Newspaper Page Text
irWlf IT i *
SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST, ' ' THE CHRISTIAN HERALD,
of Alabama. 0F Tennessee.
ESTABLISHED I 811.
Table of Contents.
First Page—Alabama Department: Memo
rializing Legislatures by Religious Bodies;
Pulpit Preparation; Posthumous Fame;
Settled Beyond Question ; The Religious
Press.
Second Psge—Correspondence: Elza Vining;
A Double Meeting; Inter-Communion
Among Baptists; Pen Droppings; A Turn
of Tide; Jottings By The Way, etc. Mis
sionary Department.
Third Psge—Children’s Corner: Bible Ex
plorations; Enigmas; Correspondence;
The Sunday-schoel: Review for Septem
ber 18ch.
Fourth Page-Editorials: “Getting to Heav
en ;” The “Colored Man ;” A Chapter from
Tyndale; Another Surrender; Glimpses
and Hints ; Georgia Baptist News.
Fifth Page—Stcular Editorials : The York
town Centennial Celebration; Literary
Notes and Comments; Notes; Georgia
News.
Sixth Page—The Household: Be Patient —
poetry ; Dust on Your Glasses ; A Child’s
Idea of Baptism; Keep Nothing From
Mother—poetry; Obituaries.
Seventh Page—The Farmer’s Index : Fall
Harvests; Artesian Wells; Corn Weevils.
Eighth Page—Florida Department: Facts
and Figures; West Florida Letter; Scotts
ville ; Correspondence; In Memoriam.
Alabama Department.
SAMUEL HF.NDFHBON.
MEMO RIA LI ZING LEGISL 4 T URES
BY RELIGIOUS BODIES.
The temperance movement is assum
ing a magnitude that is likely to be
unparalleled throughout our whole
country. Drunkenness and its atten
dant evils have spread and are spreading
so alarmingly in these latter years as
to threaten the very integrity of society.
The crimes traceable to ’this single
source are’rapidly fixing upon the-pub
lic mind the conviction, that the time
has come for the laws of the land to
be so shaped as to interpose their stern
est penalties to arrest its manifold
evils. Whether the remedy shall be
general or local—whether it shall ex
tend over States, counties, or voting
precincts —or whether there shall be
a direct prohibition of the sale of spir
ituous liquors, or whether the people
shall be called to vote for or against its
retail—these are the questions now
agitating the public mind. That some
adequate remedy is demanded, all so
ber minded people are agreed; and
that this general feeling will find ex
pression in law is well nigh inevitable.
It would almost be an insult to the
intelligence of the reader to attempt a
serious argument upon such a topic.
If the crimes, the poverty, the wretch
edness and ruin, material and moral
which intemperance entails upon the
country, do not combine to place the
traffic in ardent spirits within the pur
view of legislation, it would be difficult
to settle upon any question that would
demand legal intervention.
But we recur to this subject now to
throw in our mite on a single phase of
this question—as to whether it is right
and expedient for religious bodies as
such to memorialize Legislative bodies
in regard to it. Whether, in other
words, the collected moral power of
Christian denominations should ever
be exerci el upon material and civil
questions. There are worthy men
who think that it is inexpedient for
bodies of Christian people to memori
alize the powers that be on any ques
tion —that such a policy lays a pre
cedent that might result in the
union of church and state—and that,
to say the least of it, it would more
likely retard than promote the object
sought to be accomplished. Now, as
we do not sympathize in these senti
ments. we propose in no spirit of con
troversy, “to answer our part and show
our opinion.”. We do not propose to
enter into the question as to what par
ticular'form Legislative interference
should be invoked—whether in the
form of a direct prohibition over en
tire States, or what is called local op
tion. We confine ourselves to the
question, whether Christians, as such,
ought to memorialize Legislative bodies
of this subject.
And first, let us remind the reader
that it is pretty late in the day for our
brethren to take the ground that it is
unbaptistic, unwise, contrary to our
views of church organization, having
in it the smack of the union of church
and state, for our religious bodies, as
such, to petition the law-making pow
ers to protect our communities against
confessedly the grandest evil that now
affects every interest of society; and
all this in the face of the fact, that our
history for more than a hundred years
in this country is replete with evidences
to
to the contrary. It is to the petitions,
memorials, and remonstrances of the
Baptists mainly that we are indebted
for that clause in the constitution of
the United States which forbids the
establishment of any form of religion
by law. Indeed, the “General Associ
ation” of the Baptists of Virginia was
at first organized mainly to memori
alize the Legislature of that State to di
vorce church and State, and they never
abated their efforts until the last law
relating to that subject was repealed.
Every incorporated institution of learn
ing that now constitutes the honest
pride of the denomination in this
country is in answer to petitions by
our bodies for “acts of incorporation.”
Nor has it ever been thought unwise
or indiscreet for us, as Baptists, to
memorialize our law-making powers in
regard to the observance of the Sab
bath. Why then should all these
scruples be sprung the moment our
agency is invoked to arrest by law that
unholy traffic which towers above all
other evils, in its material, social and
moral devastations? We charge no
unworthy motive to these brethren.
We believe they are honest in their
convictions; but we believe as sincere
ly that they are mistaken. It would
be one of the strangest of things, if the
light which the churches of Jesus
Christ embodies should be eclipsed just
at the time it could be most influential
for good—just at that crisis, when,
thrown upon the right side of a most
vital question,it might change for good
the destiny of States.
We know what is said that the
traffic in ardent spirits is as legitimate
as the traffic in anything else. But it
is just this statement that we deny,
and we appeal to the very provision in
law by which retail establishments are
licensed to pursue that calling. Why
is it taxed so much more heavily than
other branches of trade? Is it not be
cause there is a moral consciousness in
every community that it imperils the
interests of society as nothing else can?
What is the extra sum they pay into
the public treasury but a kind of in
demnity in advance for the evils we
all know must follow their calling?
Transfer the evils resulting to socie
ty from this source to any other source.
Suppose a company of men should pe
tition our law-making powers to au
thorize them to introduce into this
country a new drug that would be
used by multitudes of our people—a
million, say—that it would kill every
tenth man—that it would incapacitate
every one that habitually used for any
industrial pursuit, and convert him
into a mere drone —that would, in one
word, duplicate the evils resulting from
the making, vending and consump
tion of spirituous liquors—suppose, we
say, such a petition were pending be
fore our Legislative assemblies, with
some likelihood of its being granted—
would any sane man doubt whether
the Christian portion of our people, as
such, ought to memorialize, petition,
remonstrate, do everything that good
men could do, to prevent such a meas
ure from becoming a law? Why, then,
we should like to ask with some em
phasis,why is it that our scruples come
in to emasculate us of our influence
as Christian men, only where ardent
spirits is concerned?
Let us only add, that while we are
ready to fight this monster in any and
every form which has the promise of
success, we are inclined to the opinion
that what is call “local option” is to
be preferred.
PULPIT PREPARATION.
A young minister once visited old
Dr. Bellamy, of Conn., to inquire of
him, what he should do to supply him
self with matter for his sermon? The
old doctor very quaintly replied—“ Fill
up the cask, fill up the cask, fill up
the cask ; and then, if you tap it any
where, you will get a good stream.
But if you put in but little, it will
dribble, dribble, dribble, and you must
tip, tip, tip.’’ A similar story is told
of another young preacher who made
a like inquiry of quite a distinguished
minister, and got this reply, “Get as
full of your subject as you can hold,
then pull out the stopper, and let na
ture caper.” When the heart and
head are full, expression is the easiest
thing in the world. Read, study, and
p ra y—and your sermons will just fake
that form, both in matter and style,
that will most benefit an audience.
The mere artistic arrangement of a
sermon is the smallest, part of the ser
vice. Have something to say; and
when you say it, quit. Better underdo
than overdo.
AL ANTA, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1881.
POSTHUMOUS FAME.
Some twenty-five years ago, or more,
an old negro man, who had a streak
of that harmless intimity, vanity, sent
off for a colored minister to come to
his church and preach his funeral.
One of his brethren asked him why he
wanted it preached before his death.
His answer was, “I want to know what
de people will say about me when I is
dead.” The only difference between
the old negro and others is, that he
lacked the discretion to conceal his
vanity. It is natural for all of us to
be concerned about our character af
ter death. Properly regulated, this is
laudable. He who is reckless of his
posthumous standing will accomplish
but little while living. But then, the
hope of living in the grateful memory
of our survivors, to be well grounded,
must be based upon those works of
faith and labors of love, that will write
themselves upon some worthy objects
which will keep our names fragrant.
When Mary Queen of Scots and
Charles the First, her grandson,
were condemned by the tribu
nals of that age to suffer death, they
both met their fate with royal dignity.
They seemed to suppose that a whole
life of duplicity, treachery to their
subjects, and an utter want of honor
in the most solemn transactions of life,
would be atoned for by meeting their
doom with calm equanimity, as if they
were martyrs to some great and noble
principle. And truth to say, no little
of credit as well as sympathy has been
awarded to them for their heroism on
the scaffold. But as the curtain gradu
ally lifts from their personal history,
one is made to wonder how such royal
culprits could maintain such affected
dignity just,as they were entering into
the presence of the final Judge. Their
fame dwindles to the single act of
courage they displayed at the moment
of their decapitation—their infamy
lives and gathers increased magnitude
as their true history comes to light.
The “crown of martyrdom” can never
settle upon brows from which the
crown of royalty has been torn by a
long suffering and outraged people.
Acts only that express the general
spirit and character of a man can pur
chase “posthumous fame.”
SETTLED BEYOND QUESTION.
The authorship of the finest poeti
cal gem which the late war between
the States inspired, “All quiet along
the Potomac to-night,” has at last been
settled beyond all question. It has
been claimed that it was written by
some Federal soldier, and picked up
on some battle field by a surviving sol
dier, and the “Harpers” published it
as such. But the facts as published
by the Rev. Hugh F. Oliver, now pas
tor of the Baptist church at Tuskegee,
Ala., definitely settles the whole mat
ter. It was written by the lamented
father of Mr. Oliver, Mr. Tbaddeus
Oliver, of the Second Regiment. No
man can question this, after reading
the testimony as detailed in the Courier
Journal, Louisville, Ky., of June 13th.
Through excessive modesty, the author
would never consent to its publication,
and in giving copies of it to special
friends, he always did it under the seal
of secrecy. But the little poem proved
to be one of those brilliant conceptions,
that once read is not to be forgotten.
How it first found its way into “Har
pers,” we know not.
While the so called Gospel Hymns, and
all forms of dashing, brilliant Sunday school
music have their value, it is a question if
the limit of their u«e has not been reached.
The wisdom of educating the children io
sing entirely different music from that used
in the church, is at least doubtful. It pre
vents their attending church by making the
impression that the Sunday school is their
service, and that they have no place with
their elders in the other. When they do
attend church, they do not sing, because
their hymns are not used ; and their tunes
are not played. Without laying aside the
songs of Sankey, Bliss Phillips and others,
they should also know the old, grand and
solemn music of the church —Southern
Musical Journal.
The moral effect of the jiggy music
of the Sunday-schools is not good. It
excites no devotional feeling, and be
gets a distaste for that which does. It
is purely sensuous; it is wholly unre
ligious ; it is educating our children to
feel as they ought not to feel. It is a
mistake to suppose that children can
not appreciate the stately and dignified
music which is appropriate in the
house of God. Much of our music
would suit the ball-room better than
the church. Our children deserve
higher consideration, and God should
be honored with service more reverent.
The Religious Press.
The Christian Register gives us good
doctrine in what follows:
Whoever the method adopted, let it
be taught in the pulpit and remembered
in the pew, that religion and benevolence
cost money ; that a religion that is worth
living for and dying for is worth paying
for; that “the Lord loveth a cheerful giv
er ;” and that it is the duty of every one
to lay by him in store as God has pros
pered him.
All this can be dodged, and here
are the dodges. 1. A man may be
religious without money and without
price. 2. A man may be benevolent,
and yet be excused from giving, on the
ground of his poverty. 3. Religion is
worth paying for, it .is true, but sup
pose a man is not able to pay ? 4. The
Lord loves cheerful givers, it is true,
but it is equally true, that he so loved
the world as to give his only begotten
Son, before there were any cheerful
givers in it. 5. A man ought to give
as the Lord has prospered him, but
suppose the Lord has not prospered
him? With these arguments the Devil
deludes his victims. We have often
heard them used by those who claim
to be tbe people of God. Brethren, let
us pray for them.
We copy the following from the
Christian Secretary, with four remarks
byway of preface. 1. The lesson
taught is as valuable in one latitude as
it is in another. 2. If tbe Faculty of
a College cannot manage its internal
affairs and shape its policy, it is of no
use for anybody else to try. 3. The
best way to help a college is to give
money to it, to speak well of it, and to
ende.-.vor to increase its patronage by
pe, effort, and then to let it alone.
4. always' suffer more from
their friends than from their enemies.
The Congregatioralist in commenting
upon the recent disturbance in the ad
ministration at Dartmouth College, closes
with a paragraph which we desire to
emphasize by the addition of an Amen,
that shall be sounded “all along the line.”
Recent events show clearly that this
“suggestion” is made none too soon for
the health and thrift of all Christian col
leges in the land, but especially in New
England. New York city has not thus
far developed any special capacity or fit
ness for the management of colleges, and
does not present any such models as
authorize the conclusion that its men of
enterprise and wealth are specially gifted
in that line. The paragraph to which
we refer reads thus; “We venture to
suggest as a lesson from this affair—and
the remark is as true of Harvard or Yale,
as of Dartmouth—that while the co-oper
ation of alumni is indispensable, the
public int.erfererce of a body of alumni
in some one city in the government of a
college, while they are necessarily ignor
ant of the details of its affairs, may work
an evil which it will take long and sad
years to overcome.”
A correspondent of the Western Re
corder thinks that the word “Selah” in
the Psalms is the same which is else
where in the Old Testament translated
“the Rock,” and that the Psalmist
uses it with reference to Christ as “the
Rock of our salvation.” He says:
When reading the Psalms, instead of
calling this word selah, read it The Rock,
and at the same time hold the Lord
Jesus Christ before vour mind as the
foundation rock, and the chief corner
stone of all your hopes, and you will
have an idea that thrills your very be
ing.
The piety of this view is much more
unquestionable than the scholarship.
We could wish to find it true, but are
constrained to hold it in doubt.
Let Christian citizens see to it that the
pendulum that marks the progress of
national fraternity does not swing back
again to the point of bitter sectionalism.
Tlie law of reaction and the villainy of
politicians make the danger: let Chris
tian patriotism avert it. — Christian Ad
vocate.
Yes, when the next Presidential
campaign is on us will be the time to
look for danger. We predict that some
journals now saying very smooth
things will then be saying very rough
things. If we are alive in 1884 we
shall be apt to remind them of the
honeyed words of 1881. Should our
prediction not be fulfilled we shall
thank God and take courage.
How many of our readers have ever
thought of the things set forth in what
follows:
The intelligent reader of the New Testa
ment has not failed to remark the frugality
with which miraculous agency is used. It
is a rule, to which we do not now recall any
exception, that nothing is done miraculously
that could have come about by natural
means. When our Lord stood by the doer
of the tomb, where Lazarus bad lain four
days, he said : “Take ye away the stone.”
He would exert the supernatural power
needed to recall the dead to life; but he
would not use the same power to roll away
tbe stone, since man was competent to do
that. Nor did the voice of power release
Lazarus from the swathing and confining
grave-clothes; but he bade tbe bystanders
‘ Loose him and let him go.” Our Lord did
not exert his miraculous power to feed tbe
multitude, till the resources of the disciples
bad been employed and exhausted. "How
many loaves have ye? Go and see." Nor
did be at the close of the meal propose to
depend on miraculous means for the coming
day ; but rather: “Gather up the fragments
that remain, that nothing be lost.”
Tbe same thing is to be observed in the
wonderful display of divine power which
confounded the priests of Baal. It was man
that hewed the wood and laid it in order and
poured on tbe water: it was God who coms
manded the fire to descend from heaven.
As soon as the children of Israel had en
tered Canaan, and bad eaten of the new corn
of tbe land, the miracles of the manna
ceased.
God is always himself; he never does for
us what we can do for ourselves.
The line of thought is common
place, but the way of putting it is fresh
and striking. Why could not we have
said these plain, and simple, and pal
pable things as well as the editor of
the National Baptist, from whom we
quote them? Why could not anybody
have said them? Many years ago we
read the following:
"Speret idem sibi:
Sudet multurn :
Frustra!”
Here’s metaphysics I Mr. Alcott is repor
ted, by tbe Portland Advertiser, to bavesaid
at tbe Concord School, that “Actuality is the
Thingness of the Here.” The Advertiser
adds: “An ordinary person dislikes to set
up an opinion against so high authority, but
sometimes it does seem as though Actuality
is really tbe Hereness of the Thing.”
It appears to us that actuality is
purely a question of thing-ity ; and that
the here-ity has no more to do with it
than the there-ity; still, we feel that
,Wje ought, to, express this opinion mod
estly, as it controverts the view of both
the distinguished philosophers above
named.
An Insane Divil —The editor of the Na
tional Baptist, with a singular infelicity of
language, speaks of our President as about
to be “cut off by the act ot an insane devil.”
Devil we grant his assassin was, but insane,
never.
So says the Alabama Baptist. It
appears to us that there is a very loose
and improper use of language in both
the journals above quoted from. Both
speaking of Guiteau, call him a devil.
They ought not to have done this; no
man has a right to apply such epithets
to any other man. If not profane, it
is at least a railing accusation of a kind
often used by profane men, and sel
dom or never used by men of God.
Thus far our rebuke is for both our
brethren. As to the National, we have
to say this in addition : that if the man
is really insane, and therefore, irres
ponsible to man as we know, and to
God as we believe, it is cruel and wick
ed to call him a devil. As to the Ala
bama brother, who declares that the
man is not insane, we have this to
say : You are forestalling the verdict
of a jury; you have not heard the evi
dence ; you do not know what facts
may be brought out on the trial;
your emphatic decision in advance of
trial, denies the man a trial so far at
least as your influence goes, and all
this is wrong. We of the religious
press who have so. much to do with
shaping public opinion and giving
tone to the public taste, manners and
morals, should not allow popular ex
citements to betray us into careless
speech, nor into an unjudicial frame of
mind.
We find in an Episcopal exchange
the following extract from Canon Bell,
an author of its own communion :
In reading the Epistles we are struck by
the silence maintained on the sacrament of
tbe Lord’s supper. St. Paul wrote fourteen
epistles, and iu thirteen out of the fourteen
there is not » single mention of the Lord’s
supper. Three ot his epistles are pasteral
letters, and yet neither tn his instructions
to Timothy or Titos is there a single direct
tion given as to the nature of this ordinance,
or on the mode of its administration. There
is much about the preaching of the gospel—
about faith, and good works, and holy liv
ing—but not one word on the Lord's sup-,
per. Very strange indeed if this rite be
“the central act of Christian worship.” St.
James wrote an epistle, and so did St. Jude;
St. Peter wrote two, and St. John three; and
in all these seven epistles there is not a sin
gle allusion to the Lord's suppes. Nowhere,
except in one epistle, is the ordinance re
ferred to, and then only,in order to condemn
an abuse, and to utter a warning against the
danger of idolatry on the part of the Corin
thians.”
The facts mentioned by the Canon
bear with decisive force against the
central principle of Romanism—that
“the sacraments” are the appointed
channels for the conveyance of grace;
a principle which ascribes regeneration
to the “sacrament” of baptism, and is
regarded by the majority of our oppo-
VOL. 59.-NO. 35.
nents as the one sufficient and
only sufficient reason for giving
baptism to infants. The facts,,
then, damage infant baptism, by heljs
ing to beat down its most ancient and
most widely accepted support and de
fence. They damage that modern
thing, open communion, too: for that,
assumes that the Lord’s supper is the
grand “sacrament” of Christian unity,
and that this unity cannot exist except
among those who partake of the sup
per together. Now, surely if the Lord’s
supper heid any such position in eccle
siastical and practical Christianity,
there must have been some more
prominence given to it in the Epistles-
ANNUAL MEETINGS OF BAPTIST ASSOCIA-.
TIONS IN GEORGIA, 1881.
SEPTEMBER.
A ppalachpe—Tuesday before 3d Sabbath.
Bethabara, Oconee county.
Columbus—Saturday before 4th Sabbath,
Bethlehem, Harris county.
Flint KI ver-Saturday before 4th Sabbath 1
Hollonvllle, Pike county.
Oostanauia—Friday before Ist Sabbath,
Bethel, flve miles from Adairsville.
Sarepta—Friday before 4th Sabbath, Union,
Madison county.
Stone Mountain—Friday before 2d Sabbath,
Bockdaie, Rockdale county.
Washington—Friday before 4th Sabbath,
Bethlehem, Washington county.
Western—Saturday before 3d Sabbath, Wes
tern, Heard county.
Tallapoosa-Saturday belore 2d Sabbath,
Floyd Creek, Bartow county.
Tugalo—Thursday beloreßdSabbath, Zldon,
Franklin county.
Second Georgia—Friday before 3d Sabbath,
Zion church, DeKalb county.
Jasper-Friday before Ist Sabbath, Jerusa
lem, Pickens county.
Middle Cherokee—Friday before 4th Sab
bath, Tuuuel HUI.
OCTOBER.
Baptist Union—Saturday before 3d Sabbath,
Macedonia, Bullock county.
Bowen—Saturday before 2d Sabbath, Mt,
Pleasaut, Decatur county.
Carrollton—Saturday before 4th Sabbath,
Aberline, Carroll county.
Cave Spring—Friday before 2d Sabbath,
Poplar Spring, Chattooga county.
Central —Tuesday belore Ist Sabbath, Elam,
Jones county.
Ebem zer—Saturday before 4th Sabbath,
Gordon,.Wilkerson county.
Fail Lam—Smitr ay beiore Ist Sabbath, Be
thesda, Campbell county.
Friendship—Thursday before Ist Sabbath,
Americus.
Georgia—Thursday before 2d Sabbath, Shar
on, Columbia county.
Hephzibah—Friday before 3d Sabbath, Mc-
Bcan, Burke county.
Houston—Wednesday before 2d Sabbath,
Drayton, Dooly county
Liberty—Thursday before Ist Sabbath, Toc
coa, Habersham county.
Mercer—Tuesday before 3d Sabbath, Thom
asville, Thomas county.
Middle—Friday before 2nd Sabbath, Cor
inth, Effingham county.
Mount Vernon—Friday before Ist Sabbath,
Teunell, Washington county.
New Ebenezer—Saturday before 3d Sabbath,
Block House, Telfair.
New Sunbury—Saturday before 4th Sabbath,
Brunswick, Ga.
Piedmont—Friday before 2d Sabbath, Con
solation, Appling county,
Kehoboth-Frlday before 3d Sabbath,Hayne
ville, Houston county.
Gillsville- Saturday before 4th Sabbath, Ho
mer.
Concord—Saturday before 2d Sabbath, Beu
lah, Douglas county.
Chattahoochee—Friday before 2d Sabbath,
Holly Springs. Hall county.
Smyrna—Friday before 4th Sabbath, Mt.
Zurich, Coffee county.
Mulberry—Friday before 2d Sabbath, Mt.
Moriah, Gwinnett county.
NOVEMBER.
Bethel—Friday before 2d Sabbath,
Mitchell county.
We take the following interesting
items from the Swainsboro Heratd :
Rev. G. W. Smith, who was instru
mental in building up the Swainsboro
Baptist church, and who gave up its
care about two years ago was called
again last Saturday as pastor. He haa
the full confidence and love of ths
church, and we trust that his future
labors may be attended with as much
success as his past.
We are now in the midst of a most
gracious revival at the Swainsboro
Baptist church. The meetings began
last Saturday with marked interest.
The congregations have been large
and attentive, both day and night.
Seven accessions by the close of yes
terday’s 11 o’clock service—six by ex
perience and one by letter. We have
been aided by our efficient brother, G,
W. Smith. Preaching to-day and to
night, and still the work goes on. God
be praised.
Rev. G. W. Smith has recently made
the Swainsboro Baptist church a pres
ent of two good chandeliers. They
add much to the convenience of the
church.
Washington correspondent Augusta
Constitutionalist: On yesterday Rev,
S. G. Hillyer preached to a large and
appreciative audience. The eminent
divine delivered one of those sermons
that attract and take possession of
the hearer, and from its beginning the
listeners were attracted and held by
the reason of a logical and forcible dis
course. In an earnest and fervent
prayer, he asked for the recovery of
the President, and in a touching ap
peal invoked the God of Nations to
avert the calamity that would ensue
from his death.
Eatonton Messenger: Rev. I. R. Bran
ham began a protracted meeting at
the Union church Tuesday night.