Newspaper Page Text
4
HENRY H.TUCKER, Kditor.
MORE ABOUT THE CONFLICT-
Not long ago we had something to
say about the conflicting opinions of
lawyers on law questions, and of
physicians on medical questions, and
of statesmen on political questions,
and of business men on business
questions, and of farmers on agri
cultural questions, and of all kinds of
men on all kinds of questions; and we
showed that those who object to the re
ligion of Jesus because its disciples are
on some points divided in opinion, are
occupying a position not creditable,
either to their intelligence, or to their
virtue. We spoke, at that time, of
questions such as are practically mere
abstractions, at any rate, of such as
involve no feeling, such as appeal to no
passion, prejudice nor interest, and on
which the decision must be wholly un
biased. What shall we say of that
other and larger class of questions
where it is impossible to be unbiassed?
The human judgment has a certain
amount of resistive power, which pre
vents it from being controlled by affec
tion or interest; but sometimes affec
tion or interest has a greater power
than the power that resists it, and in
that case the judgment is captured,
and blinded, and forced to work the
will of the victors, like Samson with
his eyes put out. It is still a great
power, it draws from its own resources,
its ingenuity instead of being repressed,
is stimulated, and mighty works are
wrought in behalf of the wrong; in be
half of what the judgment, if left to
itself, would know to be wrong. If the
stupendous and multiplied intellectual
forces which have been brought to bear
in support of error, from the beginning
of the world, had been turned in the
opposite direction, the world would
long since have been regenerated, and
would now be inhabited by a race very
little lower, indeed, than the angels.
We have said that the judgment is
sometimes thus overcome. If we had
said always we should have been nearer
the truth. As matter of fact, some
men, perhaps most men, can decide
tome questions adversely to their wishes,
wholly disregarding such influences as
would warp the judgment; but no man
has ever lived on the earth who could
decide all questions in this way. We
are all human ; and with most men the
moral forces are stronger than the in
tellectual. The deeper the interest of
a man in any question, the more likely
he is to be influenced by it. In small
matters, the judgment may be able to
maintain its equilibrium; but when
some huge interest casts enormous
weight on one side, a man must have
extraordinary powers if he can keep
his mind in exact balance.
Os all the ten thousand forces that
act on the human mind, none is so
strong as that of religion. We speak
not merely of the true religion, but of
any religion. The religious element is
at the very foundation of human na
ture ; it lies deeper down than any of
our natural affections, and has more
control over us than all of them to
gether. The Hindoo will suffer mar
tyrdom as readily as a Christian ; the
heathen sacrifice their children and
themselves to false gods. The votaries
of error are as sincere, and as earnest,
as the votaries of truth.
In the early days of the church, the
Scriptures were construed either by
converted Jews, whose minds were sat
urated with the sentiment of a former
and wholly different dispensation, or
by converted heathen, whose thoughts
were as chaotic as the elements were
when darkness moved upon the face
of the deep. Is it any wonder that
there should have been differences of
opinion among them as to the true con
struction? Would it not have been a
miracle, belittling all other miracles if
it had not been so? Questions innu
merable were to be decided ; thousands
upon thousands of expressions were to
be interpreted.
The Scriptures were written by
scores of men, scattered 'over a period
of fifteen hundred years. The inter
preters were brought together from the
ends of the earth with habits of thought
and pre-conceived ideals, as diverse as
is possible to human beings ; and to all
this must be added the fact that the
Scriptures had to be translated, and in
those early days very imperfectly trans
lated, into languages of genius wholly
incompatible with the orignal. Is it
surprising that there should have been
some differences of opinion in reaching
final results? If the question were to
be decided a priori, we should almost
be ready to say that no two of them
would agree about anything, and, at
any rate, that universal discord would
reign supreme.
Yet what are the facts? On most essen
tial points all real Christians are agreed.
A dozen different variations of creed,
perhaps a smaller number, would in
clude all the sects; not indeed as to
minute points and matters of detail, but
in all that any would regard as very
important. Some may be tinctured
with the remains of Judaism; some
may be stained more or less with the
relics of heathenism; some will be strict
constructionists, while some will para
phrase rather than translate; some will
follow logic, and some will follow feel
ing ; some will naturally incline to lay j
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST: THURSDAY, MAY 19, 1881.
stress on forms, and some will just as
naturally incline to disregard them al
together; and all are liable to be influ
enced more or less by superstition. To
these causes may be traced all the vari
ations of opinion now found in the
different divisions of the Christian
church. Notwithstanding all this, the
differences are comparatively few. We
venture to say, that on no great sub
ject involving so many points, and en
tangled with so many complications,
and decided by such a multitude of
minds, has there ever been so great a
harmony of views, instead of raising
an outcry about the great variety of
opinions, the world should stand amaz
ed that are so few. In mechanics it is
impossible that the recoil should have
more force than the discharge; but
those who use this argument against
the religion of our Lord must see, that
the only force it has is that of recoil.
It is well for us that they have raised
the point; they have strengthened our
position and laid themselves supine by
their attack.
HEREDITARY POLITENESS.
In the early ages of the world, the
courtesies of life were known and
practiced. With all the boast of mod
ern times, we seem, in some respects,
to have receded, and with all the ad
vances of Western civilization, we
seem still, in the matter of politeness,
to fad short of the Orient. Abraham
was a gentleman. Once, as he sat in
door of his tent, in the heat of the
day, he saw three men approaching
who were strangers. He ran to meet
them and bowed himself toward the
ground, and said : “My lord, if now I
have found favor in thy sight, pass
not away, I pray thee, from thy ser
vant ; let a little water, I pray thee, be
fetched, and wash your feet, and rest
yourselves under the tree ; and I will
fetch a morsel of bread ; and comfort ye
your hearts; after that ye shall pass on,
for therefore are ye come to your ser
vant”; and Abraham hastened into
the tent to Sarah, and gave prompt
orders for a handsome repast to be pre
pared for his visitors. Gen. ch. 18.
He little knew the character of his
guests; he took them for ordinary
men, and for a time, was entertaining
not only angels, but the Lord una
wares, though, before the interview
closed, he discovered the exalted char
acter and majesty of his visitor. From
that day to this, his posterity, whatever
faults they may inherit from a common
humanity, have been marked by a
pleasing address, and gracious man
ners ; nor do we believe that this pro
ceeds from any selfish motive; it has
run in their blood since the days when
Abraham dwelt in his tent on the
plains of Mamre.
At the late Baptist Convention in
Columbus, the Jews tendered to us the
use of their house of worship, and Dr.
Winkler, of Alabama, was appointed
to fill their pulpit. Naturally enough,
he felt somewhat embarrassed, being
unwilling on the one hand, to withhold
any part of the truth as it is in Jesus,
and on the other, to say a word which
would give offense to those whose hos
pitality he’was about to enjoy. The
Rabbi, however, assured him that the
house was at his disposal and that he
was at liberty to say what he pleased.
We should certainly have attended the
service, had wo not been appointed to
preach at that hour, (11 o’clock on
Sunday morning), at another place.
We, learn, however, that there was a
fair attendance of Jews and Gentiles,
and that Dr. Winkler accomplished
the difficult task of delivering a dis
course acceptable to all. We trust
that these children of our father Abra
ham, (for we will call him our father),
entertained angels unawares, as their
illustrious ancestor did; nay, we trust
that The Lord was there, and that the
glorious Personage who relealed him
self as Jehovah to Abraham may be
revealed in the fulness of his salvation
to all his descendants.
May Israel dwell in safety ; may the
fountain of Jacob be upon a land of
corn and wine; may his heavens also
drop down dew ; may the eternal God
be his refuge; underneath be the ever
lasting arms; and may his enemies be
thrust out before him.
Our Hebrew friends cannot (alas!)
join us in all our prayer, but they
will appreciate the sincerity of our
hearts when we say with tearful eyes:
May the love of God and the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and the com
munion of the Holy Ghost, not of three
gods, but of one everliving and true
God, the God of Abraham and of Isaac
and of Jacob, be with you all. Amen!
To our great mortification a para
graph appeared in our issue of last
week laudatory in extravagant terms,
of the editor-in-chief of The Index. The
said editor owes it to himself to say,
that he never saw the objectionable
paragraph until it appeared in print,
and that it was written by a reporter
engaged by the proprietors for the oc
casion and not permanently connected
with The Index.
The Christian Leader was exception
ally happy in the selection of a title
for Dr. Thomas, the Methodist, and
Dr. Swing, the Presbyterian, of Chicago,
since their deflection into what is false
ly styled “liberal theology.” It calls
them "Uncertainarians”—a fit name
not for them only, but for all who
leave the firm footing of an inspired
Bible and an evangelical exegesis.
DEADHEADISM
“In a conversation with an aged and
intelligent minister of this State about
a year ago, he asked how it is possible
for our churches to escape from the
immense amount of deadheadism now
paralyzing them. We confessed that
the question was a vital one, and that
we had also given it deep and anxious
thought. And after long considera
tion we have come to the conclusion
that the surest way for the churches
to rid themselves of this incubus, was
not to be in too great haste to baptize
those who profess faith it Christ. We
contended that there are many spuri
ous professions, and a little time for
cool consideration and self-examination
would cause a large proportion of these
mistaken ones to withdraw without
being baptized, and hence the churches
would escape the evils arising from
unconverted members. While it would
be wise to be cautious in urging people
to confess Christ, yet in spite of cau
tion many will make the step hastily.
We referred him to a case that had been
related to us, where a meeting result
ed in nine candidates for baptism, and
the time for the ordinance was set, but
a violent storm prevented it. The pas
tor returned at his next monthly ap
pointment, expecting to baptize, but
all the candidates had decided not to
be baptized at all. We claimed that it
was better for the church and the "con
verts” that they should learn of their
mistake outside of the church, rather
than as church members.
“Our venerable brother differed from
us, and contended that when people
are brought to a confession of Christ,
we should make haste to baptize them.
His remedy for the evil was a more
intelligent and instructive ministry.
But as neither he nor we were able to
furnish the able ministry at once,
we were only reccommending such
measures as commended themselves to
us under the circumstances.
“The daughter of the aforesaid broth
er said to her father that his theory
of hasty baptisms and practice did not
agree ; for, when his own children pro
fessed faith in Christ, he advised them
to wait and examine themselves, and
not to make a blunder in the matter.
We assured him that we preferred his
practice to his theory.
“We do not say that our view of es
caping the evil is the best, but it is the
best way that appears to our mind, and
we would be thankful to any one who
can suggest a better plan.”
The above editorial article, which we
adopt as our own, is from the Biblical
Recorder, of Raleigh, N. C. We see no
better plan for preventing the increase
of deadheads than that which our con
temporary suggests. Os course there can
be no better plan. What it amounts
to is simply this, “Receive no more of
them into the church.”
But what shall we do with those al
ready on hand? If we could exclude
them we ought to do so. The loss of
some fifty thousand or more of them
from our churches in Georgia would
be a great relief. The trouble is that
there is not enough moral power in the
churches to exclude them. And if
they were excluded, the work of most
of our evangelists and, alas! of many
of our pastors too, for the last twenty
or thirty years would be undone. A
converted church-membership is the
distinctive feature of the Baptist theory,
but from this we have widely departed
in practice. It is usually in the sum
mer months that this enormous crop
of unconverted church members is
harvested. Can we not avoid it in the
coming summer?
METHODIST LIBERALITY.
By the kindness of our brethren of
the Methodist Episcopal church, the
late meeting of the Southern Baptist
Convention was held in their house of
worship in Columbus, Mississippi. The
edifice is a large and elegant one,
handsomely furnished, and capable of
seating at least twelve hundred persons
and is amply supplied with all modern
conveniences. In the basement we
found not only a commodious lecture
room, but various other rooms which
admirably subserved the purpose of our
committees. We found too, every ar
rangement for our comfort and con
venience that could possibly have been
made by the utmost forethought and
consideration. In fact as long as we
have been attending conventions, at
home and abroad, we have never seen
preparations so thorough, so elegant
and so complete, as those made for us
on this occasion. The seats reserved
for delegates were marked off by neatly
printed cards, elevated, so as to be con
spicuous at Jany distance; the sexton
was always in his place, and kept us
supplied with fresh water; the organist
was always on hand ; well-dressed and
intelligent lads, evidently young gentle
men, wearing badges marked “Messen
ger” were in constant attendance in
the aisles to act as pages and to render
any service that might be required; a
regular post-office was held in the ante
room, where every one could mail or
receive his letters at his leisure; an
immense black-board was also placed
in the ante-room, and on it were writ
ten the names of all the committees, so
that any one at any time could learn
all that he wished to know about such
matters without troubling the Secretar
ies ; all the rooms though badly treated
during the day, were found swept and
garnished clean and tidy the next
morning. We cannot remember all
the particulars, but can only repeat in
general terms that such thoughtfulness
in all the details of preparation for an
assembly of the kind, we have never
seen before. We make this record
partly as a lesson to such Baptist chur
ches as may hereafter entertain the
Convention, but more especially as an
evidence of our gratitude to our Meth
odist brethren for their generous hos
pitality, and to let them see that their
pearls were not cast before those who
were unable to appreciate them.
Unpardonable Rudeness.—We are
mortified to record the fact that some
of our brethren at Columbus were so
forgetful of. the proprieties of life, to
say nothihg of its decencies, as to soil
the beautiful rooms of the Methodist
church in Columbus, by spitting on
the floor. Some years ago the Georgia
Baptist Convention was held in Savan
nah, and the Presbyterians politely
tendered the use of their commodious
lecture room for its daily use during
the session. If we are correctly inform
ed (for we had the good fortune not to
be present) the behavior of some of
the members was so outrageous, that
after the first day the Presbyterians
felt themselves obliged to withdraw
their offer of hospitality, and the con
vention was virtually expelled from the
house. We should have done exactly
what they did. We can see no more
justification for spitting on a man’s
floor than for spitting in his face. The
only apology we can make for our
brethren is, that they knew no better;
and our apology for the Convention
is, that while there was much misbe
havior there were few who misbe
haved.
Gov. St. John, of Kansas has par
doned a man convicted of murder, be
cause the man’s wife argued that when
he committed the crime he was under
the influence of liquor obtained at a
place when its sale was authorised by
law; and for this act the temperance
apostles are now sounding the praises
of Gov. St. John of Kansas. The In
dex would like to know whether it is
thought by these apostles that such a
consideration as that urged by the wo
man justifies Gov. St. John in forget
ting his oath of office.
Furthermore, suppose that all Gov
ernors in States where the sale of
liquor is licensed should follow the ex
ample of Gov. St. John of Kansas.
Then a man who wishes to murder
another has a nice plan laid out for
him by official authority. All he has
to do, is to get drunk at a licensed li
quor shop, kill his man, and then get
his wife to go to the Governor with the
argument which had such weight with
Gov. St. John of Kansas. The plan is
very simple, and would work like a
charm.
Really some people seem to be made
as crazy by cold water as others are by
hot whiskey.
There is strength in the full assur
ance of faith ; and all doubt, in itself,
tends to loose the girdle from the loins
of the mind and to weaken us. And yet,
it may be that sometimes the doubt of
one day helps to keep us from falling
the next. ’For questioning whether we
are in Christ, we go back to “the first
principles of the oracles of God;” we
review the truths which lie at the foun
dation of the Christian hope, and “tell
its towers and mark well its bulwarks;”
we meditate afresh on the love that
sought and the blood that redeemed us,
and, as fully as we may, renew our
trust in them. When the morning
comes and brings temptation with it,
we may stand firmly against the seduc
tion or the shock, because of the cau
tion taught us through these mis
givings. Even here, however, the help
comes not from the doubt, but from
the struggle with it and the victory
over it. Still, God overrules the doubt
for good to us.
God, announcing the j udgment await
ing his rebellious people in ancient
times, addressed his maledictions first,
not to the rivers and the valleys, but
to the hills and the mountains, because
on these the images of their false gods
had been placed and worshipped.
There, idolatry had especially manifest
ed itself; there, pre-eminently, his glory
had been given to another; and the
blow dealt by his arm should fall ear
liest and most crushingly there. By
this rule, if God should visit our land
for transgression, where would the
chastisement be inflicted first and felt
most bitterly? Might he not say now,
as was said of old, “Judgment must be
gin at the house of God V' 0, for jealous
self-searching on the part of professed
Christians, that no sins without re
pentance may remain among them,
to pluck down divine rebuke.
An Episcopal church at Pawtucket,
R. 1., recently elected three women as
members of the vestry, which the
Churchman regards as without any
precedent in the history of that denom
ination in this country. And the
Methodist churches in the Providence
Conference are appointing women as
class leaders, stewards, Sunday-school
superintendents, etc. Are these things
signs of an unconscious groping on the
part of modern sects after the deacon
esses of apostolic times?
“The infidelity of the mind, whieh
is the denial of the person of Christ,"
says the Christian Union, “is far less
fruitful of danger than the infidelity
of the heart, which is the denial of the
spirit of Christ.”
SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVEN
TION.
FOURTH DAY’S PROCEEDINGS.
S. H. Ford, of Missouri, read the
Report upon the General Work of the
Home Mission Board. The Report
emphasized the importance of the
work in Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas,
Texas, and the city of New Orleans.
The Report called upon the churches
to double their contributions to the
Board. They offered the following
resolution:
1. In view of the rapid progress of effective
State organization It is the sense of this Con
vention that the Home Board should confine
Its mission work as far as possible to those
states unable to meet the demands of their
own destitution
2. That such effective State Boards be re
quested not to demand any portion of their
contributions to be applied to their own Held;
but allow them to go in their entirety for the
relief of the wants ot more destitute fields.
Report upon African Missions read
by I. T. Tichenor, of Alabama. The
Report gave a cheerful account of the
mission.
T. J. Walne, of Mississippi, read the
Report of the Committee upon the
Report of the Treasurer of the Foreign
Mission Board.
M. Hillsman, of Tennessee, read the
Report on the Davis contribution;
acknowledging the receipt of $5,000,
and offering tbanks for the same.
Charles Manly, of Alabama, read
the Report upon Progress and Prayer.
The report recommended the re estab
lishment of the concert of prayer iu all
the churches.
P. T. Glass, of Tennessee, made the
report upon Credentials:
Alabama, entitled to 65, present 65
Arkansas, “ 9. “ 9
Florida, 2, ” 2
Georgia, “ 104, ’• 13
Kentucky, “ 17
Missouri, “ 50, “ 12
Maryland “ '24, •* 3
Mississippi, “ 53, “ 53
North Carolina “ 3>, “
South Carolina, “ 99, •* 17
Tennessee, " 17, “ 17
Texas, “ 41, “30
Virginia, “ 52, “ 8
Total Delegates present, 246
E. T. Winkler, of Alabama, offered a
resolution authorizing J. W. Burke &
Co. to publish a graded series of Kind
Words.
Report of Committee to Nominate
New Boards, was read by M. T. Sum
ner, of Alabama.
Foreign Mission Board at Richmond, Vir
ginia.
President, J. L. M. Curry, of Virginia.
Vice-Presidents: Hiram Woods, Maryland:
J A Hackett, Louisiana; Geo Whitfield, Miss
issippi; W D Thomas, Virginia; H B McCallum
Florida; W L Kilpatrick, Georgia; J B Bearey,
Arkansas; V H Pritchard. North Carolina I
T Tichenor, Alabama; KS Duncan, Missouri;
J B Link, Texas; J L Burrows, Kentucky; C
Manly, South Carolina; M Ellison, West Vir
ginia; H A Tupper, Corresponding Secretary;
J C Williams, Treasurer; w H Gwathney, Re
cording Secretary; J F Cottrell, Auditor.
Board of Managers: J B Hawthorne, W God
din, J B Watkins. H B Harris, H K Ellison,
Jno Pollard, Jr, Wm E Hatcher, J Wm Jones,
E Wortham, A B Clark. J B Winston, J B
Hatson, 8 C Clopton, H McDonald, C H Win
ston.
Home Mission Board, Marlon, Alabama;
President, ET Winkler, Alabama.
Vice-Presidents: J W M Williams, Maryland;
E W W Warren, Georgia: W C Cleveland, Al
abama; W N Chaudoln, Florida; J P Everett,
Louisiana; J B Taylor, North Carolina; C H
Strickland, Tennessee; Lansing Burrows,
Kentucky; B W Edwatds, South Carolina: W
R S Smith, Virginia; C C Chaplin, Texas. Wm
Ferguson, Missouri; J B Gambrell, Mississip
pi; J TJelks, Arkansas; WH Mclntosh, Cor
responding Secretary; J B Lovelace, Treasu
rer; L L Lee,Recording Secretary; S H Fowlkes.
Auditor.
Board of Managers:—J F Bailey, W T McAl
lister, W H Flquet J T Murfee, W F Davis,
Porter King, L R Gwaltney, T J Dill, W B
Modawell, L A Wyatt, W W Wilkinson, A
Lawson, John Moore, I B Vaiden, J H Lee.
W. D. Mayfield, of Arkansas, read
the report on Foreign Mission Journal,
recommending the same.
J. L. Burrows, of Kentucky .read the
report of the China Mission in Califor
nia.
Repoit on the Indian Mission Work
was read by J. W. M. Williams, Mary
land.
The report gave an encouraging
view of the work; and announced the
early completion of the Leverett Man
ual Labor School, an event so much to
be desired. The report was discussed
by brethren J. W. M. Williams, of
Maryland ;S. H. Ford, of Missouri; E.
B. Hardy, of Texas; W. H. Mclntosh,
Alabama; M. B. Wharton, of Georgia;
E. T. Winkler, Alabama; J. L. Bur
rows, Kentucky.
J. W. M. Williams, of Maryland, of
fered a resolution asking the co-opera
tion of all the constituents of this body
in its plan adopted at this session to
reach the masses.
M. B. Wharton read the report on
the Report of the Treasurer of the
Home Mission Board.
On motion of J. W. M. Williams, of
Maryland, the members of this body
who may be present at Indianapolis,
Indiana, at the Northern Anniversa
ries be empowered to communicate to
the Home Mission Society, the Ameri
can Baptist Publication Society, and
the American Baptist Missionary Un
ion, our Christian greeting.
M. B. Wharton, of Georgia, offered
a resolution of thanks to the citizens
of Columbus for their princely hospi
tality, to the papers of the city for re
ports, to railroad companies for reduc
tion of rates, and the other denomina
tions in the city for the use of their
houses of worship.
J. L. D. Hillyer, of Mississippi, offer
ed a resolution thanking brother A. T.
Attwater, Chairman of the Committee
on Hospitality, for his remarkable zeal
in looking after the comfort of visitors
and delegates.
On motion of E. T. Winkler, the
special order for to-night’s session be
the general work of the Home Board,
under the direction of that Board.
Adjourned. Prayer by M. Hillsman,
of Tennessee.
NIGHT SESSION.
Sung the hymn, “I need thee every,
hour,” etc. Prayer by A. J. Holt, of
Texas. Sung the hymn, “I love the
story of unseen things above,” etc.
Lansing Burrows, of Kentucky, ad
dressed the body on the subject of In
dian Missions.
SYNOPSIS OF LANSING BURROWS* AD
DRESS :
One cannat study long the character of the Am
erican Indian, without being impressed with the
fact, that the great characteristic of the Indian is
a reverential, worshipful spirit.
When the white man first dropped anchor in.
the harbor of New York, we are told, that the
Indians said in their simplicity, “the gods have
come to visit us.” A great change nas been
wrought somewhere. We don’t have to look far
to ascertain the cause. If there has been one
treaty with this unfortunate people, by onr gov
ernment, which has them kept for 20 consecutive
years, the public archives fail to resord it. With
burning words brother Burrows recounted the
teirible wrongs of the poor Indians, culminating
iu the decision of Justice Miller of the U. S. Su
preme Conrt that thelndfan Is not a person, and
therefore has no rights in court. When Judge
Lundy, of the lower court, decided for the In
dian, the Indian laid down his tomahawk at
his feet and said, “I don’t want to take it up any
more.”
The only hope of the Indians is God in the
Heavens; and the only friend the Indian has is
the man in whose bosom glows the love of Jesus.
Christians must educate and christianize the
Indian.
Sung the hymn:
‘‘Over the gloomy hills of darkness,” etc,
I. T Tichenor, of Alabama, addres
sed the body in behalf of the mission
among the Chinese of California.
BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF THE ADDRESS :
In the great city of San Francisco are to be
found thousands and tens of thousands of these
strange children of the East, attracted thither by
the fame of the treasures there. And they are
seeking the gold ; but they are dying too. Among
them stands one as the representative of tb<s Con
vention, telling of Jesus.
We have overlooked this mission. We regard
it as one of the most important of our missions.
We give some of the reasons :
1. The mutual relation that exists, and that
will deepen and widen in the future between us
and China.
1. From that mission may go back influences
to christianize the dark land oi China.
The hearts of the congregation were
deeply moved by the stirring words of
the eloquent brother, as he protrayed
the glorious success of the Gospel
through the world.
Arrangements were made for print
ing and distributing 5000 copies of
the Minutes.
Read and confirmed the journal of to
day.
Adjourned after singing the hymn :
“Biassed be the tie that binds,” etc.
and prayer by W. C. Cleveland, of Ala
bama.
While singing the hymn, the mem
bers of the Convention gave each
other the parting hand. It was a
beautiful sight to behold the brethren
mingling together in Christian fellow
ship and love. “How beautiful it is
for brethren to dwell together in
unity 1”
Thus has passed the twenty-sixth
session of the Southern Baptist Con
vention ; one of the most pleasant,
and, we trust, profitable sessions of the
body. It was marked by earnest act
ivity and the best of Christian feel
ing.
' Columbus, the place of meeting, is
situated on the Tombigbee river, and
is one of the most elegant and beauti
ful little cities your correspondent ever
visited. The city is remarkable for
magnificent residences and splendid
churches.
The body were entertained with
the most abundant and princely hos
pitality; the citizens seemed to vie
with each other in kindness and accom
modation towards the members of the
Convention, and each delegate said his
home was the most elegant.
Your correspondent would express
his grateful acknowledgement to Dr.
S. S. Franklin and his kind family,
who did everything possible for the
comfort and entertainment of all their
guests. May the blessing of the Great
Head of the Church rest upon this
dear family, and all the citizens of
Columbus!
—To Baptist Sunday-schools.—
The Sunday-schools connected with the
Sunday school Convention of the Stone
Mountain Association are earnestly re
quested to send in reports of the condi
tions of their schools, with full statis
tics, to the Secretary at Atlanta, on or
before the fourth of July next. Vice-
Presidents are urgently requested to
hold metings in their districts before
the annual meeting in July. Schools
are requested to authorize one of their
number to maintain a correspondence
with the Secretary at Atlanta as to their
wants and prosperity, and to send del
egates to the next annual meeting with
Zion church, Rockdale county, July
next.
F. M. Daniel, President.
W. G. Whidby, Secretary.
—Kind Words says: We are under
obligations to Messrs. Jas. P. Harrison
& Co., for a copy of their Portrait Gal
lery, handsomly framed. This Gallery
consists of the pictures of nearly 400
Baptist ministers, most of them Geor
gians, but many not Georgians who
are of national fame. It forms a very
handsome picture, and we prize it high-
Ip. Any one who wishes to get a copy
of this Gallery, mounted in map style,
can do so by sending $2,00 to Jas. P.
Harrison & Co., Atlanta, Ga. These
portraits are engraved for this Gallery,
and it will be highly prized by those
who know personally, or by fame, the
characters represented. $3,00 will get
the Gallery and The Chrirtian Index
one year.
—Montezuma Weekly: The colored
people have been conducting a pro
tracted meeting two weeks, at Jehovah
Baptist church in this county with
wonderful success. Rev. Simon Weeks,
the pastor of this church, writes to us
that in the two weeks there have been
twenty-five accessions to the church.
The white people around are taking a
great interest in this revival, and he
asks the prayers of. all good people in
behalf of his congregation of sinners.