the grand doctrine or duty ’ in
tended to be enforced—every intona-,
tion of voice, expression of counte-1
nance, gesticulation, and the like, arc
in full sympaty with the sentiment —so
that when the sermon is finished it
stays preach'd— it grooves itself upon
the memory, and weeks, months, years
afterwards one can recall, in good part, 1
the main substance of the discourse. ’
Now, has it ever occurred to you, |
reader, to raise the question, why this ,
difference between two such preachers?'
Certainly it is not altogether accounted
for in the native capacities of the man ; '
for, in native endowment, the first may
be superior to the second. Why, then,
the difference? We answer, it is the
indolence of the one, and the indus
try of the other. The one has neither
thought nor reajl upon any distinct
topic, and when the time comes to
SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST.
of Alabama.
preach, he “cuts for his text,* (or
might as well do it for the crude mess
he is about to inflict,) without any
distinct conception as to what he is to
say, or why he should say anything,
or why he should speak ten minutes or
ten hours. The other comes to his
task with both “the preparation of the
heart and the answer of the tongue.”
His head and heart are full of his sub
ject, and “the unction of the Holy One”
accompanies his words to write them
upon “fleshly tables of the heart.”
“Words are but wind,” and common
place thoughts thrown out promiscu
ously from ah empty head, make no
more impression than the idle wind.
There is music in the wind, but all
wind is not music. Instruments may
be so constructed with proper tubes for
the wind to pass through as to make it
discourse the sweetest music. 80 truth
must take a particular course, must be
moulded into a particular form, must
be projected with a particular force,
and must be directed to a particular
object, before it can compass its last
and highest results. And the man
who undertakes to wield the truth
without such preparation of heart and
mind as will give it this distinct form
and power, will almost make as blank
a failure as the unfettered wind would 1
in making music. When a man con
nects his name with a public service,
whether stated or occasional, he brings
himself under the highest obligation
to his fellow men that he can assume
to have something to say worth their
hearing. Are his crude thoughts worth
any more than the crude thoughts of
any other man ? Can he meet the
solemn responsibilities of his high call
ing by throwing out the merest plati
tudes, the vagaries, that could be sum
moned from any other idle brain in
his congregation? No, no! A right
conception of his duty in this respect,
will lay under contribution all his
powers and resources to fit him for the
sacred calling.
And still further, in the higher
ranks of ministerial talent and power,
we are often struck with singular con
trasts. We go to hear some public
favorite, (as we did forty years ago,
and how vivid the recollection!) and
are absolutely entranced. We are
scarcely conscious of the flight of time.
The wholg discourse is like the unfold-* ‘
ing of a panorama—each scene is more
enchanting, and awakens an intenser
feeling of admiration. Or rather, it is
as if we were to visit a vast flower gar
den, in which there is everything that
can awaken the rapture, and regale the
sensibilities of the human soul. We
pluck the most beautiful and aromatic
flowers, intending to weave them into
a bouquet, and place them in a basket
at our side, and when we rise to pick
up the basket, lo! the bottom falls out!
To drop all figures, we have a pleasing
sense that we were delighted at the
time, but no abiding impression of the
service remains with us. We go to
hear another one of like reputation,
and it is enough to say, we carry home
a “Benjamin’s mess.”
Great thoughts are thrown out with
an ease, terseness, vigor, power, that
well nigh stagger one in the attempt to
grasp them as they come from a mas
sive intellect, filled with the unction of
the Spirit. No expedient is needed to
keep up the connection between the
pulpit and pew. It is as if the whole
audience were one body/'swayed and
impelled by the one master spirit that
pours forth its fervid utterances, as if
in mystic communion with the spirit
land. Such sermons live in our minds
through decades—and will live “ ’till
life’s last hour is fled.”
“But what are you aiming at ?”
Don’t be too inquisitive, reader—noth
ing very particular. “Havn’t you al
most overtaken it ?” Well, yes ! “and
here shall be an end.”
PUNCTUALITY.
The Rev. Francis Callaway, so grate
ful to the memory of many of our
readers both in Georgia and Alabama,
and who was for many years the Mod
erator of the Liberty Association,
Chambers county, Ala., was singularly*
I noted for his punctuality to his ap
pointments. Nothing short of a di
j rect, imperative providence ever hin
| dered him. Referring to him once in
! our presence, Col. E. said to us, "When
Bro. Frank Callaway fails to reach one
of his appointments, you may go mak
ing his coflin.” This was literally ful
filled. The dear old man absolutely
died on his way to fill an appointment.
■ Another brother, the Chancellor M.
| said to us once, as indicating the com
i plexion of his piety, "When Bro. Cal
laway comes up to my gate of an even-
1 ing to stay all night, I always feel safe
for that night.” Buch was the estima
tion in which he was held, that we all
felt that if any man could claim the
benefit of the divine promise it was
he. “He shall give his angels charge
over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways,
lest at any time thou shall dash thy
foot against a stone.”
Atlanta, Georgia, Thursday, September 4, 1879.
ALABAMA NEWS.
—The health of Montgomery is remarka
bly good.
—There is a good opening in Butler for a?
school.
—The Alpine concert netted S7O to the
church.
—Rev. W. IL Armstrong will go from De
catur to luka, Mias.
—The new hotel at’Ewfcnla will be com
pleted by September Ist.
—Work has on the new Baptist
church at Fort Deposit.
—Gadsden has removed the license tax on
private boarding houses.
—The first bale of cotton at Union Springs
brought 21 cents a pound.
—Mrs. Sapp, of Covington county, has cur
a new set of teeth when 52 years old.
—The new church at Calera is ready for
the painter.
—A protracted meeting is in progress with
the Wilsonville Baptist church.
—The new Baptist church at Roanoke is
ready for occupation.
—There Is a protracted meeting being held
with the Evergreen Baptist church.
' —The protracted meeting at Forest Home
Khurch, Butler county, closed with 22 accee
-Mons.
* —The 10th of August Rev. R. M. Trotter
baptized 23 at Pilgrims’ Rest church, Eto
wah county.
—Selma is now enjoying the “very best
Mobile oysters,” which are sent there in cans
on ice.
—The revival at Trinity Methodist church,
rßrownville, continues. The people mani
fest a great interest in the meetings.
—W. A. Hancock and family and Edward
McKenzie have moved from Eufaula to
Texas. ,
—I. D. White, of Turkeytown, Etowah
county, gave the Baptists a beautiful site for
their church.
—The Methodists expect to build a new
church in Troy.
—The Baptist church steeple at Tuskegee
is being painted.
—Col. James Jackson, of Lauderdale
county, was thrown from a buggy and killed
on the 14th.
—A daughter of Col. Jackson, of Lauder
dale county, had an arm broken at the time
her father was killed.
—A reward of SI,OOO is offered for the ar»
rest Os Jakfe IL Pietbe, changed witk murder
in Pickens county.
—A postoffice has been established at
Simpk'nsville, Monroe county; J. J. Simp
kins, postmaster.
—There have been over one hundred addi
tions to the colored Baptist church of La-
Grange this year.
—There were fifteen additions to the Bap
tist church at Satilla, Clarke county, during
the recent meeting.
—During a recent meeting at Pleasant
Grove (Baptist) church, Clarke county, there
were twenty-nine accessions.
—To the 15th of August there had been
100,407 bales of cotton shipped from Selma,
which left only 175 bales in the warehouses.
—The protracted meeting at Wilsonville
resulted in twelve additions to the Methodist
church.
—No rewards hereafter will be offered by
the Governor for the apprehensiou of escaped
criminals except on the application of the
solicitor of ti.e circuit from which the crim
inal escaped.
—Mr. Wilson, a practical engineer and
steamboat man, having leased the right to
navigate the Sipsey river for ten years, is on
the river surveying the stream. He says
navigation is easy and practical as far as
surveyed.
—The orphan children of the late Charles
Rosensthil, who left Union Springs some
time ago for their father’s native land in
Germany, have arrived safely in Bremen,
at which place they were met by relatives.
They were quite young to make the trip
alone, and their frLnds will rejoice to le rn
of their safe arrival.
—The Troy Messenger states that there is a
great demand for brick among those building
in that city. All that the home yards can
turn out are engaged weeks before hand, and
orders are sent constantly to Montgomery,
Columbus and Eufaula. It looks as if the
brick makers at these points are evidently
reaping a golden harvest, as they sell every
brick as fast as made, and at a round profit,
too.
Texas has a new prophet, or rather
two of them, Cumberland Presbyterian
preachers, who claim to have direct
visions and revelations from heaven.
Their revelations seem very unintelligi
ble, but they explain them to mean
that a great conflict is about to occur
between Catholicism and Protestantism.
The beasts of prophecy are interpreted
to lie the States of Europe and the
United States. They announce that
Anti-christ will appear in a few years,
probably ten, as a great military ruler
in Italy. They reject, however, the
idea of Christ’s personal coming at the
end of hits reign. It may be that these
men arc sincere and are themselves de
ceived, but the one thing certain is that
they will add to the long catalogue of
those who have ship-wrecked the faith
of men and brought disgrace upon the
church.— Record and Evangelist.
The Religious Press.
The Lesson of the Telephone.—Call
> ing upon a business acquaintance the other
. day, he suddenly interrupted our conversa
tion with the words, “Excuse me a mom> nt,”
J turned towards his desk and said—as if to a
third person, though there was no third per
son in the room—“ Well !•’ The person ad-
J.dreseed—though quite invisible and inaudi
ble to us—seemed to communicate intelligi
bly with our friend, who uttered requests
I. and made promises and expressed gratitude
to vacancy, in away which would have led
‘one, a few years since, to have deemed him
insane. But he wasn't insane, by any means.
On the contrary, he was extra-sensible and
clear-headed. Attached to his desk there
was a telephone which communicated with
bis home. In the midst of our conversation
Mie had heard a call which my ear didn’t de
‘ 'feet. He had been talking with his father—
-'acknowledging with gratitude the fulfillment
W requests previously made, venturing upon
blew petitions, encouraged by that father’s
love, and in turn making such promises as
were prompted by a filial heart.
S Isn’t it a perfect parallel, we said, to pray
er? The infidel taunts us with talking to
vacancy when we pray. Sometimes the
skeptical doubt rushes upon the Christian in
the midst of his supplications Is there an
ear that listens and a voice that answers ?
Why not ? If man, by the exercise of a little
ingenuity, can communicate with his distant
fellow-man—if, when he seems to be talking
to vacancy, he is really pouring his requests
into the ear of a friend—if his father, invis
ible and inaudible to the bystanders, still
does hear and does answer; why is prayer
such an absurdity as it is sometimes repre
sented? Wh r mav not divine ingenuity
have established a spiritual telephone be
tween earth and heaven, so that when the
Christian is seemingly talking to vacancy,
he Is really talking to God? There area
good many people who believe that there is
a God ; but regard it the height of absurdity
to think that be hears and answers prayer.
We commend to such the lesson of the tele
phone. Why should God not be able to do
on a large tcale what man has done on a little
scale? There are many who believe that
he is—that the heavenly telephone antedates
the earthly—that from the place of business,
on the pressure of sudden emergency, they
S’ust as surely, just as sdfely, just as
ily reach a neavenly as an earthly
ir. — Examiner and Chronicle.
Yes, and how will it do to say that
CJUyist is the Telephone? Does prayer
evtr reach heaven except through
hint? And does any prayer ever fail
toieach heaven when it does pass
tfyqugh him? The little instrument
a telephone which men use
/o H times gets out of or4er and fails
failfl! 4 .
>n <y-Two classes of magistrates are not
fi ll / «d in this country at the present
xXne: One is, such as are in moral
Sympathy with the vicious and disor
derly elements of society. The other
is, such as are weak-kneed, and there
fore disposed to adopt a rose-water ad
ministration of law. The times demand
not only good men, but brave ones, to
sit in the magistrate’s seat.— Christian
Advocate.
—The Evangelical Messenger does
not like questionable expedients for
raising church funds, and thinks that
establishments which need such sup
port are of doubtful value. It says:
Coaxing the devil to support the gospel is
a modern device. The primitive Church
knew nothing of it. When Paul was col
lecting funds to aid poor saints at Jerusalem,
he used no fairs, lestivals, “mum sociables,”
kissing games, or other sanctified snares, to
accomplish his object. The Christiane paid
their own bills, and did not expect Satan to
pay for the weapons which they used in
warfare against him. When the devil does
support a church, he does so in his own in
terest. He carries on his ope-atlons with a
full knowledge of the fact, that “a kingdom
divided against itself cannot stand.” For every
dollar paid out of his coffers to the Church,
he receives full value. Churr h [mrtnershipe
with the Evil One never benefit the former,
but always the latter. Hands off!
Untold harm comes to the Church by the
use of even questionable measures to raise
money for the support of God’s work. It
creates the impression, in the minds of the
worldly, that the Church is a kind of para
site, dependent for its existence on the com
munity ; that it is a sort of genteel beggar,
which it i« proper and fashionable to sup
port ; that it is an object of charity, or even
pity and contempt, which is grateful for the
tolerance of the people that let it live. The
ungodly regard such churches as are engaged
in seeking money, rather than souls, and
valuing wealthy members more than poor
saints. To stand before the world in this
light is humiliating and degrading beyond
expression. Such churches ought to be
cleansed or closed, cured or killed.
Churches that are doing the Lord’s work,
and are worth supporting, esn be supported
I without the use of questionable means.
, Others deserve no support. Let them go
down!
—Here is good doctrine from the
Lutheran Standard (Ohio:)
God does not want us lo doubt his prom
ises, ss some would have us think. He
wants us to believe. He is faithful that
promised, end doubt on our psrt is an im
peachment of his truth. He has given his
son to die for our sins, and through him our
redemption is effected. He that btlieveth
shall be saved. Our debt is paid, and by
faith that payment is imputed to US. This
Is what gives our souls gladness. No won
der that many go bowed down all their days,
when they refuse to believe what God says
for their comfort and joy. Instead of en
deavoring to justify doubt by the pretence of
a deep humility tint will not presume to
claim God’s promises of life and blessedness
in our dear Redeemer, we should pray that
our faith may bo increased, and daily medi
tate upon the sure Word of God that our
souls may become sure. It is a miserable
caricature of humility that makes God a liar
THE CHRISTIAN HERALD,
of Tennessee.
or the sake of not seeming presumptuous.
True humility confesses man’s own unwor
thiness, but does not limit God’s mercy and
pronounce his promises doubtful,
—And here comes the Record and
Evangelist from away over yonder in
lowa, with some good counsel, which
we publish with our indorsement.
The agricultural fairs we favor, and we
belong for life to tlie State Agricultural
Society, and take great interest in its
proceedings. But agriculture is one
thing and race-horsy-culture is another
thing. If fairs cannot be kept up
without races, the sooner we are rid of
them the better:
In the lapse of eighteen centuries there has
been some change in the character of the
public diversions. The amphitheatre of the
fair grounds has taken the place of the Coli
seum, or arem. The gladiatorsand the lion
fights have disappeared before the advancing
wave of civilization. There remain the
races, ‘he bets, the fever of excitement, and
the admiring crowds of gentlemen and ladies,
wonien and children. There is one feature
in these modern entertainments unknown in
ancient days. Christians are among the
spectators.
It would be the natural inference from this
fact that all was conducted with the greatest
decorum, and that the diversion had been
brought up to the Christian standard of mor
als. Ancient Christians refused to sanction
the amusements of their times because they
deemed them wrong. If modern Christians
patronize, it must be because they deem
them harmless. Go once to the race course :
behold the cruel race! Hear the oaths!
See the trickery! Take note of the gam
bling ! Mark the kind of men who are the
backers! Christian, do you observe and
seek here “Whatsoever things are true, what
soever things are honest, whatsoever is just,
whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever
things are lovely, whatsoever things are of
good report?” When Christ was upon the
earth he sought the throngs of men at the
Jewish feasts, in the cities and on wedding
occasions. Could you imagine him, if on
earth now, sitting as a spectator in the am
phitheatre of a race track, and looking on
approvingly amid the lashing of the panting
horses, the oaths, shouts and bets of excited
men I
Anciently advertisements of the public
entertainments would run as follows: "Grand
entertainment! A gigantic and ferocious
Nubian lion which has already killed a dozen
men I A score of Christians exposed to him
in the amphitheatre of the Coliseum!” A
modern advertisement differs a little. It
runs somehow as follows: “Great agricultu
ral fair! The largest premiums ever offered
for speed ! The fastest horses of the country
on the track I Ranis, Reconstruction and
otljer noted raceft on hand!” etc. It might
« added and is Written on the bills in in vis- ‘
e Ihk by the tftiseen mauagkn *'Su ,lres’
of Christians exposed; their souls fearfully
mangled, or slain outright.”
We ask every church member to take
heed what example he places before those
less strong than himself. We ask him to
consider upon his knees, before the Redeem
er’s throne, the question of sanctioning what
is questionably wicked by his presence. We
ask him to fervently pray: “Not my will,
but thine be done,” and then and there to
decide whether it is Christ’s will that he
should be a patron and partaker of flagrant
sins.
The Central Baptist ( St. Louis thus
delivers itself:
The majority of the Baptists of this coun
try, while they regard immersion as a cere
monial prerequisite to communion, do not
believe it is the only, or main, prerequisite
to the ordinance. They believe and teach
that the Lord’* Supper is strictly a church
ordinance, only to be celebrated by a church
■s such, and that church membership
is consequently the main prerequisite, and
that without it even immersion by a Baplist
minister does not entitle a person to the com
munion. This is the only consistent position
for Baptists to take.
In their closeness, which has never degen
erated into persecution, Baptists show the
world that they regard true doctrine and
consistent practice of far more worth than
that sickly sentimentalism which sees in the
Lord’s Supper an occasion of social enjoy
ment, rather than the solemn witness of His
broken body and shed blood. Do the Bap
tists exclude their members who commune
with other denominations? They should do
it. A man who has no more principle than
to voluntarily join a Baptist church which
he knows to be close communion in belief
and practice, and then insult that church bv
communing with other denominations
should be excluded at once, unless he ac
knowledges his error and promises to refrain
from suon conduct in future. We believe a
“sensible worldling” would say precisely
what we say on thia point.
We certainly agree with the Central
Baptist that Baptism, while it is pre
requisite to communion, is not the only
prerequsite; church memliership is
quite as essential. It is a church ordi
nance, to be celebrated by a church as
a church, and by a church only. The
Lord’s Supper is observed not as mere
matter of sentiment sickly or other
wise, but as an act of obedience to
Jesus Christ, and it should not be done
in any way which is not consistent
with the principles taught by him and
the Apostles. Our feelings have noth
ing to do with the matter. We have
only to “look to our marching orders.”
Good old-fashioned talk from the
Lutheran Standard :
But even the sweetness of the Gospel only
provokes bitterness in the world that Heth
in wickedness. “We preach Christ cruci
fied, unto tho Jews a stumbling block and
unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them
which are called, both Jews and Greek*,
Christ the tower of God and the wisdom of
God.” 1 Cor. 1, 23-24. The way of Men
tion through the righteousness of another,
so that no room whatever is left for any honor
to himself. Is an offence to the natural man.
He would be something himself, and not
give all the glory to another. He cannot
bear to be told that all his efforts and works
Whole No. 2384
will only bring damnation, and that his only
hope of salvation rests in the works and
sufferings of One who pitied us in our mise
ry and helplessness and laid down His own
life to deliver us from the curse which was
justly .our due. Therefore be persecutes
Christians who bring the Gospel as people
who offer insults to the dignity of man.
So far is then the hatred of the world
from being a proof that Christians are pur
suing a wrong course, that it is necessary as
a consequence of true charity. Therefore
our Lord says: “Woe unto you when all
men shall speak well of you! for so did their
fathers to the false prophets.” Luke 6, 26.
It is a sign that they conform to the world.
If they reprove the world, they must expect
the world’s hatred.
We copy the two following items
from a respected exchange but, we do
not know the authority of our con
temporary for the truth of the state
ments ; we presume it is good, or he
would not have published them. Our
observation is that whenever anybody
is dissatisfied with anything, and de
sires to leave, the best that he can
do for others (whether for him
self or not) is for him to leave.
Nothing is gained, but much is lost, by
holding on to discontented elements.
Malcontents are always a nuisance;
the sooner they leave the better. This
applies on a large scale, and on a small
scale, and on all scales, to all kinds of
people of all colors, and of all con
ditions, “previous” and present:
. The colored excursionists from Mississip
pi, who went to look at Kansas a few days
ago, have returned satisfied that, while it is
a lovely land, it is no place for colored peo
ple or any other people without money.. A
number of emigran s returned with them.
The exodus in Texas is assuming a queer
phase. Near Galveston the negroes, having
become dissatisfied with their condition, had
determined to emigrate. The white people
approved the decision of the colored breth
ren, and formed a committee on emigration
to raise money to send the negroes North,
and soon steps will be taken to bring in
white men to replace the blacks.
RELIGIOUS NEWS.
—The meeting at Town Creek Bap
tist church, near Moulton, Ala., closed
with twenty additions.
—Rev. G. N. Shishmanian, a Turk,
recently graduated at the Kentucky
University, married a native and will
shortly return to his native land.
—Deacon Frank E. Block has been
IftHtajpr) to fn)j( JfUpwgJjijr in the Qfy
tral Prestiyterian church of Atlanta.
—Rev. W. R. Manley, of Ken
tucky, leaves his home in America
(D. V.) October Ist, to go as a foreign
missionary to Rangoon, Burmah.
—An Association of Baptist churches
in Japan has been formed, and at the
first council, recently held, sixty repre
sentatives were present.
—A gentleman and his wife, both
members of the First church, Kansas
City, Mo., are building a new edifice
for it, which is to cost $40,000, at their
own expense.
—The Trinity Baptist church of
Brooklyn, N. Y., is in a very prosper
ous condition. Rev. O. E. Cox became
pastor of this young church three years
ago. It then had some forty members;
it now numbers two hundred.
—The Baptist denomination num
bers in Michigan 330 churches and has
an aggregate of 17,441, making an
average of eighty-three members to a
church. Seventy-nine churches only
exceed one hundred members each.
—There has been an extensive re
vival among the Baptist churches of
South Wales, chiefly as the result of
Miss Sheppard’s preaching. The con
verts were so numerous in some in
stances as to require a whole day to
baptize them.
—Mrs. Thomas of Philadelphia, a
lady more than eighty years old, has
built a neat stone church in Kane, Pa.,
at a cost of $2,000, and presented it to
the Presbyterian congregation there.
The old lady each year, says the Titus
ville (Pa.) Herald, spends a part of her
large income in building a church
somewhere in the country.
—The Union Theological Seminary,
of New York, has $200,000 in buildings
and grounds, $750,000 invested funds,
and an income of $50,000 a year. The
Theological Seminary at Princeton has
$925,000 in property and an income of
$48,000 a year. Lane Seminary, at
Walnut Hills, near Cincinnati, reports
$160,000 in buildings and grounds, and
$230,000 in productive funds which
yields an income of $16,000 a year.
• —A novel Sunday-school convention
is to be held in Muskogee, Indian Ter
ritory, October Ist. It is the week of
the International Fair of the five civil
ized tribes, and their wild cousins—an
event of great importance to the people
of the Territory. The directors have
consented that one day be given to tno
Sabbath-school cause, and our brother,
Rev. John Elliott, pastor at Muskogee,
has invited prominent speakers to be
present. A large choir of Creek and
Cherokee children will furnish the sing
ing, led by Rev. D. C. Milner, of Ottawa,
Kansas. It will be a rare and interest
ing occasion.