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vol. 59-
Table of Contents.
FinePage—Alabama Department: “God’s
Ministry," by Rev. A. W. Chambliss, D.
D.; Pleasant Social Visits; Death of a
Dear Neighbor; Rev. Win. C. Mynatt; An
Incident with a Moral; Silent Reproof;
Dr. Renfroe. The Religious Press.
Second Page—Correspondence: To the New
Ebenezer Association ; The Responsibility
of Laving; Letter from Dr. Wharton ; Pen
Droppings; Sketches of Foreign Countries
—Germany ; From Madison ; Jottings By
the Way. Missionary Department.
Third Page—Children’s Comer: Bible Ex
plorations: Correspondence ; Miscellane
ous. The Sunday-School—Lesson for May
Bth: “The Prodigal Son.”
Fourth Page—Georgia Baptist Convention.
Fifth Page—Secular Editorials: News Para
graphs ; New Books; Georgia News.
Sixth Page—The Household: Try To Do
Good—poetry ; Sharp Words; Courtesy at
Home ; Do Something poetry ; etc.
Obituaries.
Seventh Page—The Farmer’s Index: The
Weather and Work; German Carp; Edi
torial Jealousy ; Cabbage Worms.
Eighth Page—Florida Department: Ordina
tion—Recognition : From the Churches;
Unity and Fraternity.
Alabama Department.
BY SAMUEL HENDERSON.
“GOD’S MINISTRY," BY REV. A.
W. CHAMBLISS, D.D.
Some few weeks ago, we simply re
cognized the receipt of this book from
the author, promising to say some
thing more of it, after examining ft.
This we now propose to do. And let
us say once for all, that it is a book
that will be read, and unless our judg
ment is greatly at fault, it will exert a
commanding influence wherever it is
circulated. We have never known but
one man who could have written that
book. That man is its gifted author.
It is the result of forty years experience,
reflection and prayer, and every sent
ence it contains bears the impress of a
spirit all aglow with the fires of devo
tion. Indeed, as to its style, the only
criticism we can think of as likely to
impair its circulation is, that to the aver
age reader it invests "God’s Ministry”
with a solemn sanctity, a high, holy,
isolated mission, a complete absorption
in the one grand purpese, all which
give to the theory he propounds an air of
impracticability, which is only another
way of saying that the average piety of
our churches and ministry is not suffi
cient to realize in fact what is so im
pressively presented in theory.
The purpose of the book is to prove
from the New Testament that the min
istry that God has appointed for the
churches, is to be wholly consecrated
to that work, and that nothing short
of this can fulfil the prescriptions of
his word, or meet the demands of the
service—that the work is so multiform
in its nature, so overwhelming in its
responsibilities, so exacting in its de
mands, as to preclude all possibility of
harmonizing it with any other calling,
however laudable in itself—and that a
“secularized ministry,” as it is called,
is a simple contradiction in terms. That
he has sustained the ground he takes
every one must admit who reads the
book.
Now, while we say all this, and could
say much more to the same effect,
candor compels us to add, that we do
not agree with the distinguished author
in his interpretation of those passages
which refer to “Paul at Corinth” and
“Paul at Ephesus,” where, in the one
case he abode with Aquila and Priscil
la, “and wrought (for by their occupa
tion they were tent-makers), and he
reasoned every Sabbath, and persuaded
the Jews and Greeks,” (Acts 18:1-4,)
and in the other case he affirms of
himself, that he “had coveted no man’s
silver, or gold, or apparel; yea, ye,
yourselves know,” says he, “that these
hands have ministered to my neces
sities, and to them that were with me."
(Acts 20:33-35) It is not necessary
to the argument of our brother that
these passages should mean anything
more or less than their plain obvious
import. That Paul did work at
his “craft" at Corinth, that he did
minister to his own wants and the
wants of others with his own hands at
Ephesus, is said in terms as specific
as language can express it. That he
chose to do this so as not to be charge-
SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST. )
or Alabama. j
able to any man among a people who
had been so recently converted from
heathenism, simply indicates that high
sense of propriety that would remove
every source of offense to the cause of
his Master. Dr. Carey accepted an ap
pointment under the British govern
ment while he was a missionary in
Calcutta, but he used its emoluments
to promote his great work. But this
is only a spot, a mere wrinkle in the
profound production of a good man,
and we shall not pursue it. If we had
it in our power, we would place the
book in the hands of every minister,
yes, of every member of our churches
throughout the country. It fills up
a niche in our Christian literature oc
cupied by no other book, and deserves
a circulation commensurate with the
importance of the subject it embraces,
and the ability with which it is dis
cussed.
Plehsant Social visits.—Our brother
Rev. W. Wilks, during our absence fell
in and spent the night with our family
recently, and the madam and all the
family assure us that the occasion was
about as pleasant as they have enjoyed
for many a day. When our brother W.
is “in case,” as the Virginians say of
their great staple, one never meets a
more genial companion. We only regret
that we were not present to share the
brilliant sparkle, pith and profit of the
occasion.
We also enjoyed the privilege of a
visit from Dr. Teague for a couple of
nights at the March meeting of his
church at Fayetteville, and preached for
him on Sunday of that meeting. This
to us was a rare treat. The many sub
jects of mutual interest that came up to
enliven those delightful hours, have
left a very pleasant odor behind, out of
which we hope to work up more than
one editorial for these columns. We
love to strike in with a kindred spirit,
ever and anon, who can “wind us up”
on some questions that may be made
profitable. Good “seed thoughts” are
not always easy to command.
Death of a Dear Neighbor.—This
morning, (April 7th) we learned that
another old friend has just past away,
Mrs. Goodman, the wife of deacon
Thomas Goodman, our neighbor, a
worthy man whom we have known
forty years. She was, we suppose, be
tween sixty-five and seventy years old,
and had been for most of her life an
exemplary member of the old Fort
Williams ( Fayetteville ) Baptist church.
She had been in a decline for some time,
but the immediate cause of her death
was a fall some ten days since, breaking
one of her limbs. She was truly “a
keeper at home,” ordering her house
hold as became a Christian mother.
She and her godly husband reared a
family of model children, all of whom
that survive her will ever call her
blessed. How often have we shared
her genial hospitality, and enjoyed the
society of her family circle, now, alas,
broken to be repared only in that hap
pier clime.
“Where those who meet shall part no more,
And those long parted meet again.”
Our dear brother Goodman has our
sympathies in this affliction. May the
Healer be there!
Rev. Wm. C. Mynatt.—The many
friends of this brother will be pained
to know that he is closely confined to
his bed, having some weeks ago been
stricken with paralysis. Indeed,for some
months before the attack he was in a
declining state. Being something over
seventy years of age, it can scarcely be
hoped that he will ever so far recover
as to resume his regular ministerial
work. The reader may well suppose
that he and his worthy family have
our profoundest sympathies, as we have
known them intimately and tenderly
for about forty years. In our early
years we were associated as joint mis
sionaries in several counties in north
and East Alabama, traveling and
preaching together in the early set
tlement of that portion of the State
We found him to be just what he has
proven to be through succeeding years,
a generous friend, an earnest, able
minister, firm as granite in his con
victons, and withal possessing an
integrity and piety beyond suspicion.
May the Gospel he has so successfully
preached to others be the source of his
comfort in his great affliction?
THE FRANKLIN STEAM PRINTING HOUSE.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1881.
AN INCIDENT WITH A MORAL.
In a conversation with a friend a
short time since, the following incident
was related to us: Several gentlemen
were present in a drinking saloon out
in Mississippi, when Mr. B. staggered
in among them, quite intoxicated.
One of the gentlemen present happen
ed to mention as an item of news, that
the Hon. Howell Cobb, of Georgia, had
just been elected Speaker of the House
of Representatives in Congress. This
arrested the attention of Mr. 8., drunk
as he was; and throwing in his coun
tenance an expression of the utmost
surprise, he exclaimed : “Howell Cobb
elected Speaker of the House of Rep
resentatives in Congress? Howell Cobb
presiding over the greatest body of
Statesmen on the continent? Why, we
were in college together, and I know I
have more brains than he has. I
always stood higher in college than he
did. And now he has reached one of
the highest and most honorable posi
tions in the United States, and I am
here drunk in a doggery!” Truly a
humiliating contrast in the career of
the two men. Thinking over this in
cident, it occured to us that it might
serve to point out a moral for the ben
efit especially of young men as they
leave the halls of learning to engage
in the enterprises of life. Certainly
the lessons and experiences of the past
ought to react upon our future.
“Commencement day” in college,
when a young man receives his diploma,
ought to be regarded as“commencement
day” in more senses than one. The
acquisitions of the school room ought
to be regarded as so much capltal with
which to begin life; for that may and
ought to be considered the commence
ment of what may be made a noble end.
Conceding that this poor inebriate,
Mr. 8., was by nature the superior of
Mr. Cobb, what was it that placed the
one as a drunken sot in an obscure
whisky shop among the very refuse
of society,and the other in the Speaker’s
chair of our national Congress? In
the one case, Mr. B. accepted his diplo
ma as the goal of all his wishes, and
thenceforth abandoned himself to in
glorious ease, indolence and dissipation,
and landed in a gutter; in the other
case, Mr. 0. accepted the honors of
graduation simply as a starting point,
as the real beginning of life’s business,
and addressing himself to his calling
with all the energy of true manhood,
advanced from one step to another,
until he landed in the highest position
his fellow representatives in Congress
could confer, and then stepped from
thence into the President's Cabinet.
Each one had “a price in his handthe
one madly threw it away, and fell into
the lowest degradation; the other used
it wisely and vigorously, and purchas
ed for himself a name and fame as
broad as thi- grand Commonwealth,
and more enviable than the “star and
gaiter” conferred by royalty. Young
man! which of these tWo careers will
you choose to animate you in your life
struggle? You may not reach the
honors of the one; but you may escape
the degradation of the other. You may
be useful, if not distinguished.
SILENT REPROOF.
The late Chief Justice Chilton, of
Alabama, used to relate the following
circumstances that occured in his
young manhood. And let us say, by
the way, that he was never immoral or
.profane in his habits. His father was
a Baptist preacher in Kentucky, as
was also his eldest brother. But Judge
C. had one infirmity that was peculiar
to his earlier years—it was a species
of wit and humor that would at times
be expended on sacred things. On one
occasion he was present at a social
gathering where the subject of preach
ing came up to enliven the conversa
tion. Belonging to a preaching family
he most needs contribute something
to the entertainment, and remarked
that it required no very great capacity
to preach, for that he could preach
about as good a sermon as most minis
ters. His young friends rallied him to
give them a specimen of his preaching
capacity. After some persuasion, he
yielded to their request, and told them
to get the books, and arrange for the
sermon. Taking his seat at the table,
be took up the hymn book to select
his hymn, and it so happened that the
first hymn to which he opened was
this:
"Stop, poor sinner, stop and think,
Before you farther go,” etc.
He paused—his hand trembled—an
awfuil sense of the sacrilege he was en
gaged in seized him—he closed the
book, a::d quietly retired from the circle
without stopping to explain the abrupt
termination of his task. What he com
menced as a farce ended in a tragedy,
and never thereafter did he repeat the
experiment.
The Judge subsequently united with
the Baptist church in Talladega, about
the year 1839—some few years after
removed to Tuskegee, where he was
made a deacon, in which position he
“purchased to himself a good degree,”
was notorious for his intelligent piety,
his enlarged views of Christian duty
and princely benevolence. He used to
say to his pastor (the writer), that he
intended to be his own executor—he
intended to leave no estate worth quar
reling over among his children. This
was literally true; for although he had
made money enough through life to
have constituted a vast fortune, at his
death, pretty nearly every thing he left
to his family was ten thousand dollars
insurance on his life. He is one man
whose memory will linger in our heart
while life shall last.
Two things are suggested by this in
cident : 1. Conscience is not always
dead when it sleeps. It asserted its
power at a time that perhaps saved our
youpg friend from a life of sin and a
death of remorse. 2ndly. Silent reproof
is fai more effective than the most im-
I liMff iponjs. There are times when
siien'ce is the most expressive and heart
searching eloquence, remanding us to
that self-inspection which ends in a
permanent reformation.
Dr. Renfroe.—This brother starts
to Mississippi in a few days to fulfil an
engagement to deliver a series of ser
mons to the young men preparing for
the ministry at the Baptist College of
that State. Perhaps no plan could be
adopted by the trustees and faculties
of such institutions that would be of
more substantial benefit to young
preachers than this. A judicious sel
ection of topics, discussed in the style of
such practical men as Dr. Renfroe,
would be worth more to theological
students at the proper time, than close
reading and study for a year or more.
We are glad to know that our brethren
in Mississippi have fallen on so wise a
plan in training their young men for
the ministry, as well as the discreet
selection of such a man as Dr. R. for
that purpose. More than twenty years
ago, the late Dr. Eaton adopted the
like plan for the Baptist College at
Murfreesboro, Tenn., with flattering
success. Young ministers, not in the
institution, from all the surrounding
country, came in to attend the lectures
of Dr. Howell, Dr. Dayton, and others,
and were greatly benefitted.
The Religious Press.
Concerning the Exodus. —A movement
of formidable proportions is on foot in the
South among the freedmen, looking to their
emigration into New Mexico and Arizona.
Those who had supposed the exodus of these
people to have come to an eud are realizing
their mistake. The Herald, ofthe 12th inst.,
gave an account of five hundred colored
peopie leaving a point in Tennessee recent
ly, and it was but a.few days before that we
saw an account of a thousand more going
from northern Louisiana. That twenty
million acres of land, in one tract, in the ter
ritory of New Mexico, is offered to these
people at a nominal price by owners who
are friendly to them, one of whom is the
Howard University in Washington, is an
other fact which shows how serious this
matter has become. President Garfield was
reported in the Associated Press dispatches,
a week or so ago, as heartily in sympathy
with the colonization of a large number of
the freedmen in New Mexico. The emigra
tion of a considerable number of these new
ly enfranchised citizens into that territory
will open a new field for our Home Mission
Society, the cultivation of which will depend
largely on the success of our Denomination
al schools for the education of a trained
ministry from the ranks of the colored peo
ple themselves.—Watch-Tower.
The Index has never encouraged
the negroes to leave their old homes,
though others who know far less about
them than we do, are very forward to
take that responsibility. On the oth
er hand, we do not discourage them,
and put no obstacles in their way.
Their emigration will be no loss to us,
for when they go, there will be plenty
of others to take their places. The
world cannot afford to let so magnifi-
J THE CHRISTIAN HERALD,
( of Tennessee.
cent a country as this, lie idle. We
notice that those who seem to exult
(for what reason, we do not know,)
over what is called the exode, never in
vite the negroes to Massachusetts, or
to New York, or to Pennsylvania, or
to Ohio, though, a few months ago, it
was made very easy for them to go to
Indiana. Their Northern friends now
invite them to go to New Mexico! We
hope they will do just what they please.
If they think they can better their
condition by leaving us, we shall do
what we can to help them off, and our
best wishes will attend them.
Good Hearing.—Good preaching is
very desirable, and good hearing quite
as much so. The late Dr. Bushnell
relates the following anecdote of him
self. He says:
“As we we were coming out of church
one drizzly Sunday,my wile remarked, ‘You
had belter burn that sermon; it isn’t worth
repeating anywhere.’ ‘I shall do no snch
thing,’l answered, a little vexed; ‘the ser
mon is up to my average.’ She jiereisted,
and I said little more. But a year or two
afterwards, on a bright, cheery Sunday in
May—one of those days that make a dis
course go off itself—l took that same ser
mon again. And as we came down the
aisle after service, she whispered (without
the slightest notion that she had heard it
before), ‘I would mark that topreach on
exchange. It is better than common.’ ”
And this shows that the goodness of
the preaching depends very largely on
the goodness of the hearing. You
have a poor preacher, have you ?
Well, why don’t you make him better?
It is easy to do. Spend a little while
with your Bible, and on your knees,
before you go to church, and you will
be surprised to see how your preacher
will improve. Take heed how ye
hear.
Temperance and the Freedmen.— At the
call of the National Temperance Society, a
Conference to consider the question of •‘Tem
perance Education among the Freedmen,”
assembled in the rooms ofthe Young Men's
Christian Association, New York, April 13.
Robert Carter. Esq., of Carter Brothers, the
well-known publishers, presided, and after
a brief address introduced H. L. Morehouse,
D. D. who made a very earnest plea for im
mediate action. Dr. Morehouse read from
letters and reports which have come to the
Home Mission Board, showing how terribly
this vice was spreading among the freed
men.
From the proceedings of this Conference,
and from other sources, we are assured that
the; freedmen in the South and West are
especially exposed to peril through the use
of intoxicating drinks, and that large num
bers have already become drundards, lead
ing greatly to the increase of pauperism and
crime.—National Baptist.
We have nothing to say for or against
slavery, for that issue is decidedly
dead ; but we mention as matter of his
toric fact, that when the negroes were
slaves very few of them were drunk
ards ; indeed, we never knew or heard
of even one. The expression, "already
become drunkards,” in the above ex
tract, is worthy of note; and so is the
expression, “how terribly this vice is
spreading among the freedmen.” Free
dom has its perils, and, according to
the above testimony, there was in sla
very at least one redeeming feature ; it
kept the negroes sober. A letter was
read to the conference above spoken
of, by one of the colored missionaries
in Georgia, who says, “Bondage to
strong drink is a greater curse to soul
and body than bondage to men.” We
agree with our negro brother, and
sympathize with those of his people
who have made such a bad exhange of
masters. The “Local Option” law, we
think, will bring deliverance to many
of them, and what influence we have
is heartily given in favor of the law.
Dr. Hiscox, in the National Baptist,
says:
"One thing is unquestionably true: that
Baptist church-members and congre. ations,
and especially the young in their Sunday
schools, do not, as a general rule, receive the
instruction on this subject which they need,
and which the importance of the subject
demands. They are not sufficiently taught
how the Baptistic position is defended from
Scripture, and why it becomes inevitable if
the Bible be strictly followed. Attacks on
those who differ from us should be voted
out of our pulpits; but a great deal more of
instruction and self defence should be ruled
into them. The International Series of Sun
day-school Lessons, with some excellencies,
have for us this disadvantage: that they
make denominational instruction in our
Sunday-schools almost impracticable. By
Ibis means Baptists lose and Pedobaptists
gain, as they generally do in all union onorts.
We are willing they should gain on their
own field and by their own appliances. But
we ought to be true to ourselves and to the
truth which we hold as important. Our
communicants need not only to be Baptists,
but to know why they are such, and to be
able to defend their faith when beset in social
intercourse. The children and youth grow•
NO. 17.
fug in our schools and congregations, need
to ne instructed, or they will drift into other
churches when converted, as many of them
do for that very reason. Baptists should
maintain a strong denominationalism with
dignity and decision, but in a kind and,gen
tle, Christian spirit. Thereby they will
honor the truth and themselves.
To all this The Index subscribes.
The pugnacious spirit exhibited in some
of our pulpits and papers is both inex
pedient and improper. On the other
hand, neglect of doctrinal instruction
is ruinously wrong. The best way to
put error down is to preach the truth
up. Begin on the children ; indoctri
nate them early, and continue to in
doctrinate to the end, avoiding hobbies.
Present the truth in its symmetry, as
we find it in the Bible. Do this with
fidelity and in love, accompanying the
work with prayer, and confidently- ex
pect the blessing. “Attack” nobody;
preach the Word, and let that suffice.
The objection of Dr. Hiscox to the In
ternational Series is well taken. Bap
tists can do their own work better with
out help' than with it.
Dr. Howard Crosby, of New York,
who has been berated and belabored
by intemperate temperance men, be
cause he does not fully agree with
them, gives the following answers to
some questions put to him by a repor
ter :
”1. I know of no decline whatever in
church attendance. I think things are just
as they have always been.
“2. I think the sermons of to-day are as
effective as they ever were.
“3. All such things as chnrch fairs, private
theatricals, etc., do not decrease spirituality,
but I don’t believe there are any more of
them now than there have long been.
i “4. I don’t know any difference in church
work, except that there is a great deal more
of it, and that it is spread over a larger sur
face.
"5. I don't think the devil is a bit more
active now than he has always been, and I
think a good deal of modern thought is a
modern humbug. I don’t think modern
thought is any better than ancient thought.
I think there is a great deal said about, this
nineteenth century that is all bosh, and the
old doctrines are just as precious and just as
much prized as they ever were.”
And as The Index is neither a pessi
mist nor an optimist, and generally
tries to keep sober, it may be fairly
inferred that the said Index agrees
with the sober views of Dr. Crosby. As
to fairs, and the whole brood of eccle
siastical side-shows, we think that, in
our part of the country, there are not
so many as there have been. Possibly,
The Index may have had some hand
in diminishing the number of these
cock-robins in this neighborhood. At
any rate we should be glad to quote,
with the proper application, the nursery
rhyme,—
“I,” said the sparrow,
“With my bow and arrow,
I killed cock-robin.”
DESTRUCTION OF THE “SOUTH
ERN BAPTIST" OFFICE.
Meridian, April 19,1881.
To the Patrons of the Southern Baptist :
Dear Friends: Our paper was al
most ready for the press last evening;
this morning the office, with everything
in it, is in ruins. A fire broke out in
an adjoining building about mid-night,
and although our foremon was soon on
the spot he found it impossible even to
secure onr books and accounts, so rap
idly did the flames sprerd. So we are
left with nothing, with not even a list
of our patrons.
Notwithstanding all this, we are not
discouraged. We think we can trust
our brethren, and we know that the
Lord doeth all things well. That some
great good is to grow out of the disaster
we doubt not. Let our friends renew
their activity, and take a little trouble
in our behalf, and we will soon have the
Southern Baptist visiting them regular
ly again. It will not take long to refit
an office, and we can easily pay for it
if our patrons will remit the small sums
due for the paper, which in the ag
gregate is about $6,000. Remember
that we have to make up a new list,
and must ask for the names of our sub
scribers, and a report from them of
their indebtedness. We have neither
books nor accounts left. firaaon
We will esteem it a favor for all
papers to publish the foregoing facts;
and postmasters will oblige by tacking
up this notice. Pastors will confer a
great favor by calling the attention’ of
their churches to the same.
Very Truly Yours,
A. Grebbett,7
Editor 8. B.