Newspaper Page Text
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H KINKY H.TUCKKR, Kditor
EUODIAS AND SYNTYCHE.
The alteration of a letter in a word
sometimes makes a vast; difference in
the sense. Our brother Paul, addres
sing Euodias and Syntyche, two female
members of the Philippian church, ex
horts them to be of the same mind in
the Lord; and dismissing them with
implied rebuke, he invokes aid in the
next breath for those women (different
•women of course) who had labored
with him in the Gospel. Phil. 4 :2. So
at least reads the Old Version ; as the
New Version has it, Paul asks help
for these women (referring to Euodias
and Syntyche) who had labored with
him. The word these, include? the two
sisters named within the apostle’s ben
ediction ; the word those excludes them
from it, and these words differ only in
a single letter. How important to our
correct understanding of the sacred
writings, are the minutest details!
There is another difference in the
reading which brings out the sense
still more strikingly. The Old Version
says, “Help those women which labored
with me in the gospel;” the New Ver
sion has it, “Help these women for they
labored with me in the gospel.’’ Thus
while it is certain that Euodias and
Syntyche are they for whom favor is
asked, the reason of the request is sta
ted. Paul desired help for these women
because (for) they had helped him.
Adopting the new reading as the
true one, we learn some important
things. In the first place we are per
mitted to scan the pages of the book
of life, far enough at least to read three
of the names recorded there, and these
are the only names, mentioned in
Scripture as being so recorded. True,
we read of many who without doubt
are saved in heaven, and whose names
we know; but no inspired writer speaks
of the name of any one as being in the
book of life, except our brother Paul
when he speaks of Euodias, Syntyche
and Clement. “I exhort Euodias, and
I exhort Syntyche, that they be of one
mind in the Lord. Yea, I beseech
thee, also, true yoke-fellow, help these
women, for they labored with me in
the gospel, with Clement also, and the
rest of my fellow workers, whose names
are in the book of life.”
It is certainly to the credit of the
New Version, that it has relieved two
■of the early saints from the obloquy
that has been heaped upon them, ever
since the misleading account of them
was given to the world, by the earlier
translators. From the bottom of the
list where they were unjustly placed,
they’ are righteously brought to the
top; from a position of discredit and
shame, they are brought, by a complete
reversal of the account, to one of
highest honor. For two hundred and
seventy years we have been denouncing
those, whose consecrated lives brought
forth the highest expression of
apostolic praise. Those long cast down
are now exalted.
On the old reading we are led to
■consign the two sisters whose faames
are mentioned, to everlasting rebuke,
as worthless to the church and dis
turbers of the peace, the only thing re
lated of them being that they quarrel
ed. From the New reading we learn,
that while it is true that they quarrel
ed, it is also true that they labored
with Paul, and that their work was so
efficient, that he mentioned them spe
cially by name and asks special favor
in their behalf, and adds that their
names are in the book of life. A most
wonderful distinction is accorded to
these women. They, with their fellow
worker, Clement, are the only three of
•our race whose names have been copied
from the book of life into human
records —human in the sense that they
are within human reach, but divine in
the sense that the Holy Spirit is re
sponsible for them. It is but seldom
that persons have absolute assurance
in this life of their eternal salvation;
and the assurance is usually one which
is evolved from one’s consciousness,and
which may be questioned by others if
not by one’s self; but in this case the
assurance came from without and not
from within; it was Paul who said it
■to them, and not they who said it to
Paul; it was written on earth by the
guidance of the Spirit, that the names
of Euodias and Syntyche were written
in the book of life.
They were imperfect women; if they
had been free from fault, the exhorta
tion addressed to them by the apostle
would not have been called for. How
strange a picture is that of two women
both laboring in the Lord, and for the
lord, and with the apostle, while yet
there was strife between them! We
are apt to think that the jarrings and
bickerings which occur among us, are
peculiar to ourselves, and that saintli
ness has degenerated since apostolic
•days, and that such variances could
scarcely take place between those who
are of God’s elect. But here we see
that two women who were contentions,
nevertheless loved the Lord Jesus
Christ in sincerity and that their sal
'Vation was assured. Let us not lose
■confidence in each other because we
have faults. On the other hand let us
not put too great confidence in those
Who do nothing for the cause, even if
they be peaceable, and quiet and inof
fensive. If Euodias and Syntyche had
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST ! THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1881.
not “labored in the Lord,” it is certain
that the apostle would not have made
them the subject of his magnificent
eulogy. Those who are busied with
the Lord’s work, at personal sacrifice,
even if they are sometimes overtaken
with faults, and if they do give way to
evil tempers and passions, are more to
be relied on than those whose lives are
a mere negation, and who if they do
nothing openly wrong, seldom or never
do any thing aggressively right.
What a splendid reward these wo
men had for their services—the an
nouncement in advance from the Spir
it itself that their names were written
in heaven. The day for such a reward
has passed. None who have lived
since inspiration ceased can have at
tained it, and none now living or yet
to live can hope for it. We doubt not.
however, that in some shape or other its
equivalent in value will be and is be
stowed on those who labor in the Lord.
As it requires more courage to press on
through darkness than to walk in
open day, so there may be higher vir
tue in laboring without assurance than
with it. But the Lord knows how to
apportion his gifts, and it is with con
fidence and joy that we leave results
in his hands.
How could the two disagreeing sis
ters have resisted the apostolic appeal
to “be of one mind!” Says he, “I ex
hort Euodias,” and to make his ad
dress more emphatic he repeats the
word ’and says also, “I exhort Syn
tyche.” The record gives us no ac
count of the effect of the apostle’s affec
tionate entreaty, but it is hard to im
agine that it went for nothing. Surely
it must have reconciled the angry ones.
It is well to remember that if the same
apostle were among us, he would ad
dress the same exhortation to such of
us as are at variance; he would call
each by name and say, “I beseech
you, be of one mind.” Our brother
Paul is not with us in person, but his
writings are before us; Euodias and
Syntyche are representative persons,
and through them the same appeal is
made by the same noble man inspired
of God, to all saints who journeying to
heaven have fallen out by the way.
How could these two sisters have
continued their strife when each was
filled with rejoicing in view of the ex
alted assurance vouchsafed to both of
them! How could they quarrel with
heaven just in sight! If we have not
the same assurance, we have at least
a joyful hope, and a comforting faith.
Heaven is not far away; it is within
arm’s reach of all who trust in Jesus;
is it worth while to quarrel with those
who are so soon to be with us in the
celestial city? Let our aspirations be
heavenward and our labors in the gos
pel abundant, and we shall have neith
er the time nor the disposition to en
gage in strife. If a brother has done
wrong, any attempt to set him right by
force, whether physical or moral, will
be in vain, and to punish him is to
transcend our authority. The best
thing we can do for him is to pray for
him, and to set him [an example of pa
tience, meekness, gentleness and for
bearance. One who can do this in
good faith, gives evidence of a renew
ed nature, and though he may not have
the brilliant assurance of Euodias and
Syntyche, he may have a very satisfy
ing hope that his name is written in
the same book with theirs, and that
the same mercy which washed out their
sin will cleanse him from his.
Now, at least, the two quarrelsome
sisters are at peace. For eighteen hun
dred years they have been living lov
ingly together in the presence of God
and with the holy angels. There is a
good time coming when all our petty
animosities will cease, and when the
evil dispositions that led to them will
be purged out of us, and when we
shall enter into a world of holy ones,
where perfect peace will reign forever.
Last week there was a great celebra
tion of the surrender of Cornwallis at
Yorktown. The whole population of
the United States has been and is in
sympathy with the performance. But
we should like to ask, How is it that
those who are “truly loyal” can sympa
thise with rebels f" And “How is it
that the word rebel is sometimes the
synonymn of all that is honorable and
glorious, and at other times the syno
nymn of all that is mean, contemptible
and base?” There is only one answer to
these questions; it lies deep down in
human nature; but everybody knows
what it is.
P. S.—We don’t think that the above
paragraph will be extensively copied
in certain latitudes.
The Central Baptist having reported
a Methodist Bishop of Illinois assaying
“We want to bring our interpretations
of the Bible to harmonize with our
formulated articles of religion” our
brother M. Hillsman in the Baptist
Reflector wisely suggests that it would
be better for the Bishop to so formulate
his articles of religion as to make them
harmonize with the Bible. The Bish
op’s plan seemed to be to formulate the
creed first, and shape the Bible down
so as to fit it; brother Hillanan’s plan
is to take the Bible as the model, and
formulate the creed according to it.
We think the Bishop is beginning at
the wrong end.
——— s
—Rev. B. MacMackin, of Wilming
ton, Del., preached in the pulpit of the
Second Baptist church, Atlanta, last
Sabbath, a forcible and earnest sermon
on the rejection of Christ.
OPEN-COMMUNION BRUIT.
We are often told by Pedobaptists that
if our denomination would only lay
aside its “close-communion," as it is
called, it would become immensely
popular, and that thousands of persons
now belonging to Pedobaptist churches
would unite with it. We must sup
pose that this advice is given in good
faith, and we have no doubt that the
reason why it is given so earnestly and
so frequently is, that those who give
it are dissatisfied with their sprinkling
and would prefer to be united with a
body of baptized believers. We have
to say to such persons, that this pre
ference on their part is not strong
enough to induce them to break away
from their present ecclesiastical ties
and unite with us, even on the condi
tion which they prescribe. As evidence
of this, we may mention, that there is
a wing of our denomination in the
United States which practices open
communion, and with which these
dissatisfied Pedobaptists might unite if
they were so disposed ; but very few of
them doit; and this branch of our de
nomination is small and feeble, and
increases slowly, while the close-com
munion churches are increasing stead
ily and rapidly, and are constantly re
ceiving accessions from other denomi
nations. When a man’s convictions
on the subject of baptism are strong
enough to lead him away from his old
and beloved Pedobaptist home, they
are usually strong enough to take him
straight to a full-measure Baptist
church without stopping at a half-way
house, where his after-life would be
just what it was before he left his old
home, and where his practice would
deny his faith.
The real tendency of open-commun
ion is shown in the following extract
from the London Baptist (Eng.:)
“It is a fact with which all who know
anything of our history are familiar, that
even in some of our largest and most influ
ential churches the names of many of the
leading families have disappeared altogeth
er, or are rapidly disappearing from their
roll of members. Those who have filled the
diaconate in the most honorable manner,
and those who have contributed most large
ly to denominational objects, associating
their names and their memories with every
good and great movement in which as a de
nomination we have been privileged to take
part, have passed away, and no member of
their families now remains to fill their place.
They are not extinct, but they are not with
us. Other denominations, especially the Es
tablished Church, rank them among their
adherents, and now reap the benefit of the
wealth and influence which were hereditari
ly ours. And the families of some who are
with us still, and who still hold prominent
places among us, are drifting off in the same
direction, so that in a few years their names
will have entirely disappeared from among
us.”
One fact is worth a thousand theo
ries. Here are two facts; and if one
shall chase a thousand two will put
ten thousand to flight. The first fact,
is, that the American Baptists who
practice close-communion, have in a
hundred years grown from almost
nothing to be a great and powerful
people, going on now from strength to
strength. The second fact is, that
the English Baptists who practice
open-communion, although they have
the world’s greatest preacher to help
them, are drifting away into other de
nominations, and especially into the
Established Church —the least spiritu
ally-disposed of all.
Our doctrine of baptism we know to
be true; to maintain it in its integrity
we must keep up our organization; to
do this to best advantage, we must ad
here to our principles, and follow them
to their logical result. Nothing is bap
tism but baptism. The Lord’s supper
is for the baptized, and for no others.
We gain nothing by compromise; we
lose all.
ATLANTA BAPTIST SEMINARY.
This institution was founded and
sustained by Northern Baptists, its spe
cial object being the theological train
ing of such Baptist Negroes as are
candidates for the Christian ministry.
Our highly esteemed brother, Rev. Da
vid Shaver, D. D., was until recently
one of the instructors; but to the
amazement of all with whom we have
conversed, and these are not a few, he
was removed from his position in order
to make the institution “more efficient!’
Speaking of this, our brother Rev. Wm.
J. White, editor of the Georgia Baptist,
a paper published by and for our Ne
gro brethren, has this to say:
“When we mentioned some weeks ago
his (Dr. Shaver’s) retirement from the Fac
ulty of the Atlanta Baptist Seminary, we
supposed that he had resigned to follow some
more lucrative employment; but we have
since learned that this was not the fact, but
that another was elected to the place with
out the Doctor's knowledge. While we may
be accused of meddling in other men’s mat
ters we feel no hesitancy in saying that we be •
lieve a mistake, yes a serious mistake, has
been made.”
The trustees of this institution are
eleven in number, of whom five reside
in Georgia and the other six at the
North. No one of the five Georgia
trustees knew anything of the change
until after it was made. We cannot
see that Bro. White can be “accused
of meddling with other men’s matters,”
for he himself is a trustee and had a
right to know of a movement so im
portant. We know nothing of the new
incumbent of the Professor’s chair, ex
cept that he is a young gentleman,
apparently about twenty years of age,
and of good personal appearance and
pleasing address; but if he is superior
to Dr. Shaver, or even equal to him,
in learning, ability or efficiency, he
must be one of the most remarkable
young men that has appeared in the
world since the days of Blaise Pascal.
We are in cordial sympathy with the
good work which the institution pro
poses to accomplish ; but its policy as
indicated by the causeless removal of
Dr. Shaver fails to command our re
spect. The fact that one of the ablest
and best men in the Southern States,
and who has few equals anywhere, is
displaced by an inexperienced youth is
calculated to excite unanimous and
hearty disapprobation among all class
es here, without regard to race, color,
or previous, or present condition.
Rev. E. R. Carswell, Jr., preached
his last sermons as pastor in Augusta on
last Sabbath. For the remainder of
the year he is open to calls to evange
listic work within the State, or to the
supply of pulpits temporarily. We
commend him to those who need or
desire ministerial service in either line.
GLLifPSEN jad HJAT&
—Among the students at the Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary area Georgian
minister fifty-eight years old, and two
others who left grandchildren at home
—lll health has compelled the return to
America of Mrs. 8. J. Holmes, our efficient
m ssionary in China; and she earnestly re
quests any person who knows the where
abouts of her son, S. Landrum Holmes, to
communicate the information to her at 126
South 14th street, St. Louis, Mo.
—Dr. T. J. Conant is reported by the Ex
aminer and Chronicle as in his 79th year,
and as eating, sleeping and working so well
as to give the best promise of the completion
by his hand of the revisions of Scripture to
which he has devoted his scholarship and
energy.
—There is a Baptist church in Kentucky
which wants as pastor “a first-class man who
can live on a fourth-class salary.” This is
only an uncommon way of putting a far too
common thing.
Our missionary, Rev. Dr. Yates, is “a man
of weight,” as well in the lower as in the
higher sense. He weighs 232 pounds.
—“The Baptist Conkling” is the name
which the Watch Tower, on the authority of
“one of the shrewdest of Baptist preachers,”
applies to Dr Bright of the Examiner and
Chronicle, whom, on its own authority, it
calls “the Baptist Dictator.” This is hardly
the style of the higher journalism, and
Christian charity by no means seems to re
quire or to allow it.
The lectures of Rev. Dr. Pritchard, on
elocution, at Wake Forest College are at
tended by a class of seventy members. And
we learn that Rev. W. T. Cheney proposes
to establish a school of elocution in Augusta,
Ga.
—The Baptist Courier says that Rev. J.
Courtney Browne has resigned his pastorate
at Aiken, S. C., and will remove into the
country. Why not come home to Georgia ?
—A Philadelphia correspondent writes to
the Standard that the American Baptist
Publication Society will commence in Jan
uary the issue of an illustrated monthly,
“something like the Sunday Magazine, the
Sunday at Home, and other English peri
odicals.”
—The converts in heathen lands under the
labors of the British Baptist Foreign Mission
Society, since its organization, are estimated
at 800 000,—an average, it strikes us, of
over 8,000 a year.
—The Baptist Banner says that Rev. J. E.
Rives, of the Chattahoochee Association,now
in his eightieth year, “is still vigorous, and
has a remarkably full and clear voice, which
can be heard by a whole camp meeting of
people.”
—Services, in view of the return of Dr. R.
H- Gravesand wife to China after an absence
of eighteen months, were held in the Seventh
Baptist church, Baltimore, October 7th. We
hope that the effects of Dr. G’s. laborious
and important mission to America, (for
surely the Lord sent him here to do his
work of a year and a half,) will be seen in
the increased prayers and contributions of
the churches for the success of his mission
to China.
—As an evidence that dissenters from or
thodox and evangelical Christianity are not
having everythng their own way, we mens
tion afact furnished by an exchange. The
sects in the United States which deny the
Trinity, the Godhead of Christ, and the like,
have now 482 congregations fewer than in
1860.
—There are now 4.748 Protestant deacon
esses in Europe, distributed into 53 houses,
laboring at nearly 1.500 points, and expend
ing almost $1,000,000 yearly.
—ln the Lateran church at Rome, as Dr.
W. P. Harrison writes, “the top of the
table at which the Lord’s supper was insti
tuted by our Saviour is shown;” as also“part
of the manger in which Christ was born; the
seamless coat made for Jesus by Mary;
some of the barley loaves and small fishes
miraculously multiplied to feed the five
thousand persons by Christ; the linen cloth
with which he dried the apostles’ feet after
washing them ; Aaron’s rod; the rod with
which Moses smote the Red Sea; and many
more.”
—The first Protestant church in America
was founded by French Huguenots, at what
is Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, three score and ten
years before the Mayflower cast anchor in
Plymouth Bay, and more than half a cen
tury before the Episcopal service was first
held by the English colonists in Virginia.
It fell in 1557 when the Portuguese became
masters of Rio.
—A Mexican journal illustrates the influ
ence of Romanism on education where
Romanism has its own way in everything,
by the fact that in 1874 there were in Italy
16,999,701 persons who could not read or
write, out of a total population of 21,703,710
—Under the New Testament economy a#
Christians are priests,(l Peter 2:9, Rev. 5:10)
Their priesthood consists in this—that they
make offering to God for themselves; nay,
that they make themselves an offering to
God. And the offering is a thank-offering
only, not an offering for atonement.
—A writer in the Presbyterian says that
Rev.Mr.Swing,theChicago:ministerwho“fell
from the grace” of the Westminster Stand
ards some years since, “can’t hit a theologi
cal barn door at twenty paces and with a
dead rest.”
—Rev. G. W. Horn, writing to the Wes
leyan Christian Advocate, from the Method
ist Ecumenical Conference, London, says:
“Methodists originated in an iconoclastic
crusade against forms, and they have ever
held that no specific form of organization or
of service was ordained by Christ. And yet
many of us are as tenacious of our polity as
if it had the exclusive sanction of the Lord.
There is a Methodist high churchism almost
as offensive as that of the Episcopalians.”
He sees, in the Conference, "an intense con
servatism prevailing, not to say denomina
tional pride, and bigotry of a mild type.”
—The clergy of Mt. Calvary Episcopal
church, Baltimore, according to Rev. 0.
Perry, one of their number, "are accus
tomed to offer the holy sacrifice,” [what a
name for the Lord’s supper!] “forthe repose
of the souls of the faithful departed” [as if
harm could come to these souls through ful
ness of joy I]
—“The main obstructions to understand
ing,” says George Macdonald, “are profun
dity and shallowness; and the latter is far
the more perplexing of the two.”
GEORGIA BAPTIST NEWS.
—Douglasville Star: The Concord
Association convened on Saturday at
Beulah church in this county, and con
tinued through Sunday and Monday.
Rev. W. J. Spiears of Atlanta, the
Moderator, presided. The Association
will hold its session next year at Chap
el Hill, and will embrace the second
Sunday in October. Rev. W. I. Spiears
was re-elected Moderator and Rev.
Robert Baber, of Powder Springs, was
re-elected Clerk.
—Hartwell Sun: Rev. J. A. Mun
day, known to many of our people, has
accepted the pastoral charge of the
Second Baptist church of Augusta.
—Adairsville correspondent Carters
ville Free Press: Rev. A. F. Roberts,
having resigned the pastorship of the
First Baptist church, Rev. Mr. Gold
wire was called to fill his place. It
was with regret that Mr. R.’s congre
gation accepted his resignation, and it
is hoped that Mr. Goldwire will not re
fuse their call. He filled the pulpit
Sunday night and preached an erudite
sermon.
—The church at Valulah, Randolph
county, has ordained brother E. S.
Ward to the gospel ministry. Elder
W. H. Cooper preached the Ordination
Sermon from Ist Thess., 5 :25, “Breth
ren, pray for us.” The object of the
discourse being to show the impor
tance of prayer for ministers in view
of their responsibilities, duties and
trials.
—Eastman Times: It will be grati
fying to the members and friends of
the Baptist church to learn that the
railroad agrees to give them half rates
on the shipment of lumber for the new
church at this place.
—Barnesville Gazette: Rev. A. J. Bat
tle, by’ request, delivered an address to
the Young Men’s Christian Associa
tion, at the Methodist church last
Sunday afternoon. His subject was
"Personal Responsibility.” He opened
his remarks by saying there were many
ways of responsibility, as for instance
—responsibility of children to parents,
pupils to instructors, subjects to kings
in monarchical government, and the
people to the government.
He treated the subject principally as
to our being responsible, first, for the
proper culture of the faculties which
God has given us. This proposition
was illustrated by the infant, whose
memory was developed by culture, as
was also the imagination.
Conscience he said was given us in
the germ, which he proceeded to de
monstrate and did do very satisfactorily.
He assumed that we were responsible
for our beliefs, the state of our affec
tions and emotions. We were respon
sible for the good or evil influence of
our talents exerted on all around us,
which he extended to our words, spoken
in seriousness or jest, and to the proper
or improper consumption of time.
The lecture was well received, and very
instructive as well as interesting.
—Warrenton Clipper: Revs. J. A.
Epps of Jewells, and Jas. Barrow of
Carroll county, were our guests last
week. The former has been very suc
cessful this year in his ministry, hav
ing baptized 25 at Friendship and 5 at
Mill Creek.
—Rev. Charles A. Stakely has been
unanimously called by the Baptist
church at Forsyth. This is a distin
guished honor for this young and gift
ed preacher, when it is considered that
he has been thus emphatically called
to fill a pulpit that has been graced in
the past by such men as Dawson, Mal
lory, Kendrick and Hillyer.
—The Savannah, Florida and West
ern railroad will give free tickets for
return to those delegates who pay full
fare, coming, to the Bethel Association,
to meet in Camilla on the Bth of
November.
—Brother T. A. Gibbs writes that the
Minutes of the churches of Stone
Mountain Association can be obtained
at the following places: The Atlanta
churches, Antioch Ist, Antioch 2nd,
Peachtree, Sharon, Tanner’s and Nor
cross at The Index office, care of J. P.
Harrison; Decatur and Rehoboth, at
Decatur, care of W. R. Webster; Stone
Mountain, Indian Creek and Double
Springs, at Stone Mountain, care of
G. R. Wells; Lithonia, New Providence,
Macedonia, DeKalb and Woodville, at
Lithonia, care of J. C. Johnson; Con
yers, Salem and Rockdale, at Conyers,
care of W. H. Lee; Covington, Mace
donia, Cedar Shoals, Zion and County-
Line, at Covington, care of J. T. Corley.
West Point Press: Rev. Mr. Van
Hoose, of Senoia, preached to a small
but appreciative congregation at the
Baptist church on Friday evening
last. We learn that an effort will be
made to procure his services for that
church for the coming year.
—Thomasville Tinies: The Mercer
Baptist Association has been in session
here this week. The clergy and laity
were largely and ably represented.
The exercises were marked by great
harmony. They were largely attended
and were deeply interesting. We hope
that each delegate was pleased with
his stay in our city.
—The Thomasville Times says: Rev,
E. K. Love, the devoted pastor of the
colored Baptist church, as will be seen
below, has resigned the pastorate of the
church. He has been asked up higher.
Georgia is abroad mission field, but if
there is a colored preacher in the state
who can work it successfully, that man
is E. K. Love. He has been here long
enough for the people—white and col
ored to learn his sterling worth. He
leaves here with the highest endorse
ment of his church and people, and
with the respect and kindest wishes of
the white people of the place.
—Sandersville Mercury : The Mount
Vernon Baptist Association held its
annual meeting at Tennille on Friday,
Saturday and Sunday last. The
churches were all fully and ably rep
resented, the preaching was good and
the greatest harmony prevailed. Rev.
J. J. Hyman preached the introduc
tory sermon. Rev. T. J. Beck was
elected Moderator and J. M. Smith,
Clerk. On Sunday the crowd present
was immense, and was variously esti
mated at from three to four thousand
persons; all were well cared for, old
friends met again after the absence of
years, new acquaintences were made,
and things went as they should go on
such occasions, smoothly and well.
The missionary sermon was preached
by Rev. H. T. Smith. The next ses
sion of this Association will be held in
Emanuel county, at Swainsboro.
Rev. E. B. Carroll has been called
by the Quitman Baptist church, as
pastor for another year, and has ac
cepted.
—Griffin News : We made inquiry
yesterday in reference to the prospects
of having a new Baptist min
ister here, and learned; that the
church has not, as yet, made any defi
nite arrangements. We hear that Dr.
Mitchell will probably be called to fill
the pulpit recently vacated by Dr.
Spalding of the Second Baptist church
in Atlanta. If he goes there we pre
dict a great measure of success for
him.
—The Elim correspondent of the
Warrenton Clipper, writes concerning
the meeting of the Georgia Baptis As
sociation, which met at Sharon church,
Columbia county : It was decided by
competent judges, that it was the best
attended Association they had ever at
tended ; nothing to mar the peace and
quiet of the session. On Friday at
eleven o’clock, Bro. S. G. Hillyer
preached an excellent sermon indeed.
His text was, ‘Christ in you the hope
of glory.’ From first to last it was in
tensely interesting and, I trust to my
edification. As lam a great lover of
Sunday Schools, I paid strict atten
tion to all that was said on that sub
ject.
On Sunday morning Bro. Hillyer,
followed by brother Overton, (his sub
ject was the Bible,) made one of the
most interesting lectures I ever have
heard. They both produced some of
the most profound arguments against
infidelism I ever heard.
Winterville correspondent Athens
Watchman: Elder W. R. Goss has been
called to the pastoral care of Moore’s
Grove church for the ensuing year.
“It is to be regretted that the ordi
nance of baptism is held in light es
teem by any in the Presbyterian
church. It is in nothing second in
importance to the Lord’s supper.”
So writes the author of a work, (or
worklet,) issued by the Presbyterian
Committee of Publication, Richmond
Virginia. It will be time enough to
say such things, we conceive, when
Presbyterians have made the Lord’s
supper as little by the communion of
infants, as they have made baptism by
the sprinkling of infants. Human
perversions accepted in lieu of divine
institutions can hardly be expected to
show like the genuine article; and
even those on whom the counterfeit is
palmed, must sometimes lightly es
teem it when put in contrast with
what is true. This is the unconscious
and instinctive recoil of the spiritual in
man from that which falsely claims to'
be from God, even when -the claim is
not distinctly recognized as false.
We have received a further instal
ment of “The Baptist Encyclopedia,”
by Dr. Cathcart of Philadelphia. These
four hundred pages place the interest
and value of the work beyond ques
tion. It will furnish a more complete
exhibit of Baptist men, institutions,
doctrines and history, than can be
found anywhere else in our literature.
The Christian Index Hymn Book.
Will all brethren and friends whom we
addressed recently for certain informa
tion in reference to our forthcoming
Index Hymn Book, reply to our ques
tions as early as possible, and greatly
oblige us and The Index Publishing
Co.?
RESOLUTIONS OF BAPTIST PREACBERff
MEETING IN ATLANTA.
Whereas, our beloved brother, Rev A T
Spalding D D., pastor of the Second Baptist
church of Atlanta, has resigned his charge
to become pastor of the Baptist church in
Galveston, Texas, we, the. Baptist pastors
and preachers of Atlanta, do unanimously
res oi v 6;
Ist. That we sincerely regret the loss to
our community, and to our denomination in
this city and State, of so good and useful a
minister of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2nd. That we feel this removal of our
brother as a personal loss, since the relations
and intercourse between him and each of us
have always been most harmonious and
pleasant, and since he has so greatly en
deared himself to our hearts by his lovely
Christian virtues. f
a 3 VI- That we cordially commend brother
bpaiding and his worthy family to the fer
vent love, sympathy, confidence and support
of the church to which he is called, and of
the Baptists and people of Texas, with our
parting prayer that God may abundantly
bless dur brother in his new field of labor.
4th. Resolved, That the foregoing pream
ble and resolutions be printed in The Chris
tian Index, Atlanta Constitution, and Post-
A PP ea . l - H. C. Hornady,
Chairman Baptist Preachers’ Meeting of
Atlanta.