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SgHkc If O't’lf A LO M f &.. SHhfc'V 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.