Newspaper Page Text
4
HENRY 11. TUCKER. Editor.
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSOCIA-
TION WITH REFLECTIONS ON
ITS WORK AND OURS.
This Association was organized in
1707, and is the oldest Association in
the United States. The report at its
recent meeting, shows that the contri
butions for benevolent purposes, aver
age more than ten dollars for each
member. Is this a good showing or a
bad one? Compared with what Christ
lias done for sinners, and with what
our Heavenly Father is doing for us
every day, it is very insignificant; but
it is immensely in advance of anything
that has been done in Georgia. Why
is this? Is it because the Baptists in
Philadelphia are more pious and more
devoted than we? Perhaps this may
be so; we hope it is. We doubt not,
however, that their average wealth is
greater than ours, and if so, the differ
ence in liberality is not so great as it
seems. But there is a large margin
yet to be accounted for; what shall we
do with it? Wo account for it chiefly
on the ground of their better training.
Theirs is an old and settled com
munity, while ours is a thing of yester
day. It would be strange indeed if a
hundred and fifty years of steady
work had not developed a good deal of
religious efficiency. When we shall
have attained to the same maturity, we
hope that we may be able to make as
good a showing. To expect it from us
now would be like expecting a man’s
work from a boy. In the meantime,
we trust that our brethren of the older
States will not discourage us by speak
ing lightly of our feeble efforts,but that
they will give us their sympathies, and
continue to set us an example of in
creasing excellence. To our own peo
ple we have to say that this matter of
development in religious efficiency,
while it is like the natural growth of
the body in some respects,it isunlikeit
in others. It can be hastened. A boy
cannot make himself a man by an
effort of the will, but to do more for
Christ depends largely on our desires.
The wish is father to the act. Wheth
er it is probable or not, it is certainly
jtossible that we may “catch up” to our
older brethren. It depends on our
selves. The age of a community has
nothing to do with individual liberal
ity. Let each one on his best, and the
advance wotdd bo surprising. There
is not one in a thousand of us who has
done his best, nor half of it, nor half of
that. What wo need more perhaps
than anything else, is system. We
compare with the older peoples much
as an organized mob compares with a
well appointed army. Our large num
bers instead of making us more ef
ficient, perhaps makes us less so. Im
mense effort is made by individuals,
but these are isolated and scattered;
the momentum of the denomination
as a whole is never felt. Our people
are poor, it is true ; yet there are not a
great many Baptists in the State who,
could not by determined effort, con
tribute a dime a month to benevolent
purposes. If each one were to do this
the amount raised by the Baptists of
Georgia alone, would reach the start
ling figure of two hundred and forty
thousand dollars a year! Is there no
way to get our people all to doing
something? Mr. Spurgeon, before re
ceiving a member into his church, al
ways asks him what be can do for the
cause, and (we presume) that unless
something is mentioned specifically
that he can do, the candidate is not re
ceived. The trouble with us is that
wo began wrong. The members we
already have, set a jierpetual example
to the new members of doing nothing.
While this is the case, it is hard to
make the new members an improve
ment on the old stock. Those minis
tering brethren who have baptized
multitudes and disciplined none, have
done us an injury. In the "long run”
there would lie more Baptists (admit
ting a paradox) if there were not so
many. In other words a small denom
ination thoroughly organized and dis
ciplined would accomplish more for
human souls and for the cause of
Christ, than a great mass of people
uninstructed, untrained and undiscip
lined. On the whole, the best thing
we can do is to train those we have, in
the way in which they should go, with
an abiding faith that when the church
sets itself right, many will be added to
it, of such as shall be saved. But so
long as our churches contradict their
theory by their practice, any great in
crease of number* is a delusion and a
snare. What is it that is increased?
A do-nothing church. Is there any
gain in this? Every such church is a
slander on the Gospel. These are hard
words but they are spoken in love. In
all honesty, in all earnestness, and in
the fear of God, we beseech our pas
tors and deacons to look well to their
households, and see that every member
does something at least to hasten the
coming of the Redeemer's kingdom.
Dr. Adiel Sherwood.—All persons
having letters of Dr. Sherwood, or other
memoranda, such as would furnish
material for a biographical sketch, are
requested by his family to send llicin
to Rev. 8. Boykin, Macon, Ga.
The Christian Index and South-western Baptist: Thursday November 13, 1879.
THE ST. LOUIS AFFAIR.
The forty-third annual session of the
Baptist General Association of Mis
souri, was held in Kansas City on the
22d ult. The Committee on Creden
tials reported adversely on the claims
of the delegates from the Second Bap
tist (?) church of St. Louis, to seats. The
subject was referred to a special com
mittee of seven, and in response to a
request of that committee, the delegates
from the disorderly church presented
the following
STATEMENT 1
“The delegates of the Second Baptist
church of St. Louis do hereby state,
that the said church neither authorized
nor approved of the invitation extend
ed to Dr. Elliot to join with said church
in the celebration of the Lord’s supper.
And we further state that in the so
called joined service with the congre
gation of Dr. Sonneschein, the said
church only intended to give an ex
pression of their gratitude and thank
fulness to the said congregation for
their kindness and unparalleled liber
ality in extending to said church the
free use of their temple for religious
worship. And if anything in said
joined service was either said or done
which offends any brother or brethren,
said church most sincerely regret it.
They further state that said church
most emphatically deny that it was the
purpose or intention by or in said ser
vice to abate or surrender any part or
portion of their distinctive faith or
practice as Baptists—and does most
heartily repudiate and disown any part
or portion of said service—from which
any inference that they had so abated
or intended to abate any part or por
tion of their faith and practice, might
be justly and legitimately drawn ; and
they further state*—that said church,by
its re-affirmation of its covenants and
articles of faith, did intend and pur
pose— to repudiate both of said before
mentioned acts—in so far as the same
were irregular and unbaptistic and in
consistent with their said articles of
faith; and, further, to repudiate any
inference which had been or might be
drawn from said acts, or any interpre
tation of them that said church was
not true to the Baptist faith; and,
further, to declare their purpose and
intention in the future to dwell in and
abide by the faith and practice of
Baptist churches.
P. P. Brown,
J. W. Phillips,
Jas. B. Thompson,
F. H. Ludington.
"I am a deacon of the Second Bap
tist church, and a life member of this
body, and I heartily endorse the above
statement. Wm. M. Page.”
On the faith of the above statement,
the special committee of seven recom
mended in their report that the dele
gates from the Second Baptist church
of St. Louis be admitted to seats in the
body, and this report was unanimously
adopted by a rising vote, after which
there was a general shaking of hands
with many tears, and a scene such as
those who were present declare that
they cannot describe. Our Baptist ex
changes, so far as they have come to
hand, are all happy and jubilant over
what they conceive to be a complete
settlement of all the St. Louis troubles.
In our opinion, the “settlement”
ought not to have been agreed to, un
less the “statement” of the delegates
from the disorderly church was made
by the authority of that church; but
this, so far as the record shows, was
not the fact. So far as appears, the
statement was made on the personal
responsibility of those who made it.
This puts them, as individuals, in good
position, but the attitude of the church
is just what it was before. If the
church will now adopt or indorse the
action of its delegates, no further com
plaint will be made. But the action
of the church would have been far
more graceful and becoming, if it had
spoken for itself. If one man owes
another an apology, the best thing he
can do is to apologise. If after having
been entreated to make the proper
amends, he doggedly refuses to do so,
and if after a time someone else makes
the apology for him, and he assents to
it, he may disarm opposition, but he
does not put himself on high and
honorable ground. He seems to be
trying to “split the difference” between
doing right and not doing it. But so
far as we have heard, the St. Louis
church has not even assented to the
“statement" of its delegates.
We are informed that in the mem
bership of this church there are
1 many good and true men who are
! Baptists—Baptists indeed, in every
I sense of the word. To them we
' now affectionately appeal, and beg that
they will quiet everybody, and make
everybody feel better, by inducing the
church to sanction the “statement”
made by its delegates to the General
Association. It will compromise no
principle; on the contrary, it will be
asserting principles to which we are
all attached. It will be no lettingdown
of dignity; on the contrary; it will be
an act of the highest dignity. He who
brings peace to Zion, is doing just what
Christ would have him do; and in this
there is dignity and beauty such as
even the ungodly must admire; such
as will stimulate the piety of the saints
by heavenly example, and such as God
will certainly approve.
—Rev. J. M. Wood, who served the
Barnesville Baptist church, as pastor,
twelve years, has resigned, to take effect
at the end of the present year.
REVIVAL OF SKEPTICISM.
Timely words are these from the
Western Recorder:
At a time when the very air seems laden
with the malaria of unbelief, of course no
one can count upon complete exemption
from its presence and power. The aged, or
those who have reached middle life, whose
spiritual growth began in the healthier at
mosphereand more vigorous training of other
days, who are now rooted and grounded in
the truth, may measurably escape. But the
young, bright, questioning minds that are
soon to take their places as leaders of the
world’s work and thought, these are they
who are most in danger of being taken cap- ;
tive by the glamour and baleful fascination
of the current skepticism of the day.
Our young people donot know as much i
as we do. They doubtless suppose that
infidelity has always been as noisy and
as rampant and as insolent as it is
now. Such is not the fact. It is on
ly of late days that infidelity has come
so boldly to the front. In our youth
its voice was scarcely heard. Before
that time there was a period when it I
was troublesome—perhaps as much so
as it is now; but the bluster died out,
and now it has come up again. So it'
has ever been ; there is always an ebb
and flow* in these things. Just now
there seems to be a great “revival” i
among the skeptics, and it is indeed true 1
that their evil influence is more or less
felt by almost everybody. It is true, i
as the Recorder says, that “the very air
seems to be laden with the malaria of:
unbelief.” We of the earlier day are
not likely to be hurtfully affected by it;
but for the rising generation it is a mis
fortune. We ought to remember that
the youth of the present day are ex
posed to temptations and trials of faith
such as were unknown to the generation
just preceding them, and therefore we
are under peculiar obligations to be
strong in the Lord, and to exert our
selves with extraordinary diligence to
maintain the faith that was once de
livered to the saints, and the form of
sound words,and topreserve ouryoung
men and maidens from the evil influ
ences of the hour. In the meantime it
is comforting to know that skepticism
comes only by spasms, and that after
the present fit has passed off there will
be an era of comparative tranquillity.
And it is always a source of joy to know
that however the heathen may rage,
and the people imagine a vain thing,
the Lord reigns, and in his own good
time will bring the wickedness of the
wicked to an end, and establish his
kingdom upon the earth.
Dr. Weaver’s Baptism.—We have
published various articles on this sub
ject, and to-day almost the whole of
our second page is occupied with com
munications on the same prolific
theme. It will be seen by those who
read the articles, that our correspond
ents not only differ with each qthpr,
but that they antagonize each other.
We think that by this time we must
have given all sides a hearing, and
that it would be well now' to dismiss
the subject. From the whole discus
sion, it is evident that as a matter of
fact, our denomination is divided in
j opinion on this subject and that it is
i likely so to remain. Now, what shall
|we do about it? Shall we continue
I the discussion, and keep on saying the
1 same things over and over again?
i That would be profitless and tiresome,
to say the least. Shall we quarrel?
Shall we fight? In our judgment, the
best thing that can be done is to drop
the subject, and let each one enjoy his
own opinion.
Dr. A. B Brumby, a distinguished
teacher, and an especial friend of the
editor of The Index,'died recently in
Athens. He was a most excellent
1 scholar, one of the most critical lin
guists we ever knew, and a man of
most genial temper and obliging na
ture. Not many months ago we had
occasion to make some researches in
j the Greek language in an endeavor to
interpret a difficult passage of Scrip-
I ture. We asked Dr. B. for help, and
in order to ascertain the tisus loquendi
of certain words, supposed to be
synonyms, he read, carefully and
critically, every passage in the New
Testament where those words occur,
and besides this a large amount of
classic Greek. Dr. B. was a Presbyte
rian. How many Baptists would have
taken the same pains to do us a simi
lar favor? He never knew how grate
fully we appreciated his kindness. We
drop a tear to his memory.
Dr. Crawford.—We proposed, last
week, that the numerous friends of
our distinguished brother Dr. N. M.
Crawford contribute one dollar each
for the purpose of erecting a suitable
monument to his memory ; and in re
ply to our proposal some persons have
already sent to us for that purpose the
sum specified. We have private rea
sons, which need not be stated here,
for withdrawing our proposition. In
due time a monument such as will
comport with what are known to have
been Dr. Crawford’s views of such
things, will be erected by his family.
Dr. Warren in Richmond.—ln an
| other column is an article from The
] Religious Herald which speaks in just
I terms of brother Warren’s successful
j career while pastor of the First Baptist
[ church in Richmond. We learn from
private sources that in the opinion of
some of our best brethren, the First
church was in better condition when
brother Warren left it, than at any
time in the last twenty-five years.
There is nothing surprising in this;
such work as he does will tell anywhere.
GEORGIA BAPTIST NEWS.
—The recent session of the Georgia
Baptist Association, is said to have
been very harmonious, and per
haps productive of more good, than
any meeting of that body since the
war.
—The Georgia Association will hold
its next meeting with New Hope
church in Lincoln county, on Thurs
day before the 2nd Sabbath in October,
instead of Friday as heretofore.
—The Albany News says: Rev. J.
H. Corley, of Dawson, one of the most
prominent ministers of the Baptist de
nomination, spent several days in our
city last week. Mr. Corley is doing j
mountains of good work.
—The Reporter says : It is thought
to be certain that the Rev. E. B. Car
roll will accept the call to the pastor- ;
ate of the Quitman Baptist church. If I
he does accept, the membership will
greet him with a warm reception.
—The Gospel Messenger is the title
of a monthly magazine published at
Butler in the interest of the Primitive
Baptists. It is issued by Messrs. T. J.
Bazemore and J. R. Respess,
—Rev. J. J. Felts was unanimously
elected to the pastorate of the Indian
Creek church, DeKalb county. Rev.
J. M. Daniel, the incumbent for the
past two years, having resigned.
—The Cedar Creek correspondent of
the Newnan Herald, states that Rev.
Mr. Hornady declines the care of Mac
edonia church for the year 1880, in 1
consequence of his time all being en-.
gaged, and that Rev. A. E. Barrett has
been called in his stead.
—Little Creek church, Bryan coun
ty, has over one hundred members and
is prospering. Elder James Spier, one
of the leading members has recently
been called to ordination, and the
church has invited him to co-operate
with the pastor by preaching for them
once a month.
—The Albany News says: “The
music rendered by the Baptist choir on
Sunday night was as fine as we ever
heard in Albany. Few choirs in the
State could surpass the singing.”
—The Albany News, in making the
statement that brother W. B. Daniel,
of that city, is the authorized local
agent of The Index, says: “We gladly
recommend The Index to all as one of
the best religious papers published in
the South. No Baptist family can well
afford to be without it.”
—A Dalton correspondent of the
Calhoun Times says: “At the Bap
tist church Rev. Mr. Lane, of Wash
ington, Ga., is delivering a series of ser
mons, or rather Scripture readings.
These meetings are largely attended
by Christians without regard to denom
ination, and I will add here that we
have never heard one of equal power
with Mr. Lane. We learn that twenty
have recently been added to the church
and the meetings continue with una
bated interest. We are also informed
that arrangements have been perfected
for the early completion of the magni
ficent church edifice commenced here
by the Baptists some years ago.”
—The Second Baptist church at
Conyers, during its conference meet
ing on the first Sabbath in No
vember, set apart to the deacon
: ship brethren, D. M. Almonnd and G.
M. Jones. A Presbytery, consisting of
■ Revs. G. R. Moor, T. A. Hidgon, C. C.
White and E. Jewel were invited by
the church to examine the candidates
i in regard to their qualifications for the
, office. The examination having been
satisfactory, they proceeded to ordain
; them, after hearing an impressive ser
mon by brother Moor, from chapter
I Acts 6 :3. The aged deacons, H. P.
! Almond and 8. Brodnax, during the
1 communion service, handed the ele
ments to the junior deacons, and they
to the members of the church, render
ing the service very impressive.
—The Covington Star of the sth
instant gives the following pen sketch
of a very worthy colored minister of
| the Primitives, who preached at the
colored Baptist church in that town,
Sabbath morning, and in the afternoon
at a plantation three miles from there ;
it says : “Elder Berry Tuggle is now
about 71 years of age, and is still as
: hale and vigorous as a young man of
j (orty. He is a man of remarkably
! fine intelligence for one of his race,and
his sermons on Sunday were plain, log
ical and impressive. His doctrinal
points were as strong and clear as any
we have ever heard from the ministers
of that denomination. He has been
! preaching for 51 years, and still gives
promise of a prolonged life of useful
ness in the ministry. He has the
care of five churches, and says he tries
to preach to them on Sundays to the
best of his ability, and then he is ready
for his farm labors, such as splitting
rails, plowing, hoeing cotton etc., on
Monday. He resides in Jasper county,
and is engaged in farming. He has
sufficient education to enable him to
read the Bible, hymns, etc., but was
never taught as much as one day. He
learned to read by a pine-knot fire,
while others were asleep or engaged in
pleasure. But while he is not polished
by education for the ministry, his lan
guage is good, his emphasis proper
and forcible, and his delivery easy.
Withal his sermons were highly enter
taining and instructive, while at times
they abounded with an eloquence and
pathos excelled by few of his Anglo-
Saxon contemporaries,”
•X ■
Rev. W. D. ATKINSON, (Deceased.)
REV. W. D. ATKINSON.
The subject of this sketch was born
in Greene Co., Ga., on the 17ih of No
vember, 1818. He was the third child
of Lazarus and Mary E. Atkinson. His
paternal grandfather was a North Car
olinian by birth, a soldier of the Revo
lution and a farmer by avocation ; he
settled in Greene county at the close
of the Revolutionary war. His father
was a good citizen, and (abating some
imperfections) was a sincere lover of
the Saviour. His maternal grandfath
er, William D. Lane, was a man of su
perior intellectual endowments and
possessed of a liberal education for his
day. He was a native of South Caro
lina and settled in Putnam county,Ga.,
the latter part of the last century. His
avocation was that of a school teacher,
he was also a minister of the Gospel of
the Baptist denomination,and was said
to be an eloquent and persuasive
preacher. He was a member of the
Georgia Senate from Putnam county,
for nearly twenty years, being an able
debater and wise legislator. William
D. Atkinson’s mother inherited many
of the intellectual qualities of her
father. The immediate subject of this
notice did not enjoy the advantages of
an early education ; his father’s means
were limited, yet when he had arrang
ed to send his son to Penfield, the In
dian war broke out, and on the 16th
of June, 1836 our young friend enlist
ed in a company commanded by Hon.
William C. Dawson as captain. The
company passed through several
skirmishes but all returned to their
homes in safety. The winter following
Mr. A. moved with his parents to
Chambers Co. Ala., a new, wild, and
romantic region. The Indians had
not all left the country; the fierce
howl of wolves was nightly heard
around the dwellings, and in the day,
deer were frequently chased by the
dogs through the yards of the settlers.
Young A. assisted his father and his
hands in clearing a farm and erecting
suitable buildings for the comfort of
the family. These labors were singu
larly useful in developing his manhood,
and preparing him for the life of toil
in the work of the ministry which lay
before him. The family had scarcely
become settled in their new home be
fore his father was called to another
world. The care of his mother and
younger brothers and sisters, in a
measure devolved upon him. For two
more years, therefore, he was kept out
of school. In the year 1840 he left home
to enter the Licka Academy in Cham
bers county, near West Point, Georgia.
Here in his twenty-second year he
obtained his first knowledge of the rud
aments of English and Latin grammar.
He continued his studies in Whitesville
Ga., and in Dudleyville, Ala. In the
spring of 1844 he completed his pre
paration for college in the preparatory
school of Mercer University, then lo
cated in Penfield, Ga. Thus the long
cherished hope of Mr. A. was realized
in returning to his native state and
entering Mercer University. The fol
lowing autumn he entered the Fresh
man class, and graduated in 1848.
We retrace our steps a little and re
turn to the wild scenes of the new set
tlements in Alabama. The early set
tlers and those who lived among the
Indians were illiterate, wild and frol
icksome ; the Sabbath day was given
up to disipation, hunting, fishing,
and dancing. It was not uncommon
for the Saturday night dance to con
tinue until Sunday morning, to be re
sumed on Sunday evening. These
were the moral influences surrounding
our friend A. at that time, and it is not
strange that he was led into the same
sports and Sabbath desecration. This
state of things did not continue long.
Religious families from the older states
moved in, and soon began to exert a
salutary influence; earnest and zeal
ous ministers came who labored day
and night, and the word took effect,re
vivals spread over the country and
hundreds were converted. Our young
friend A. was soon made a subject of
the work, and in the fall of 1839 was
converted and baptized into the fellow
ship of Shiloh church, by Rev. John
Wood, and soon commenced exercising
in public ; was licensed by that church,
and after his graduation, in Mercer
University, was ordained in Monticello,
Georgia, in September 1848, by a
presbytery consisting of C. M. Irwin,
James Carter, William Byars, Jesse
Carter and J. M. Bledsoe. For thirty
years he devoted himself to the work
of winning souls to Christ.
He served various churches in Mon
roe, Jasper, Harris, Talbot, Macon,
Walton, Rockdale, Greene, Glynn,
Pierce and Tatnall counties.
He has never held any office of
trust in the denomination, but the po
sition of an humble missionary of the
State Board. He has never held any
civil office, uniformly eschewing pol
itics. He was thrice married. His
first marriage was to Miss Eliza Jane
Loyall, of Monticello, Ga, the second
to Mrs. Mildred E. Crook of Hamilton,
Ga., and the third to Mrs. Lydia Gig
nilliat, of Marietta. These were all
women of intelligence and culture,
eminently qualified for the useful posi
tion they occupied. The last still sur
vives, and shared with her husband the
labor and suffering in the cause of the
Master in Southern Georgia. He has
left six children, two by each marriage.
The eldest son is grown, married and
settled, the eldest daughter is in col
lege, and will probably graduate in
1880, if life and health are spared.
The next two are boys aged fourteen
and twelve, who, since their father’s
death have been sent to their uncle,
Nathan L. Atkinson, of West Point;
the two younger ones are with their
mother in Pickins county, South Caro
-1 lina
As a pastor he was distinguished for
I industry and energy, was enthusiasti
cally devoted to the interest of his
churches, at all times sympathizing
with the afflicted of his flock. As a
minister he had a quality akin to one
' jiossessed by his Master, that “the com
mon people heard him gladly.” As a
speaker he was earnest and forcible,
he moved his audience more by the
presentation of truth unadorned, than
by any of the arts of rhetoric. There
were few in the knowledge of the
writer who wielded greater influence
over an audience than he. The chief
features of his character were integrity,
truthfulness and honor. If an opinion
was sought, a candid answer was given.
He had no training in the school of
flattery, and despised dissimulation.
He was independent in his bearing
and outspoken in his manner, which
some mistook for bluntness and took
offense when none was intended. Mr.
A. was much above the medium size
his weight ranging from 210 to 230
pounds. His appearance was some
what stiff and martial, and some mis
took this for haughtiness, yet on a ma
ture acquaintance these erroneous
views disappeared. He was a success
ful instructor of youth, seemed emi
nently fitted for this occupation, and
could have attained eminence in it,had
he not preferred to devote his entire
time to preaching the Gospel. As a
pastor he was an earnest advocate of
good discipline in.his churehes, and
was singularly successful in enforcing
it. He was a zealous advocate of the
temperance cause, and achieved suc
cess in this field of labor. In the pe
culiar field of the pastorate he was suc
cessful in turning hundreds to the
standard of the cross. During the last
thirty years he doubtless baptized not
less than a thousand subjects. Cer
tainly if success in any enterprise is an
evidence of efficiency and ability there
is not wanting evidence of success. In
erecting houses of worship, in building
up weak churches and putting church
members to work generally, he has
been himself a master workmen, that
need not be ashamed.
Rev W. D. Atkinson diedin Black
shear, Ga., on the 17thof October,lß79,
in his 61st year. He suffered fearfully
with a huge carbuncle for three weeks,
never giving up his work, until he was
no longer able to walk. He made the
closing prayer in the New Sunbury As
sociation, convened at Walthourville
(his last public exercise on earth,)
even while he was in great pain from
the carbuncle. He bore his excruciat
ing agony without a murmur. Once