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SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST, ' ** x THE CHRISTIAN HERALD, of Alabama. ; : La: v ' of Tennessee. ESTABLISHED I 8 21. THE CHRISTIAN INDEX. BY JAS. P. HARRISON & CO. Subscription, per year $2.60 Table of Contents. First Page—Alabama Department: A Trip to South Alabama; Longing for Immor tality ; The Religious Press, Second Page—Corespondence: Infidelity; The Indian Work ; Jottings by the Way ; Theater Fires; A Mouth in Texas; The Missionary Department. Third Page—Children’s Corner: The Sun day School: Jesus in Galilee—Lesson for January 8. Bed Time—poetry. Fourth Page—Editorials: The New A ear Under Moses ; Covenanted Children ; A Brave Judge and a Lawless People; Glimpses and Hints; Georgia Baptist News. Fifth Page-Secular Editorials: Interna tional Cutton Exposition; Books and Magazines; New Year's Eve—poetry— C rarles W. Hubner; Literary Notes and Comments; Georgia News. Sixth Page—The Household: All—All for Tuee—piery; Watching the Old Year Out; A Christian Boy ; Not Lost.—poetry ; The Staff and the Light—poetry; Miscel laneous. Obituaries. Seventh Page—The Farmer’s Index: The New Year; Manures for Different Crops ; A Plea for the Fancy Farmer; The Canine Curse; Improving Land. Eighth Page—Florida Department: To Florida Baptists; News, Notes and Re marks ; Report of the Board of Missions; Receipts of Florida Mission Board. Alabama Department. BY SAMUEL HENDERSON. A TRIP TO SOUTH ALABAMA. Indulging a long cherished desire, we left home about the first of Decem ber to make e-i flying visit to our <cd friends in South Alabama, and A rived in Selma on Thursday evening, and made at once for the residence of Dr. Cleveland, the pastor of the Bap tist church, where we met such a wel come as his elect lady always gives her old pastor. The M. E. Church Conference was in session, and we found the doctor’s house pretty well filled with our Methodist brethren in attendance up on that occasion. But his house, like his heart, always has room for one more, no matter what the demand may be. It being the evening of the month ly church conference, we met the brethren at their house of worship and at the close of the exercises, at the request of the paster, gave them a short floor talk. We found the church in quite a healthy, growing condition. Scarcely a conference meeting passes at which there are not some additions to it. Perhaps there is not in Ala bama, or elsewhere, a more compact, efficient organization than the Selma Baptist church. This has been its his tory for many years, and unquestiona bly it will lose nothing of its moral and spiritual power under its present pastor. Dr. C. has literally grown into the position he fills, for the old homestead where he was raised is only seven miles from Selma, and his hon ored-father,deacon Carter Cleveland,is a household word all over South Ala abama. His recent connection with the Alabama Baptist as its chief edi tor, has rather increased than dimin ished his hold upon his church and the citizens of Selma. Under his edi torial supervision the paper is rapidly winning its way to the confidence and patronage of the denomination all over the State. Its present circula tion is largely in excess of any period in its past history. Much of this is due to the quiet, persistent energy and business qualifications of his associate partner, brother West, who takes up on himself the management of all its business affairs. We only wish they had, what they ought to have, and what, by prudent and efficient man agement, they will have in a few years, ten thousand subscribers. Ex cuse us if we say that with wise and energetic agencies,with such a corps of writers as the State can furnish under the direction of the present editor-in chief, and with brother West to manage its finances, we would not hes itate to insure such a circulation in less than five years. Lay your dam ages high, brethren, and if you do not get all you ask for, you will get more than if you had asked for less. On Friday night we attended the Methodist house of worship, and lis- tened to three addresses by Drs. Mark Andrews, J B. McFerrin, of Nashville, and C. K. Marshall, who had attended the Ecumenical Conference of ail Methodist denominations in the world recently held in London. As we listened to those worthy men de tailing the incidents of that great oc casion,we were made to feel as we never felt before that the Methodist element is one of the grandest factors now in operation in the evangelization of the world. It is due to candor and truth to say this, and we say it with grati tude to the Master for blessing the world with so devoted, earnest, work ing Christians as our Methodist breth ren are. We bid them God’s speed in winning souls to Christ and ma turing the piety of saints for the bliss of heaven. When all of us shall have done all we can do in this field of the world, alas, how much will remain un done ! On Saturday afternoon we took the train for Montgomery and by a little after six o’clock we were at the door of our old friend, Dr. H. A. Howard, so many years one of our deacons in Tuskegee, where we met such a greet ing ! Well, it boots not the reader to to know how many pleasant hours we spent in this family, and how many memories of bye-gone days were re called in that family circle. All his children were present, enjoying a fam ily re-union. His oldest son, Joseph, is the pastor of the Adams’ Street Bap tist church, beloved and honored by his charge. Having to preach for the First church on Sunday morning, how ever, we took quarters for the night with its pastor, Dr. Woodfin, who re ceived us with true Virginia hospitali ty, being a son of the Old Dominion. We had never got close to brother Woodfin before, having met him only at long intervals at our larger denomi national gatherings, and once at our 'Alpine church ; and we must say that like old wine, he greatly improves on acquaintance. His church is greatly attached to him, and his influence in the city is constantly growing. He adorns his pulpit, not so much with the flashes of genius as with the sol id, well thought out truths of God’s word, which are essential to lead sin ners to Christ, and develop the piety of Christians. In all these respects, he is the peer of any pastor we have in the’State. We occupied his pulpit at 11 o’clock Sabbath morning, and, although it was a gloomy day, the congregation was large, filling over two-thirds of their vast audience room. As we do not claim, in these latter days, to be anything more than a country preacher, the reader may judge of their courtesy to us when we say that they endured with considera ble patience our forty-five minutes’ sermon to the end. On Sunday night we preached for the Adams’ Street Baptist church, a church by the way, to which we had devoted half of our time some years ago, until they could do better. We lived in the up country, and travelled back and forth by rail. As above sta ted, our young brother Joseph Howard is the pastor of this church. He is one of our Seminary boys, sound to the core on all questions; and promi ses to take a high stand among his brethren. In piety, native intellect and culture, he is equal to any task the sacred calling may impose. We need scarcely add, that we greatly en joyed the opportunity of meeting our old charge on this occasion. Their many expressions of good will, of kind ly sympathy in our work, and of ten der solicitude for our future prosperi ty, were not a little grateful to us. Monday Dr. Woodfin placed himself and his buggy at our disposal, and we made many calls upon old friends. Indeed, it was to us about as pleasant a day as we remember to have enjoyed for years. With a companion at our side, the incarnation of all the kindly generosities of Christian love, keeping us up to our highest ‘mettle by his sol id sense and ingenuous humor—with the many cosy chit-chats we had with old friends on whom we called during the day—with the substantial evi dences they gave us of their apprecia tion of the work in which we are en gaged—it may well be supposed that the memory of that day will long lin ger in onr heart. We can only say of the whole trip that it has bSen almost like a perpetual ovation. We bless God that there are some things about us that never grow old. Mutual love for each other, founded in love to our adored Redeemer, is rather intensified than diminished by age. ATLANTA, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 188 2. Tuesday morning we left Montgom ery, and in the evening arrived at our daughter’s residence where we now write, and where we propose resting a day or two so as to take in our regu lar appointment at Alpine on our way home. We found our dear child upon a bed of affliction, but trust it will be temporary. We hope to reach home by next Monday, and find all well, our wheat all sowed, and every thing in good kelt. P. S. It has been said if one desires to find out the real import of a letter from a lady, we must look for it in a postscript. Just so with this rather long communication. We can give the real purport of our “trip to South Ala bama” in three or four lines. For “Beech-grove Chapel” we received from our Selma brethren and friends fifty dollars, and from our Montgomery brethren and friends something over one hunhred dollars. We shall never look at our new chapel when finished, we scarcely think, without recalling the timely benefactions of distant friends in Alabama and Georgia. We only need a little over one hundred dollars more to complete the work, and we cannot doubt it will be forthcoming. We have therefore commenced the work in good earnest, and hope to en ter the chapel by March or April next, where, should the Master permit, we propose giving a fair proportion of our time so long as we shall be able to preach anywhere. LONGING FOR IMMORTALITY. “Let us make a name,” said the peo ple to each other on the plains of Shi nar, soon after the flood, as they ad dressed themselves to the task of build ing a city and a tower that should “reach unto the heavens.” This is the common desire of most men, from the Alexanders of history down to the inzJ cendiary of the temple of Ephesus and" the murderers of Kings and Presidents. When it becomes a mania and takes a downward tendency, it is perhaps the most unscrupulous passion that ever stirs the human heart. Blind to every thing but the goal of its aspirations, no considerations of humanity, patri otism, or morality can interpose the weight of a cobweb to curb its fury. The carnage of the battle field, sacked and consuming cities, and desolated provinces, are the pictures that most delight its fiendish gaze—the groans of the dying and the sighs of hapless widowhood and orphanage are the mu-! sic that most charms its ear. It reads ■ in all this destruction of life and wealth, in the suffering and woe that mark its hellish career, its title deeds to the dis tinction it aims to achieve in history. With a conscience seared as with a hot iron, it is proof against all the moral artillery of heaven and earth combined, so that there is no crime it will not commit that will advance its infamous purpose. .Looking at the long roll of men in all ages who have, desecrated their lives to so ignoble a purpose, we have been astonished at the conduct of historians who have selected them above all others as the heroes whose character and conduct most deserve to be recorded. For what are the current histories of the world but a tissue of licensed crimes perpetrated by military desperadoes? How much better would it have been for the world, if their deeds had been remanded to that obscurity which they merited, and the noble deeds of worthy heroes had constituted the., sum and substance of such histories? Now, it is alike possible and praise worthy that this “longing after immor tality” may and can be directed to right objects. Christianity as well as the world has its heroes —men whose worthy deeds and pure character have placed their names on the highest roll of fame. And what is peculiar about their fame is, that time only magni fies its grandeur and biightens its lus tre. It is the saying of a profound thinker, that it is as much a decree of God as if it were written in so many words in the inspired Book, that “cre ators shall live and destroyers shall die.” The fame and name of Napole on will ever evolve a stench from which the wise and good will recoil with horror, while the carter of How ard will brighten with every rolling century as his philanthropy inspires like efforts to alleviate the sufferings of our wretched humanity. The Duke of Alva and his infamous master, Phil : ip If of Spain, will ever be regarded as j the incarnations of the most elabo ■ rate deceit, cruelty, and savage bar . barity the world has ever known, while Calvin and Knox will inspire an ever increasing veneration as Christianity expands its sublime mission. How many readers cannot call the name of the king of England who sat upon its throne while old John Bunyan was writing his immortal allegory in the jail of Elstow, to whom the illustrious dreamer is as familiar as a house hold word. A certain Roman ruler once said, with an air of superla tive indifference, not to say contempt, in reporting the case of Paul to Ag rippa, as he stood accused of the Jews, “Against whom [Paul] when the ac cusers stood up, they brought none ac cusation of such things as I supposed : but had certain questions of their own superstition, and of one Jesus who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.” Yes, and that “one Jesus” has given to that one Festus the only place he fills in history. That “one Jesus” lives forevermore, and heaven and earth are filled with his fame, while that one Festus is “dead and eaten of worms.” The only immortality to which we can worthily aspire, is that immortal ity that connects our destiny with that of our glorified Immanuel. This glori ous name only can rescue us from a fate more intolerable than inanity. He only can fit us for that career of glory, honor, and immortality, which ! befits our highest nature, and which is I to crown the whole work of redemption, i Securing this, it matters little whether we spend our earthly pilgrimage in i the rags of a Lazarus or the robes of roy i alty. Failing in this, no matter if we i could sway the sceptre of all the Cae sars, we shall be consigned to “shame i and everlasting contempt.” Ruhama Baptist Church.—We have . just received an invitation to give a monthly appointment to this church. ; It is one of the oldest, as it is one of ‘the best country churches in Alabama, a church to which the sainted Hosea Holcomb, our Alabama historian, once preached. Last year it shared the min istrations oft Wat good man Dr. Hen don. Many of its members are among our oldest and best friends, and although it is at some considerable dis tance from us, we cannot find it in our heart to say no. As we shall reach it by the railroad, it will not be much more than the equivalent in fatigue of twelve or fifteen miles by private con veyance. The church is about six miles from Birmingham, and is situa ted in one of the most thrifty farming neighborhoods in the State. The Religious Press. You see that oak tree. What a splen did object it is, from its leafy top down to the very root. You observe its fair proportions, its gnarled branches, which it stretches forth to the storm. Now ex amine the oak. Explore it from the top all the way down to the ground. But now you must stop, for you cannot see any further. Suppose, however, that | the opaque earth should become trans parent, so that you could see what was going on down below. Wnat would you see? You see another tree. Above, a tree of branches; below, a tree of roots. And the tree above depends on the tree below. If there are strong, wide-reach ing branches above, it is because there are great roots below. So Christian to 1 > must depend on the secret roots of j prayer. This illustration of a vital truth, we : take from a sermon by Rev. Edward i Judson, preached over again in the | National Baptist. It is only habitual ! communion with God in prayer that i establishes and maintains the connec- j tion of human instrumentality with ! the currents of divine efficiency; and only when thus connected this effici-' ency sets that instrumentality to work and itself works through it. The Connecticut Bible Society has can vassed 65,559 families, and found 1,493 Protestant families without Bibles, and 11,753 who don’t go to church. The Con gregational denomination is the most numerous, containing 17,220 families. The Roman Catholic comes next, with 15,315; then the Methodist, with 12,309; the Episcopalian, with 9,907; and the Baptist with 6,202 There are only 131 Unitarian families in the State: but there are 5,153 that represent themselves as having “no preferences.” Rev. Mr. Pentecost, of New York, who was once a Baptist, and who is now we do not know exactly what, speaking of our brother Pendleton, of Landmark reputation, says: Dr. Pendleton, like all Close-Commun ion Baptists, is prolific oi assumption. Is this a roundabout way of calling Dr. Pendleton a liar? Whether it be so or not, the charge is certainly a very sweeping one. Considering that there are more than two millions of “close-communion” Baptists in the United States, is there not a little “as sumption” and also somewhat of pre sumption, in making such a wholesale statement? Would not greater atten tion to the law of Christian courtesy increase Mr. Pentecost’s usefulness? The gentleman just named gives (as reported by the Independent) the following account of some incidents in his ministry: “I have had but two infants presented for consecration since I have been here. In both castslhave distinctly disavowed infant baptism and administered the rite of consecration, never using the word baptism in the service. Ido not believe in infant baptism, but do believe and practice infant consecration, when pa rents so desire it. “On the contrary, about one hundred have been added to the church on con fession of faith in the past year, one-half of whom have been immersed, the other half sprinkled. ‘'Believer’s baptism and infant consecra tion is our practice.” Mr. Pentecost set out on the open communion train, and here is where he has landed! The prayer meeting has ceased to be a part of toe lives of active men. It is kept up, if at all, in a perfunctory way. It is attended principally by women and very young men ; and, for good or for evil,has ceased to be an active force in the community. For more more than two centuries in this country it was the pivot of religious life in the denominations of greatest influence and widest member ship. By it revivals were begun and fostered; in it laymen exercised that direct influence on the religious life of the community which is the strong characteristic of Presbyterian, Congre gational and Methodist communions; through it clergymen came in close per sonal contact with their flocks. But it has ceased, and the church and the friends of the church must feel deep doubt whether its disappearance is simply a change in the modes of religi ous thought, or a sign that faith in a per sonal God is waning among men.— Phi'a delphia Press. Christians who neglect the prayer meeting ought to be shamed and startled by this language. Their fault is so marked and so wide-spread as to embolden men of the world to speak of the prayer-meeting as dead and to question whether even faith in God is not dying too. Ought not members of the church who can read these things indifferently and persist in this neglect, to enquire seriously and anx iously if they themseves may not be dead—dead spiritually “though they have a name that thay live?” Melancthon gives a golden rale for the conduct of life when he says that “to shun «in is to shun the occasions of sin.” To him who comprehends its meaning, this aphorism is self-evident. No sane man will dare affirm the contrary, and say that the occasions of sin may be de liberately trifled with or indulged,except with the almost infallible certainty of committing the sin itself. When virtue 1 consents even to hold a parley with temp- ; tation, it betrays the secret working of an inclination to surrender. When it enters into temptation by compromising its loyalty in the smallest degree, it sub mits to be bound by evil inclination, as , Samson was bound by the withes of Delilah. — lhe Methodist. No man truly prays against sin who I does not pray against temptation. No ' man truly hates sin who does not hate i temptation when known as tempta-. tion. To guard against temptation is j the supreme wisdom; and Christ put i that wisdom into the prayer he framed i for his people. They must have some queer men in the Congregational ministry in Connec ticut. Last week we recorded a resigna- ; tion because the pastor wanted to invite I all that loved the Lord Jesus to the com- i munion table, and the church wanted to i limit it to members of evangelical ; churches. Now we are told the pastor of another Congregational church in Connecticut used the revised version of ! the New Testament in his pulpit. The officers of the church sent him a written notice to return to "‘St. James version.’ 1 I Whereupon, disgusted by the dense and hopeless ignorance of his leading mem ■ bens, he resigned.—Baptist Weekly. Saint James! We suppose this is I the first time that the pedantic son of Mary Queen of Scots was ever called | Saint James. All this happened in ! i Connecticut —that land of church-) goers, Sunday-schools, free-schools, good morals and general intelligence! i It seeems too, that the Congregation-! j alists, who find so much fault with I “close-communion” are beginning to practice it themselves. Well. Rev. Dr. Charles Howard Malcolm, of i Ruode Island, lately a minister of the ■ Baptist church, was ordained on Wed.- nesday last to the priesthood in the i Protestant Episcopal Church. The cere I mony took place at Grace church, in VOL. 60.—N0. I. this city, and was conducted by Bishop Clark, of Rhode Island. There was a large attendance of clergv and a hearty welcome was given to Dr. Malcolm. — Christian at Wo-I. He took the open communion train; | and has landed in Episcopacy. Dr. Toy took the partial inspiration train, and has not landed'yet but is trav elling rapidly. A favorite text with our old grand father, of honored memory, was this : “Thus saith the Lord, stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.” Jer. 6 : 16. The remainder of the verse is as follows • “But they said we will not walk therein.” Those who thus spoke have their successors at the I present day. And this suggests to us ; another passage, in Jer. 18. 15 : which is as follows: “Because my people hath j forgotten me, they have burned in cense to vanity, and they have caused j them to stumble in their ways from I the ancient paths, to walk in paths in away not cast up; to make their land desolate and a perpetual hissing ; ev ery one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and wag his head.” What a wagging of heads there would be, and what a desolation, what an as tonishment, and what a hissing if we Baptists should follow the lead of some whose “less” has been greatly mourned. We think that the loss of them was our gain. And here is something worthy’ to be considered by the temperance peo- I pie, and also by the temperate people i and also by the intemperate, and by all other persons. Fair tests of the value of total abstin ence from alcoholic drinks are much to be desired. An English life insurance company has furnished one of great value. It has a temperance section and a general section. Into the first it ad mi'/s only persons who have been total abilainers tone years. This test is not applied in the general section. For the fifteen years 1866 1880, the expected deaths in the general section (according to the rules in use for ascertaining the expectations of life) were 3,743, and the actual deaths were 3,744. In the temperance section, according to the same rules the expected deaths were 2,184, and the ac uai deaths only 1,566 —that is to say 618 less than the deaths to be expected under the genet al rules. This shows a saving of life equal to nearly thirty per cent, for the whole period. This seems to us to present a fajr test of the value of total abstinence. To be sure, no one would question the destructive power of excessive drinking; but the general section is not made up of excessive drinkers. Men of such habits are excluded from the general section. It is, therefore, a comparison between total abstinence and what is called “moderate drinking.” The Methodist. The same paper says : About 4,000 pastors take and read lhe Methodist. We presume they think it as suitable for their people as for them selves. We should be glad to have that many Baptist pastors take The Index. If a man desires to throw off the faith of his fathers and preach a different i theology and another philosophy of human salvation, it is idle to say that he is persecuted. He mat- be required to 1 leave the church, which he is rending asunder. His old friends may not be willing to be ecclesiastically responsible j for his new gospel. But he is neither driven to prison nor to want. The whole ; unchurched community at once admits him into full fellowship and rushes to his support. He suffers no social or ’ religious ostracism. He becomes one of ; the most noted men of the community at once, and his pulpit is the attractive i centre for crowds. No religious dis i course is more popular with city crowds than the violenttattacks upon traditional ; faith and bitter criticisms of orthodox ' Christianity. All the efforts to sustain I the long accepted belief of the church i are affirmed to be simply bigotry and sectarian narrowness. Because the whole body of the ministry does not at \ once accept the “new light” and openly ■ disclose it, it is declared hypocritic, lacking the courage of its opinions and ' afraid of the possible loss of the daily A bread.—Zion’s Herald. jr The world may say what it pleasesfc- ■ but when men who claim to be Bap-' ! tists, and who are claimed to be such I by their friends, proclaim or practice ! principles which are not Baptist, The Index will “withdraw its fellowship” i from them, and take the conseqences. Every church should promptly do the same in the case of any of its mem , bers who go astray.. Mrs. T. P. Crawford, for some thirty f years a missionary in China, has been ? driven to this country by enfeebled ’ health, and is now visiting her kindred in Mississippi. Her mother, eighty n four years old, is still living.