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4 HENRY H.TUCKEB, Editor. UNKNOWABLE STANDARDS. The history of Lot, as given in the book of Genesis, seems scarcely to justi ' fy the enconium passed upon him by our brother Peter in the second chapter of his second epistle. Still, we know that the statement of facts in Genesis is true, and also that the apostolic lau dation was deserved, for otherwise it would not have been given* From this we learn that things may be true which appear to us to be contradictory. Our information is imperfect, and our pow ers of thought are limited. If we knew all of Lot’s history, and all of what was in the apostle Peter’s mind when he wrote of him, perhaps we should under stand what we now accept without un derstanding. If a man now living were to make for himself such a record as that of Lot given in the book of Genesis, nochurch of our order would retain him in fellowship, and it is not certain that his lodgings would be outside the pene tentiary. Some things that he did,know ingly, and deliberately, show in a strong light, that his standards of duty were wholly different from anything ever heard of among civilized peoples, or indeed, so far as we know, among sav ages. Still, in the New Testament he is called a just and righteous man. It may be that God, in his mercy, judged him by the light that he had, and that his responsibility was thus shortened by his ignorance. It is well for us all that God is more lenient in his judgment with us than we are in our opinions of each other. He knows all the circum stances ; he knows how to make allow ance for human weakness, and for the power of temptation, and, to crown all, his mercy endureth forever. It is a most amazing thing that the epithets just and righteous should be applied, by inspiration of God, to such a man as the record shows Lot to have been. To our mind, the fact that this is done is an evidence of inspiration, for no man, left to himself, would ever have thought of such a thing. The boldness of the expression surpasses anything that we remember to have read, either in the Scriptures or anywhere else. Yet, it may be that Lot was a better man at heart than some of us who judge him harshly, and that too, though our lives may have been outwardly correct, and wholly free from what is called out breaking sin. To sin against light and knowledge is a different thing from sin ning in ignorance. The ignorance of our brother Paul, in the earlier part of his career, was taken into the account of his forgiveness. 1 Tim. 1 -.13. A mere peccadillo committed by one of us may involve more moral turpitude than the gross crime of Lot. Sin is doubtless measured more by the amount of moral restraint broken through than by the overt act; and as we ignorant mortals can know nothing of the amount of this restraint, nor of the se cret powers that operate on a man’s in ner life, we have no means of measur ing guilt. It may be that some whom we esteem as saints are far from being such in the sight of God, while some whom we regard as wicked above other men, are looked on with mercy from on high. Hence, it would be well for us to exercise our judgment of men only so far as relates to our practical deal ing with them, and leave the settling of their final account to the Almighty. It is well, too. to remember that our own case is the one in which we have the highest concern, and to inquire if, notwithstanding the general purity of our lives, we may not be, after all, re sponsible for more sin than Lot, or even than his neighbors. We are in the habit of supposing that the people of Sodom and Gomor ih were wicked beyond anything that i e world ever saw, either before or r. ce. Yet our Savior seems to have th ->n special pains to teach us other- sin , for in no less than four places tak he contradict the idea. Matthew ■wise ■ Matthew 11:24; Mark 6:11; does 10:12. He distinctly declares 10 the works which were done in Luke ■ unl had been done in Sodom, it that if ive “remained until this day,” Capernt nplying that the people who woaJd m apernaum were worse than clearly 1 ived ; n godom, though they lived »n een a comparatively moral they w nO . oerhaps great sticklers for may >btervance of the law. It people, * ? our Lord measured sin the °h' ,w ot wholly accessible to is eviden erlying principle of his by stan ft to h C) that responsi ble ; but irate with opportuni- judgmen 8X get rid of the false bility and Gomorrah had ty- . .Kat Sodom vtreme of human notion y aß t e v p thus be led one reached we B fai udgn.ent of our wickedn > i„bt j« here were cities step towar ds , more selves an our q.orc also be cities in the tim e m»y Bigbt of God than bodo ’ j u y j n the ida, and Ca- now.more an d Bethea ightful de than Chor ’^i c b such h ible thing, pernaum, o posa ege jj neg> nunciation w bo r eads th standing that some mem ber in good • aDd wl ‘°C B hrisSn church and w him> b o f some Chr b 0 know . the confidence tfae wo r»t oi and ft worse man th t fire * of who P« nßb ®r a t destroyed the citu brimstone th«t ot be supposed tbe plft'h - THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUT such a man would necessarily be found out. Iscariot was never suspected by the other eleven, though their associa tions with him were very intimate, and though he was possessed of the Devil from Ihe beginning. Christian educa tion, and the restraints of civilized life, may give such shape and complexion to a man’s deportment as to make him a very reputable person, while yet his heart may be a cage of the most un clean of unclean birds. It would be well for each one of us to make the apostolic inquiry : “Lord, is it I?” No doubt the people whom our Lord de nounced were greatly amazed when they were compared with Sodom, to their disadvantage. A similar amaze ment may overtake many of the pres ent generation at the last day. As a practical lesson from the whole, it would be prudent and right for us to watch our small sins, our sins of omis sion and of commission, for, with such light as we have, the smallest of these may be greater than the greatest of Sodom. How great a sin is it to ab sent oneself from the house of God, or from a meeting for prayer? We do not know. How great a sin is it to in vent an excuse for want of a proper liberality in contributing to the cause of religion, or of benevolence? We do not know. How great a sin is it to fail in personal fidelity to the unconverted, or in personal kindness to the poor, or to the sick? We do not know. How great is any sin? We do not know. “And these shall go away into ever lasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal.” Thus readeth the last verse of the 25th chapter of Mat thew in the common version. The un learned are apt to suppose that the words everlasting and eternal have dif ferent meanings, and on this supposed distinction an argument has actually been framed to show that the punish ment of the wicked is not eternal. Every scholar knows, that the Greek word is the same in both cases; it is the w’ord aionion, which in one place in the verse is translated everlasting, and in the other place eternal. As the same word is used twice in the Greek, why did not our translators use the same w’ord twice in English? Why translate it everlasting in one place, and eternal in the other? It was done simply for rhetorical effect, —simply for the sake of the rythm. King James’ transla tors, whenever they could do so, as they thought, without injury to the sense, varied the expression as much as they could. In their address to the “gentle reader,” they distinctly declare, that they did not “tie themselves to a uni formity of phrasing, or to an identity of words,” but that for the sake of more agreeable sound, they selected synonymous words wherever they .could, instead of repeating the same word. If they could have foreseen that the text at the head of this article would be misunderstood and perverted by this varied translation of the same Greek word, they would have repro duced in English, the same repetition of the word aionion, which they found in the Greek. The new version reads as follows: “And these shall go away into eternal punishment, but the righ teous into eternal life.” The old ver sion has this advantage, that it has a superior rythm and resonance; its style is more declamatory. The new version has this advantage, that it is exactly like the inspired Greek; its style is more exact; and this is just what we want; and the argument of the un learned, as based on this passage, to show that the punishment of the wick ed differs in duration from the reward of the righteous, will scarcely be used again. It never would have been used at all, if King James’ translators had not erred in the first place, in varying expressions unnecessarily, endangering sense for the sake of sound. “I abstain myself from alcoholic drink in every form,” said Spurgeon, in a recent discourse on the miracle at Cana of Galilee, “and others would be wise to do the same.” This language takes special emphasis in view of the (alleged) fact, that seventy-eight per cent, of the prisoners in penitentiaries were freely addicted to liquor drinking before their imprisonment. The neces sity for making if emphatic is enforc ed by the further fact, (as alleged,) that New York expends annually sixty millions of dollars on its barrooms and only five millions on its churches—or, twelve dollars for the former to every one for the latter! And then, its em phasis ought to be felt in a peculiar degree in the house of God; for (as Dr. John Hall says,) “Rumshops make murderers, and apatlietic Christians make rumshops.” We are indebted to our friend and brother, Hon. William L. Scruggs, U. S. Consul at Canton, China, for two Chinese books, one on Agriculture and one on Medicine and Surgery. No doubt these volumes are very enter taining and instructive, but our famili arity with the Chinese language is not such as that we can enjoy them quite as much as if they were printed in English. Still we are glad to be re membered by our friend on the other side of the world, and should be glad if he could see his way clear to return to his old home and remain at it. Jesuit missionaries in Africa are in structed by Pope Leo “to follow up the movements of tbe heretics and to harass and destroy their effects.” ABRAHAM’S PRA YER. Abraham prayed for Sodom, yet the city was not spared. There were not ten righteous in the city, even judged by the low standard according to«which Lot was accounted righteous. Abra ham’s prayer was so conditioned that it cou.d not be answered. And yet good came of it, for but for that prayer or at any rate for other prayers of Abraham’s, Lot might not have been spared. The 29th verse of Gen. 19 teems to show that Lot was spared not for his own sake, but for Abraham’s. Here is the verse : “And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered A braham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt.” So it seems shat God gave to Abraham that which he did not ask for, so far at least, as the record shows. God’s goodness often outruns our desires. Some are often blessed for the sake of others. In the midst of wrath God .remembers mercy. While the horrible tempest was pour ed out upon Sodom, “God remembered Abrahamand it may be that often times when we are spared from the pestilence or other disaster, it is because God remembers some Abrdham whose prayers have availed for us. And each of us may be an Abraham for the sake of whom, or in answer to whose prayers, some erring saint may be par doned, or some ungodly sinners saved. We are bound together by many in visible ties. Let us pray for each other. Sometimes it is amusing and some times it is painful, to notice the air of trinmph with which thoughtless per sons in denouncing the new version, quote the passage in the book of Re velation, where the sacred writer says, “If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book ; and if any man shall’ take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his partout of the book of life.” The mistake they make consists in the meaning which they attach to the words this book. What book? The expression really refers to what John wrote, not to what King James or somebody else may have written, or caused to be written or printed. If it should so happen that in our English version of the book of Revelation there are some things .which John did not write, then those who ad here to those words knowingly, are guilty of the very thing which John denounces. If our version differs in any respect whatever from what was written under inspiration, we are guil ty, (if we adhere to it knowingly,) of perverting the word of God. Hence, every effort should be made to secure for ourselves exactly what God has said, and not what men, from inade quate scholarship, or from oversight, have said that he said. The new ver sion is an effort in this direction ; its object is to avoid the very thing which John condemns, and those who object may be doing that very thing. Hence, the text quoted by them convicts them selves, and exculpates those against whom it is directed. It seems hard to get people to believe that King James’ translators were not inspired. In fact, they were no more inspired than we are, and not half so learned, and they had nothing like the opportunity that we have to know the exact original text,for th* best and oldest manuscripts of the New Testament have been dis covered since the last one of them died. 1 Dr. W. P. Harrison, in the Richmond Christian Advocate, discloses the secret which English elocutionists have sold at the price of a hundred guineas, and which has enabled them to acquire large fortunes. The secret is, this sim ple rule—“always and everywhere breathe through the nose.” Breathing through the mouth, he tells us, hinders the development of pow’er and elastici ty in the lungs; and Catlin ascribes many of the diseases of civilized life to this habit. The suggestion, to say the least, is worthy of attention. Was a profound hygienic truth couched in the Scripture statement that, when God made man, he “breathed into his nos trils the breath of life?” A ietter from a worthy Baptist min ister, Bullock county, Ga., represents that section of the State as largely destitute and a proper field for mission ary labor. At his request we call the attention of our Mission Board to the matter. Views unfriendly to the work, of the denomination for the conversion of the world have a strong foot-hold there ; and it is our duty to attempt by organized effort to take that fort,as well as the Chinese and the Italian forts now assailed by us. Some of the newspapers say that Baptist ministers in Chicago are per forming immersions for Pedobaptist ministers. We hold the statement somewhat in doubt. A Pedobaptist immersion by a Baptist is a strange hy brid ; and we hope that, according to the law in such cases, it may prove sterile, and have no power to perpetu ate its kind; Dr. Talmage says that omitting and excepting Dr. Woolsey, he can point to one hundred scholars in the United States who are superior to any of the American revisers of the New Testa ment. Cool! -WESTERN BAPTIST: THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 1881. Some things in the annals of our fathers look like the progressive meth ods of the present day, to which the conservatism of the denomination (as we think, justly) excepts. Go back, for example, a hundred years, to the infancy of the Baptist in Georgia, and look at the case of Martha, the wife of Rev. Daniel Marshall. “A lady of good sense, singular piety and sur prising elocution,” says the History of Georgia Baptists now in course of pub lication by The Index Company, “she, in countless instances, melted a whole concourse into tears, by her prayeis and exhortations.” The Baptist churches of Liberia have been largely left for some years without help from this country; and yet Bishop Haven, in his recent African tour, found that they were more prosperous than the Methodist, Presbyterian and Episcopal churches to which help has been rendered. No adverse circum stances can prevent the growth of our principles, wherever those who hold them work faithfully for their main tenance. Rev. M. N. Me Call, Cochran, Ga., was bereaved, June 10th, by the death of his wife—a noble Christian woman, daughter of Rev. D. G. Daniell, who follows her mother, after the lapse of only a few months, to the rest of the body in the grave and of the spirit in glory. We share the grief of our afflicted brethren,and pray that the con solations of God may not be small with them. Rev. P. A. Seguin, for fourteen years a Romish priest, retired from that com munion in July 1880. Two months later, he commenced preaching in New York, according to his measure of light, among its 30,000 French citizens. He has recently embraced the views of Baptists, and was baptized May 15th, by Rev. R. S. McArthur, into the fel lowship of Calvary church in that city. An American horse recently won the Derby race; and the London cor respondent of a newspaper in our coun try telegraphed that ‘half of England thought this triumph the most brilliant of American successes.’ What a flood of light such a fact pours on the hol lowness and vanity of “the honor which cometh from man!” There is a proposition among Eng lish Methodists, to strike out the phra seology favoring baptismal regenera tion from their Church ‘service.” But the proposition is resisted by some of the ministers, who incline to the doc trine couched in that phraseology. The “evangelical” view, however, will probably carry the day. In these days of instability and change it is refreshing to read of a Con gregational church in Dorset, Vt., where the superintendent of the Sun day-school has held office for sixteen years, the pastor for twenty-five, the chorister for thirty, a deacon for forty and a Sunday-school teacher for fifty two. At a recent meeting of Methodist ministers in Philadelphia, a member of the New Jersey Conference said that if Romanists had done as much to break the Sabbath as Methodists have done with their camp meetings, all Protest ants would have combined to put a’ stop to it. Rev. J. T. Robert, LL.D., after a successful tour through portions of our State holding Ministers and Deacons’ Institutes, has been called to- Illinois by the failing health of his daughter. He will pass the summer months there, and correspondents may address him at Palatine, 111. The Baptist Weekly announces the death, at Columbia, S.C., June 12th, of Rev. E. J. Goodspeed, D.D., presi dent of Benedict Institute, in the forty eighth year of a life, long devoted to pastoral labor in New York, Wisconsin and Illinois. A single copy of the Gospel of John led sixty families in Kioto to renounce idolatry. What if it had been your money which placed that Gospel in their hands? In whose hands shall your money place it? The presidency of Mount Pleasant College, Mo., has been resigned by Rev. A. S. Worrell and conferred on Rev. J. B. Weber of the Baptist Flag. The degree of D.D. has been conferred on Rev. J. C. Maples, of Mo., and the degree of LL.D, on Rev. E. T. Winkler, of Ala., by Baylor University, Texas. The degree of D.D. has been confer red by Carson College, on Rev. C. H. Strickland, recently of Augusta, Ga., and now of Knoxville, Tenn.. A legacy of $250,000 has been made to the Reformed Episcopal Church, for the maintenance of a Theological Sem inary in the West. Rev. J. H. Tucker, president of Keachi College, La„ died June Ist, and the Trustees of the Institution are cast ing about for a successor. Our cause has obtained a footing in Utah. The first Baptist church in that territory was organized at Ogden recently. GEORGIA BAPTIST NEWS. —Augusta Evening News: Elder J. A. Munday is in this city, representing the “Index Publishing Company," of Atlanta, adding to the subscription list of The Christian Index, and selling the “Bibliographical Compendium,” soon to be issued by this matchless company of Southern printers. Six years ago Mr. Munday abandon ed the stage for the pulpit, renounced the drama for the gospel. Since that time he has taken some theological training in S. B. T. Seminary at Louis ville, Ky., and his ministry has been remarkable successful. He will preach to-morrow at 11 a. m. at Kollock street Baptist church. Several years ago he was here with a first class theatrical troupe. Now you may see and hear him as he occupies the pulpit, and speaks in winning tones of a Savior’s almighty power and infinite love. —Columbus Enquirer-Sun, 14th: A protracted meeting of four weeks has been in progress at this church, and Sunday night the house was crowded. The pastor, Rev. A. B, (Jampbell, preached a sermon on Baptism, and selected his text from Roman vi.-3 4. “Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death ; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” After the sermon Mr. Campbell ad ministered the ordinance of baptism to four young ladies and two young men. Since the meeting began, twenty-eight have been baptized, two others remain to be baptized and five or six have united with the church by letter. The meeting has been in progress for four weeks, but came to the close on that occasion. The pastor urged the at tendance of all the members at the meeting Thuisday night. A very large congregation assemb led at Mott’s Green to hear a sermon from Judge J. D. Stewart. Rev. J. H. Campbell’s familiar face was missed on the occassion and he was the subject of many inquires, but being quite un well, was unable to attend, Judge Steward preached a fine sermon on the future of the soul, and stating from high authority that it shall be well for the righteous and ill with the wicked. We have seldom listened to a more earnest, zealous appeal to sinners to flee the wrath to come, and to the righteous to stand firm in the faith. His sermon was delivered with power and had a telling effect upon the hearers. Many eyes were moistened, before he had concluded. There were few who thought that in the dignified judge on the bench was combined such an ardent, zealous worker in the Mas ter’s vineyard. Since he came to this city he has formed new friendships that will last to the grave, and many will long remember his sermon on Mott’s Green, where his whole soul and energy seemed to be devoted to fusing the wayward to stop and reflect,Jest in that awful day it shall go ill with them and they call upon rocks and hills to hide them from such great condem nation. —Telegraph and Messenger: The mis sion in East Macon, of the First Bap tist church, has been sustained by the preaching of the ministerial students of Mercer University, who have held public worship on Sunday and Thurs day nights, and by the Sunday-school, under the superintendency of Hugh Willet, Esq. To prevent any break in the con gregation and to increase the efficiency of the mission, during the summer months, Mr. Rufus E. Murrow, of the Junior class of Mercer, has been select ed by the missions and engaged by the church to give the time of his-vacation to preaching and pastofil work in this interest. Mr. Willet, whose labors as super intendent have been highly successful, will continue in this useful position. After the excitements of our college commencements have passed, it is ex pected that a series of meetings will be held in the chapel by the pastor of the First church, assisted by Mr. Murrow. —Rev. A. J. Cheves writes from Montezuma, Ca.: “Our people are somewhat awake on the temperance question ; but as churches I fear we are more dead than alive. No prayer meet ings, Sunday-school slimly attended and services only once a month, and but little demonstration of sighing and crying over the ‘abominations that are in Israel’.” —Rev. G. R. McCall, Hawkinsville, Ga., writes in a private letter to a friend : “I have been so engaged with a protracted meeting that I have let it absorb most of other things. I have baptized 15-all Sunday-school scholars except two —one . awaiting baptism, others are looked for. Meeting will go on till Sunday night.” —Palmetto correspondent Campbell County News: A new interest was given to religious services at this place on last Sabbath by the organization of a Baptist church. By invitation Revs. S. Harvey, T. N. and R. C. Rhodes and G. W. Colquitt, with delegates from several neighboring churches, met at the M. E. church, as a council, to wit ness and recognize the new constitu tion. The members forming the new church, except three dr four, about forty in all, were formerly members of Ramah church. A large congregation was in attendance, and had the plea sure of witnessing a scene which was new even to many old people ; for, al though accustomed to attend church worship from our childhood, we did not know how churches were made. —Athens Watchman: The course pursued by the Baptist church in ten dering their house of worship to the congregation of Israel for their visiting Rabbi, Rev. Dr. Browne, to deliver a lecture in on last Saturday evening, is worthy of cemmendation. Our Israel itish citizens are earnest and good cit izens, and we are glad to see that the day has come when it affords our Christian friends a pleasure to offer their church to them. Jonesboro News: A fine congrega tion assembled on the green banks of Morning Creek, Sunday afternoon, and pleasant religious exercises, of prayer and songs of praise, were held beneath the dense foliage of the wide-spreading trees. The portion of sacred Scripture read, was the third chapter of Matthew, descriptive of the preaching of John, the Baptist at the river of Jordan, and concluding with the baptismal scene of our Lord Jesus Christ. After which Miss Lula Gilbert, a lovely daughter of Judge J. J. Gilbert, who had pre viously been received by the Fayette ville Baptist church, was baptized by the pastor, A. E. Cloud. The assemb ly was orderly, and the occasion solemn and impressive. • Gainesville Eagle: Rev. J. M. Wood, editor of the Baptist Banner, has been elected Professor of Moral and Mental Science, and Rev. A. A. Marshall to the chair of Natural Sci ence, in the Seminary. These are ex cellent appointments, and we congrat ulate the Seminary upon securing the services of the gentlemen named. —A church was organized at Palmetto on Sabbath, sth of June. The follow ing named brethren, with delegates from neighboring churches, acted as a council of recognition, viz: T. N. Rhodes, S. Harvey, R. C. Rhodes, and G. W. Colquitt. The brethren and sisters (except three or four) were formerly members of Ramah church, and believing that the interest of the cause authorized the organization of a Baptist church in the place, letters as dismission were grant ed on their petition for this purpose. A large congregation was in attendance, to many of whom the scene was new, and it was doubtless interesting to all. —The young men of the Baptist church* at Warrenton have organized a prayer meeting for every Sabbath morning. —Sandersville Herald: The General Meeting at Sisters’ was well attend ed, and was highly enjoyed by the membership present. The services in the pulpit and the discussions during the session were we trust edifying and profitable. Rev. T. J. Cummins was chosen Moderator. Revs. T. J. Beck, J. J. Hyman and T. J. Holmes were among the visiting ministers present. —Columbus Enquirer-Sun: The Ministers’ and Deacons’ meeting for the colored Baptist churches will be held in this city, beginning at 10 :30 o’clock next Tuesday, 7th instant, and con tinuing two days. It will be held under the auspices of the American Baptist Home Mission Society and will be conducted by Rev. Jos. T. Roberts, LL. ‘D., who is the President of the Atlanta Baptist Seminary. We learn that this prominent minister will re main in the city during the week and assist Rev. Green McArthur in the ser vices now being conducted at the First African church. • —An.Atlanta correspondent of the Griffin News writes : Having an invita tion to the First Baptist Sabbath School, we were just in time to hear the first melodious sounds of 200 little voices ringing forth praises to God and their Savior. Mr. John M. Green, whose father was a merchant and died in Griffin many years ago, is their Super intendent ; and a more efficient one we never saw. He and his corps of twenty odd teachers managed the school in away that would have delighted the veteran Prof. A. B. Niles, of your city. —Rev. J. A. Harris writes from High Shoals, June 6th: “It was my pleas ure on yesterday, at my church at Pow ell’s Mills, to bury ten persons with my Savior in baptism. We have received into this church in the past two months some twenty or more by letter, experi ence and baptism. A deep and I hope, thorough work of grace, seems to per vade a large part of the community. May God bless the weekly visits of the dear old Index to the hearts of all who may read it.” —Elberton News: Dr. D. A. Math ews went to Atlanta on Tuesday to arrange for material and furniture for the new Baptist church soon to be built here. —Hawkinsville: Interesting meet ings are being held at the Baptist church—services every night and morn ing. Rev. Geo. R. McCall, the pastor, baptized three new members in the river on Sunday evening, and three more were received on Monday eve ning. —Rev. W. T. Cheney, pastor of the Curtis Baptist church, Augusta, has gone on a visit to the North. He will spend a large part of the time while he is away in theological studies in Phil adelphia. His pulpit will be filled dur ing his absence by Rev. Mr. Folk, of Tennessee.