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- ■ ...... . . .... , , The Christian Index. Vol. 57- -No 48. Table of Contents. First Page.—Alabama Department: Change of Post office; “The Lost Sense” ; The Lukewarm; Speaking Evil of Dignities ; The Religious Press. Second Page —Correspondence : The Koran and Mahommedanism—B. W. Whilden ; Mercer University Notes ; Interesting Ex tracts; The Sunday-School—December 28, 1879—Quarterly Review. Third Page.—Childrens' Corner: A Mother’s Heart—poetry ; When was my sin washed away? Help Him. Fourth Page.—Editorials: Peace with God; Startling and Suggestive; Line upon Line; Merger University ; Rev. Hugh E. Cassidy ; Rejiort to Georgia Baptist Association ; Georgia Baptist News. Fifth Page—Georgia Baptist hews; Secu lar Editorials; News Paragraphs; Cancer and Stammering Certainly Cured; Notes on New Books; The Hero’s Bequest—poe try by Charles IV. Hubner; Letter from Rev. P. H. Mell, D. D. Sixth Page—The Household: A Feather —poetry ; Our Children ; The Balcony etc. Seventh Page.—Agricultural, etc.: Is Alum Poisonous, etc. Eighth Page.—Florida Department: Asso ciational, and Other Matters; Queries and Letter ; Brief Notes; Florida News. Mar riage Notices ; Special Notices, etc. Alabama Department. BY HAMUEL HENDERSON. CHANGE OF POST-OFFICE. From and after the Ist day of De cember, 1879, my correspondents will please address me at Fayetteville, Talladega County, Alabama. Be sure to insert the name of the coun ty, to prevent confusion, as there are other post-offices in Alabama quite similar in name. The Baptist Courier, .Religious Herald, Alabama Baptist, the Memphis Baptist, Western Recorder, Texas Baptist, and Examiner and Chronicle, will all take due notice of this, and accommodate me accordingly. Sam’l Henderson. Alpine, Nov. 21, 1879. • ••THE LOST SENSE." Some twenty years ago. we read an article or two from one of the English Quarterlies, written with great ability, on "the lost sense.” The speculations of the writer were quite interesting and suggestive. The theory he expounded was substantially this, as nearly as we can state it at this distance of time : That the three-fold nature of man, as originally created, had each faculties and powers corresponding with its na ture—that as the body was endowed with its “five senses” to verify natural objects and things—as the mind had its powers to ascertain and appropriate intellectual truth—so the soul, in its primeval purity, must have had some faculty, some capacity, to verify spirit ual existence with the same accuracy as any one of the five sensescan verify its appropriate objects, or as the mind can realize any of its conceptions. Henco» it was alleged, that before the fall, beings from the spirit land were just as familiarly known as any objects in paradise, and created no more sen sation than the birds and beasts of the garden. This faculty, this sense, this power to verify spiritual existences, was lost by the fall, or, at least, sin has so deadened it, that it has ceased its functions. At long intervals, and to a few persons, it has been tempora rily restored: As, for instance, to Abraham and Lot on the memorable occasion of an angelic visit to Moses in the wilderness, to Manoah, to the servant of the prophet at Dothan, to the shepherds announcing the birth of Christ, to some of the disciples, and to Mary at bis recurrection, to Jotyi on the isle of Patmos, etc. Now, this speculation is more curi ous than profitable; but it may serve to suggest some things that are both true and profitable. It is not at all wonderful that man, even in his fallen and wretched condition, still preserves some of the evidences of his high ori gin. He is still noble, even in his ruins. It is not strange that poets have celebrated his nobility, and ac corded to him powers, conceptions, ex cellencies, which are never developed in this world: ••Thoughts undefined, feelings without a name 1 And some, not here called forth, may slum ber on, Till thia vain pageant ol a world is gone; Lying 100 deep for things that perish here, Walting lor life—but In a nobler sphere 1” —Rogers’ Human Lije. Thus much has been revealed in God’s Word, and it appeals to our deepest consciousness —that sin has deadened the nerve that united us to God, and by consequence to all pure, holy intelligences in the universe—that it cut off all pleasant and happy com munication between heaven and earth ; that all supernatural appearances, whether fancied or real, are interpreted as portending evil. “We shall surely SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST. of Alabama. die,” said Manoah to his wife, “because we hare seen God.” A consciousness of guilt—a realizing sense that nothing but evil can come ! from that source—invests all such relations with terror. To re-establish this spiritual connection—to “restore the ruins of the first Adam”—was the grand purpose of God in the gift of Jesus Christ. All that He did and suffered constitutes a fund of merit on which the believer is permitted to draw ad libitum. Faith in Christ is to the Christian all that the “lost sense” is supposed to have been to man ere he fell, and even more. It is the “lost sense” restored, as it restores commit -1 mention between God and man, be tween heaven and earth. We need no ; other “Angel of the covenant” to assure us that God is propitious. We , need no other agency than faith sup plies to bring us under “the powers of the world to come.” All that sight, and hearing, and tasting, and smelling, and feeling, can do for the body, faith does for the soul. The accuracy of its revelations is unquestionable, the range of its exercise is absolutely limitless, and its power with God and man is measured only by that Being on whom it terminates.* For let us observe in passing, that the power of faith depends, not on the party that exercises it, but on the object on which it rests. Hence, Christians are ex horted to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.” The . weakest saint (if there be any weak ' est) that ever offered a prayer on earth, could make the very prince of darkness fail, and bring to his reliefall ! the resources of godhead ; for “Satan trembles when he sees The weakest saint upon his knees.” Satan knows that the prayer of faith I lays hold of Almightiness, and sad experience has assured him what that Almightiness is. He knows something of that power that hurled him and his ■ angels from heaven—that built the ' “adamantine walls” of perdition—and I that stored away those treasures of wrath and indignation which are to be the portion of fallen spirits and im penitent men for ever and ever. And it is not strange when that power is invoked by the prayer of faith, even ; by one who is “less than the least of . all saints,” that he should tremble anti Hy from the field of contest, under the consciousness that madness itself dare not measure arms with Omnipotence. We may well afford, therefore, to abandon the field of speculation, since ' we have “a more sure word of proph- ■ ecy; whereunto we do well that we ■ take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in our hearts.” Whatever faith cannot do, we may be : well assured that no “lost sense” could i supply. Its achievements as recorded in the word of God, and as verified in the experiences of all saints, infinitely surpass the achievements of all the other powers of man, soul, body and spirit. It has called back the spirit from the other world to its clay tene ment—it has summoned angels from j the eternal throne to release the im prisoned and suffering disciples— I quenched the violence of flames— ' waxed valiant in fight, putting to i flight the armies of the aliens. The I possibilities of faith are as immeasur l able as is the “all power in heaven and earth” which has been committed to Jesus Christ. The human mind can think of nothing that can I be done that has not been done. THE LUKEWARM. The least to be envied of all men arc | those who are always debating and never deciding. Decision of character 1 is the most essential element of success in everything—the lack of it tells the story of disaster in four cases out of five. “Poor fellow, he had no mind of his own!” is the standing lamentation, the mourning ritual, said over most of human failures. If the whole tribe of “double-minded men” could be collect ed, at their death, and buried in one I grave, one epitaph would tell the story of every life: “A succession of experi ‘ ments and failures'.” A. positive character j no matter on which side of a question j it is found, always inspires respect—a negative character never awakens any emotion—it disarms anger of its sting, I and degrades love of its dignity. Whether as contending with foes, or co-operating with friends, such a man is generally a blank. This is substantially the character I indicated by the “lukewarm—neither cold nor hot,” a character no less con ' temptible among men than offensive to Christ. He stands just on the di . viding line between Christianity and the world, where the worst ol both meet, and mingle the most bitter cup ever commended to mortal lips. On the outskirts of Christianity, he is in cessantly tormented with doubts and j fears, as to whether he has ever known I the power of Godliness, and well he 1 may be—on the outskirts of the world, 1 with a conscience aroused just suf- Atlanta, Georgia, Thursday, December 11, 1879. ficiently to inspire dread, and yet, with a constant thirst for its riches, pleas ures, and honors—what can his life be but a strange admixture of contra dictions? If he were a prominent sin ner, then the very thunders of Sinai could be concentrated upon him with some hope of arousing his sensibility— if he were a decided believer, then the consolations of the Gospel would cheer and comfort his heart. But as it is, if, under the lashing of conscience henic casionally comes to the sanctuary to worship God, he goes away “unsatis fied, unblest.” If he turns to the world to pursue its phantoms, he re coils from it, feeling in the deepest depths of his soul “an aching void, Tne world can never fill.” Os all characters, this is the most of fensive to Christ. "I would thou wort cold or hot. So then,because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.” Lukewarm water is always used to produce nausea. “Ephraim is a cake unturned,” t. e., half baked, the most offensive to the appetite. “0, Israel, what shall I do unto thee! 0, Ephraim, what shall Ido unto thee! For your goodness is as the morning cloud, and as the early dew, it passeth away!” Such is the matchless tenderness and forbearance of our heavenly Father, that although He knows full well the hollowness of all mere pretences —aj though “The painted hypocrite Is known Through the disguise he wears,” yet we reiterate such is the estimate in which He holds real piety, that He pauses over its mere show, as if He would give us the benefit of a doubt, and expostulates with us, with all the tenderness of a father over his way ward children! as if the very fact that we were simulating something that we are not, indicated, even in us,a convic tion of the value of that which we as sume to be! Yea, He would give us the credit of this assumption, provided our future conduct shall vindicate the reality. Hard must be the heart that is proof against all these expostulations and warnings of the divine compas sion ! Reader, are you “lukewarm?” Are you standing on the dividing line be tween Christianity and the world? B» entreated to move one way or the oth er. Take a manly stand for or against our Lord. “Why halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, serve Him; but if Baal, then serve him.” Be decided one way or the other,if you would rescue your life from the scorn and contempt of all right-minded men. God Himself prefers open enmity to bald hypocrisy. SPEAKING EVIL OF DIGNITIES. If there is one sin which above all other sins distinguishes the citizens of these United States, it is the stereo typed habit of “speaking evil of digni ties,” traducing their rulersand public men. It seems to be a habit indigen ous to republican institutions. Some twenty-five years ago, or more, during a heated contest for the presidency between the then political parties, an Englishman was making the tour of this country, and, forming his estimates from what the papers of each party said of the opposing candidates, he wrote home that he supposed, from the information derived from those papers, that two of the most consum mate scoundrels of our country were candidates for the presidency of the United States! If one did not know that three-fourths, we had almost written nine-tenths, of the twaddle in dulged in by the average politicians, whether through the press or from the hustings, was mere gammon, coined out of whole cloth for a special campaign, with which to dose the credulous mul titudes, he would conclude that Sodom was not more corrupt on the day the avenging fires from heaven left it in ruins. Now, this is all wrong. The Bible means something by the solemn in terdict, “Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people,” Patriotism and common sense would teach the same lesson. This wholesale slander of our public men tends to weaken the constituted authorities of our govern ment —to sap the foundations of our republican institutions—to destroy all confidence between man and man —and to pave the way for the utter disruption of our whole political fabric. The last days of the Roman Republic were characterized by the like demor alization of public sentiment. Even grand and venerable senators polluted their lips with the foulest billingsgate. All proper weapons of defense were thrown aside for the more effective weapon of the tongue, which, “set on fire of hell,” as James says, did more fatal execution than the sword or the dagger. All this indicated that the very foundations of the old Republic were rotten, and ready to give way whenever "the man on horseback” appeared in the person of Julius Ceasar. It is the saddest thing on which a thoughtful mind can dwell, that there is not to-day a single statesman in the Ur ; States who can speak to the wl to,qpuntry with any hope of being bfard—n ( Kt onfe whose name is a con tinual sp/il-word that will inspire the re >t»ect »i).i confidence of all sections »v.*l : ,I1 parties. Much of this is due, « ■ btA'hyc, to this morbid state of P''J?fic sentiment that gathers around t*|xstfa;bage of our so-called politicians to" "lap the blood of reputation.” Is it among the possibilities that our political parties can accord to each other that, in the main, they are each honest in flieir convictions? That whole States and sections may, after all, be animated by a modicum of pa triotism? The Religious Press. it is about time that a stop should be put to the gathering of boys and young men around the doors of churches previous to and after the services, starii g at girls and young ladies, making offensive and often vutgir remarks, and smokii g cigars. This is not confined to village churches, but is also found at city and country churches. The suthoritiis of churches thus annoyed ought to take effective measures to rid themselv s of such ignorant and ill-m mnered pests, though they may wear good clothes and boast, of their connection with the "first families.” It is bad enough to have a spruce young man puff a volume of cigar smoke into one’s face as he rushes alongthe street; but it is far worse to have an entire congregation made uncomfortable with the odor of tobacco smoke by those outside of the doors, during the entire services. Those who are so indecent as to indulge in this kind of annoyance to congregations should be compelled to leave the grounds. So says The Presbyterian Banner, and so say we. In one of the Baptist churches in Atlanta a placard is posted up in a conspicuous place in the vestibule, requesting “gentlemen” Bot to smoke in that place! A similar placard is needed on the outside, re questing “gentlemen” not to smoke on the pavement in front of the door, not to block up the side-walk, nor to g.ze rudely at women, either there or ai >y where else, nor to indulge in con v, ■nation and laughter afiywhere in tTy immediate vicinity of the house of •fi J ; - Y ■ ■"***«... <.« The Methodist has the following sentences: “We donbt the usefulness of a habit of clip ping, sorting and labelling every good thing, and resorting to this mental ragbag when one is making a sermon. Ao entertaining discourse can be made in that way; but the habit o f manufacturing sermons out of shreds and patches may prevent growth into a strong and self-reliant preacher." These patch-work sermons are per haps intended to produce the impres sion that he who delivers them is a great reader, and is so thoroughly familiar with our literature that he cannot speak without quoting a dozen authors. The effect is just the opposite of this, for a really literary man never does anything of the kind. ' The man who does nothing toward the support of a Church-enterprise should be sparing of his criticisms when difficulties arise. Only workers should be tolerated as critics.— Christian Advocate. Yes, brother Advocate you are right as you usually are ; but our obser vation is that those who criticise the most do the least; and it is our opinion that the man who always claims to approve of the end, but who always disapproves of the means, is cousin germane to a hypocrite. Here are three things that go well together. Many an humble disciple, unlearned, perhaps, and in obscure position, wishes that be could do some thing for the feels that he can do nothing. The first article shows that he can do exactly what our Lord spent much of His time in doing; the second shows that although he is small, he may be great; and the third will be like a refreshing dew to his spirit. Here they are : No. 1. In our Lord’s own life, it is mani fest that he did, day by day, a multitude of things for the mere sake of soothing trouble, of smoothing asperities, of producing amia ble feelings. While He instructed men, while He inspired them,with noble heroisms and ambitions, His life was also filled up with a thousand email shades of goodness, whose very nature it was to make men con tented and happy, and Hie example is quot ed for our imitation. “For even Christ pleased not himseli."— Christian Advocate. No. 2. “AH cannot become scholars; but all may be wise unto salvation. All cannot acquire wealth; but all may gain the un searchable riches of Christ. All cannot walk upon the high places of the earth: but all may be great in the sight of the Lord."— Anonymous. No. 3. Quiet Lives.— Christ’s lowly workers unconsciously bless the world. They come out every morning from the presence of God and go to their business or their household work. And all day long, as they toil they drop gentle words from their lips, •nd scatter little seeds of kindness about them; and to morrow, flowers from (he gar den ol God spring up in the dusty streets of earth, and along the hard pathsof toil on which their feet tread. More than oace, in the Scriptures, the lives of God’s people in this world are compared, in their influence, THE CHRISTIAN HERALD, of Tennessee. to the dew. There may be other points of analogy,but special! , noteworthy is the quiet manner in which the dew performs its min istry. It falls silently and imperceptibly. It makes no noise. No one hears its drop ping. It chooses the darkness of the night, when men are sleeping, and when no man can witness its beautiful work. It covers the leaves with clusters of pearls. It steals into the bosom of the flowers, and leaves a new cupful of sweetness there. It pours itself down among the roots of the grasses and tender herbs and plants. And in the morn ing there’is a fresh beauty everywhere. The fields look greener, the gardens are more fragrant, a'l life glows and sparkles with a new splendor. And is there no lesson here as to ihe manner in which we should seek to do good in this world? Should we not strive to have our influence felt rather than to be seen or heard? Should we not scatter bles-ings so silently and secretly that no one shall know what hand dropped them? The whole spirit of the Gispel teaches this. “When thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, that thine alms may be in secret.” We are not to seek praise of men. We are not to do good deeds to receive rewards from men. We are not to sound trumpets or announce our good deeds from the housetop.—Anon y-nous. “Just now, the subject of taking children to church regularly on the Lord’s day is re ceiving special consideration. We have an article on thia subject on another page. In his recent lecture at Association Hall, in this city, Rev. John H. Vincen', whose life has been largely devoted to Sunday school work (of late in connection with the Chautauqua Lake Assembly), said emphatically, that :f children could not attend the Sunday school and the church services, the firmer, and not the latter, should be omitted. He said the services of the sanctuary, even when a child could not comprehend all that the preacher said, would have a more important and permanent influence on his character than the teachings of the Sunday school. —N. Y. Observer. The Sunday-school is good; but it must never be made a substitute for the Lord’s house. Parental example and in struction,social influence,Sunday school teaching, and the influence of good books and papers, are all excellent in their way, but after all, the great in strumentality for the salvation of this world is the public preaching of the Gospel. Speaking of the death of the Apostles, the New Orleans Christian I Advocate says: “How each met the final hour, we can only conjecture from their written words, in reference to its approach. The inspired might have told us something, but it does not. There is nothing in tradition that throws a gleam upon the block of Paul or the cross of Peter. What words they spoke, what testimony they gave, what hymns they sung, what prayers they uttered, are not of record. Their faces may have shone upon their executioners,and the peace j of God may have burst forth into a joy tin-* qieakab'e and full of glory. Ttieir words, . in view of death,seem to anticipate and assure as much. No eirthl” witness in sympathy with their heroic faith may have been there. But, when the tabernacles were put off, we may be sure there was a glad release, and the Master and the angels were present to wel come them to the heavenly home. How did such a one die? is a ques tion often asked; it is much more im portant to inquire how he lived. “Many a Christian trusts Christ to carry him through the valley of the shadow of death, who does not rely upon Him to take . him through the dread to-morrow. If you are Christ’s you have no light to worry. He is a safe pilot. You can trust him in the shallow, quiet river, as well as in the sea be yond.”—Alliance. If Christ is.to be ours in death and in j eternity, He is ours now; and if we are in Him and He is in us now, we need not be troubled about anything. “Let not your heart be troubled,” are the ‘ words or our Lord, and we suppose we may add to them the words “either now . or at any other time.” “The highest form of loyalty to any de nomination is to exhibit its utmost spiritual possibilities.”— Zion's Herald. So we think; but there arc some who seem to think that the highest form of loyalty to our denomination, is to hold, in check, its spiritual possibili ties and urge, with all their might, its distinguishing peculiarities. Well, if men will give tithes of nothing else, perhaps it is well for them to tithe the mint, anise, and cummin ; but there is a more excellent way. So here is some comfort: The bishop at Manchester, Dr. Frazer, is one of the best esteemed prelates of the Church of England, yet there are those who do not like him; a fact which a member of Parlinment recently used in a public meet ing to point a neat compliment. The reason, he said, why the bishop had so many ene mies was that he was too learned for the dunces of the Church, too active for the , laggards of the Church, too self-denying for ] the self-indulgent of the Church, and too good an example everywhere for the many bad examples around him. And we remember, too, that our Lord once said, "Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false proph ets.” Luke 6 : 26. We sup|«>se there has never been a time when there were not false prophets; and never a time when there were not true prophets; and never a time when the true prophets were not traduced and de i nouncod and never a time when some Whole No. 2398 of the false prophets were . not held in high esteem by many. So we must be on our guard against the false; try to do our duty towards the true, and if we happen to belong to the traduced class, let us bear our injuries meekly, revile not again and evil with good. Let no good citizen of the Southern Slates relax in his eff >rts to abate the evils in our midst because of the fierce sectional war again directed against them from bitter partisans and politico-religionists. Let us go on rebuilding the walls of our Jerusalem despite the Sanballats and Tobiahs No amount of folly and malice on the part of opposers can absolve us from our obligations to maintain all that is good, and, as far as we can, put down all that is wrong in our midst. Do not forget this.— Christian. Ad vocate. Let the churches enforce their dis cipline, let the courts enforce the code, and a wonderful change for the better would soon take place. Pastors and church-members are responsible for the former; judges and jurors for the latter. Who is to pay Archbishop Purcell’s debts, is a question still unsettled. The appeal sent out to the Roman Catholic churches for aid has produced about $75,000, a sum in sufficient to pay even the interest due to the depositors in the Cincinnati arch-episcopal bank. Many of the crtdiiors have been utterly ruined, and large numbers are in actual need of food and clothing, for a large proportion of the sufferers by the failure of the bank were among the working classes, and those who had saved their deposits with difficulty out of their scanty earnings. Rev. Mr. Cave-Brown Cave, a clergyman of the Church of England in Crowborough, carried his ritualistic nonsense to such a degree of extravagance and persistence that he drove many of his parish into dissenting worship. A good Primitive Methodist ehapei was erected, and a lady of his church is building a place of worship for a Free English church. He denounced her as a schismatic, and gome replies in the papers have made cur.ous and amusing develop-* ments. At the cottage of a poor woman who had refused to have him christen her child, finding her ill up-stairs he com pelled the giil having the child in charge to get some water, saying the child must be christened at once. Then, as he had no surplice, and could not act without one, he called for a towel and put it over his shoul ders, and then fearing the holy water he had consecrated would be put to a profane use after the christening, he drank it up. He told a mother her two unchristened infants were “little demons.” Visiting the sick he sends all others out of the room, and then makes himself their confessor, ttsks s range and disquieting questions, nearly, driving them out of their wits, and as the keeper of their souls insists on administering the sacrament. Many object, and then he threatens and says if they do not receive it from him they will infallibly “go to hell," etc. A physician had to forbid his visiting his patients on account of the bad effect he produced upon them. Conversing with a woman who was in trouble about her salva tion, and who said, “I have been christened," he replied. “Then you need not be in the slightest trouble, you may rely upon going to heaven; such as myself are the accredited persons in charge of your souls, and have power to perform this efficacious act, and to give or withhold the comforts of the Church.”— Christian Secretary. The women of Massachusetts seem after all to have but small desire to cast the ballot. In that State women have now the privilege of voting for school officers. In 1876 fifty thousand votes were cast in Boston by men, and there is every reason to believe that the women in that city entitled to vote forschool officers number at least as many. But when the registry closed on Tuesday evening of last week it appeared that only a few over one thousand women desired to vote. It is plain that the main obstacle in the way of female suffrage is not “the horrid men,” but the indisposition of women to go into poli tics.— Presbyterian Banner. A law lias been promulgated in Russia, a supplement to the existing code, giving per mission to Baptists to profess their religion unhindered, and to celebrate the worship of God in the bouses which, with the approba tion of the Governor, have been set apart lor that puqiose. Rev. C. IL Spurgeon has been obliged, for the sake of his health, to leave for a time his work in London. He has gone to Men tone again, in the south of France, for .1 win ter vacation of eight weeks. Did anv one ever hear of a peison, who, because there is counterfeit money in circu lation, would have nothing to do with money? Why, then, reject Christianity because there are liogus Christians in circu lation? It is very strange that so trivial and unreasonable an excuse should be so often offered.— lnterior. Be not weary in doing what God bids, or in waiting for what God has promised. Your work may be difficult, but persevere in it. The day may seem long, but it will come to an end. Look to the Savior; rest on the promise; keep on with the work, and in due season you willgo to your rest, if you faint not. Cause and Effect. The main cause of nervousness is indiges tion, and that is caused by weakness of the stomach. No one can have sound nerves and good health without using Hop Bitters to strenghten the stomach, purify the blocd, and keep the liver and kidneys active, to carry off all the poisonous and waste matter of the system. See other column, Don’tforget to try Herrings Salve,tor piles, tetter, itch, neuralgia, sores and ulcers, aches and pains, it will cure every time.