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INFIDELITY.
Permit me to thank you for your very able
and scholarly editorial on Infidelity in a re
cent issue it should be attentively studied
or committed to memory by your readers.
From the death of Diocletain the animus
of Infidelity has been the same as that of
Paganism and Polytheism previously. Inti
delity, systematic and wine spread—open
and avowed, under the guise of philosophy,
of science, of religion, of benevolence, of
moral, social and political reform, has now
In its service genius, learning, wealth, sta
tion and eloquence Neverdid it exbibit more
statagem, boldness and malignity of pur
pose. and never were its movements against
Christianity so insidious, varied, compli
cated and rancorous as now. And yet,
under such leaders as Hobbes and Hume,
Oibbon and Bilingbroke, Huxley andTyn
dal, Clifford and Spencer and Bradlaw, of
England; Voltaire and R msseau, D' Alim
bert and Renau. of France, Strauss and Baur
and Heckel, in Germany; Paine, Parker,
and Ingersoll, of our own country, how lit
tle has it accomplished?
True it has made attacks upon the Bible
in all possible shapes, upon its historical
statements, upon its chronology, upon its
doctrines, upon the church of Christ, upon
the character and teachings of Christ.
Learned lives of Jesus have been written in
order to discredit the Savior. Strauss and
Renau and Colenso have probably done all
in this direction that human taleut, and ge
nius and critical skill can accomplish, and
yet what has the combined eff jrt of infi
delity accomplished? Have they check
ed the progress of Christianiiy? Have
they made it an object of ridicule and
cooeupt? Have they ; brought such
■discredit upon the word of God that
it is no longer being translated and print
ed a d circulated ad lo e 1 and
and studied and believed and made the rule
of faith and practice by the best portion of
-every civilized lai.d and nation? 0.1 the
contrary; there were never before so many
believers in the Bible as now. There has
never been half as much thorough, system
atic, intelligent and devout study of the Bi
-ble in any period of the churche’s history as
during the last ten years. There has never
been so much ztal and energy in translating
the Holy Scriptures into so many languages,
and in circulating them among so many
nations as during the last twenty years
And should the disciples of Christ entertain
fears that Infidelity is about to “engulpb
the Christian world.” More than a century
ago Voltaire rj, h sied tha‘ within one hun
dred years the Bible would be an obsolete
book, would be out of print, and that the
nineteenth centurv would only know Chris
tianity as a delusion of the past.” But on
ly a few months ago the whole of the
New Testament was printed in the Times
office, of Chicago in one night, and to day
there are more Bibles, more churches, more
Sunday schools, more teachers of the Sacred
Word more children receiving instruction
more believers in Christ and defenders of
( bnstianity, more works of faith and labors
■of love, than there ever were since Christ
tion On thß ° rOSS f ° r the world ' s redem P-
Why, fearing Christians, do you not know
that in the very room near Geneva, where
Voltaire wrote this prophecy, not long ago
there was a cargo of Bibles stored, reaching
from floor to ceiling? And only three years
ago when the Evangelical Alliance wasin
session at Berlin, there was a very remarka
ble meeting of some of its most prominent
members in the old palace in Pottsdam
They were shown into a room where Vol
taire studied and wrote a portion of bietin
fidel works,and where he and Frederic, ofrer
one hundred years before, conceived they
were about th overthrow Christianity. In
this very room these men of God met to
consult about the best means of spreading
the Gospel over the world.
Christians, fear noi! for infidelity never
holds sway over human thought, except as
a usurper. Error is a convertable term for
decay. Falsehood and death are synonyms
Infidelity can gain no permanent foothold
in the immortal soul, for there can be no
abiding or real faith except in that which
is eternally and universally true.
The future of the world will never pro
duce a race of Infidels, And their preva
lence now is only a sad proof that the great
thinkers of the church have not done their
whole duty—proof of some ill understood
truth—some mistaken direction of the
mind—some partial and imperfect view of
creation.
But we have not so much to fear from
the writings of Hobbes and Hume, and Gib
bon and their continental interpreters us
from the wily works of Darwin, Huxley,
Tyndal, Clifford and others. But these pre
tentious scientists have all been met on
their own field by men fully their equal in
intellectual powers and more than their
equal in the variety and breadth of their at
tainments.
"When such men as Agassiz and Hodge
and Lewis and McCosh and Mark Hopkins
and the Duke of Argyle have gone over the
field, we may be quite certain that little in
deed is left for those who may follow them.
There is, however, a line of argument
mostly untouched, perhaps an Infidel would
call it a line of assertion, and that is for the
church to abandon all scientific wrangling
with these vain men who declare there is
no God because they have never seen Him,
because He has never called upon them and
made Application for membership in their
Royal Society.
Now, God has given us the exact mental
measurement of all such men, and why
should Christians stand with hands clasped
on their breast meekly listening and fearing
while they declare there is no God, the Bi
ble is a lie and our faith is a delusion?
Where is Christian faith and manliness?
Why not answer as Dr. Boyington has said
not with argument but with an assertion
which rests upon the authority of God, and
is therefore better than an argument' ‘ The
fool hath said in his heart there is no God.”
God knows far better than we do how to
deal with man. He knows that in spite of
all efforts .’man will turn and cling to an
authority higher than hie own. When this
authority is firmly asserted he will treat it
with some degree of respect.
The Scribes and Pharisees argued and dis
puted: Christ taught as one having authon
ty, ' He did not. argue; he asserted in the
name of God. Tuerefore the people heard
Him.
x- Let these nven have their say. Let them
all their high-sounding arguments
TKp show there is no God, and let Christians
Jweply, thus saitli the Lord, ‘ The fool hath
* said in his heart there is no God, and let
4he word of God stand against the assertion
mau '” Let none imagine that if the
OTgrch assume this high attitude that these
would conquer the world. Not so,
>jM!fcJ*Mer. I believe that ifthe church
fgyy?had been courageous enough to
treatedth<sen e i with ju-t hitcarnand
flrld in the Bible, and if it
- ' iJSSb P*«eented simply with courage
J? ot in a P ers ecuting spirit,
j|ffi;Wpuid have been more weakened
rtfie masses than by all the opposing
" 5 nt 88 may have
*' a THmor' thrive under argu
withere i;> the breath of the
Huxley, Tyndal
■Hpßy of materialists are
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST: THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 1882.
learned in tbeir special departments to
which they have devoted themselves, but I
assert with all confidence the humblest
Christian is wiser than they; that he has en
riched his mind with nobler thoughts than
theirs, with a science far more profound —of
greater breadth and higher reach than
theirs; with holy faith in a personal God,
witli the knowledge of the origin, meaning
and destiny of this grand, glorious universe,
the creation of man, his relation to God and
law here and a nobler life hereafter.
Would it not be wise for us instead of try
ing to frame on the lower level of scientific
argument, to take the higher ground of the
Bible, that the wisdom of this word is fool
isness with God, and that only ‘‘the fool
hath said in his heart there is no God.”
Let the church remain calm in the repose
of conscious strength and Christ will ulti
mately show her how to claim and use for
her own benefit every fact which science
can discover,until it is made clear that not a
single fact in the universe can be made to
discredit Christ or contradict his word, and
tbe cnurch, victorious over all, shall stand
forth stronger for tbe battle, purer and
more glorious because of her trials, and re
ceived as ‘the pillar and ground of truth”
by all the nations of earth. 8 F.
Picolato, St. Johns County, Florida,
Dec 10 h.lBBl.
THE INDIAN WORE.
I ought to write to you thanking you for
the regular visits of vour excellent paper,
which I appreciate very highly. The senior
editor, as well as the others, will excuse me
for saying the Alabama departmrnt is of
special interest, because Dr. Henderson, its
editor, was one of my companions in boy
hood. How we love to live over the past,
when that past was pleasant. Brother Sam
—as I used to call him, is not in the habit
of alluding to his early life like many old
men, for he knows that young people soon
grow weary of such allusions ; but he must
excuse me for saying the year of
OUR JUBILEE
is at hand. We will not sound a trumpet
about it, as the old law prescribed, but we
will just let our brethren know that we feel
good over having spent seven weeks of years
as Baptists in the service of our kind Master,
and that we “feel no way like getting tired.”
We have never repented that we j lined
the B iptists when we were so young; and
if we had an indulgence to live our lives
over again, we would not diminish aught of
either laboring or suffering for Christ. Our
Heavenly Father has treated us tenderly and
kindly all the time; and our only regret is
on account of our unprofitableness. Further
I must not speak for him, but for myself.
For myself I often look back to that revival
in 1832 and wonder if sinners are so deeply
convicted for sin now as we were then? and
if new born souls are as happy now as they
ere in those days ? Why are manifests
tions of a change of heart so much less de
monstrative now ? Is it because the way of
life is made plainer, so that sinners do not
have so much trouble in finding it? Is it
because the world is so conformed to tbe
church, that the transition is not so great?
These questions often occur to me away out
in the Indian country; but I do not know
that they occur to brother Henderson.
Ofouethingl am sure; that was a day
of great grace ; and I have abundant reason
to thank God that I was brought in to Christ's
fold just at that time and precisely in that
way. It seems to me I would not now be
satisfied if my convictions for sin bad not
overwhelmed me and weighed medown as
an intolerable burden ; and if, when that
burden all at once was removed by some
power independent of me and all my friends,
I had not felt a peace and a joy wholly un
like and above all that I had ever before ex
perienced.
As it is, the writings of infidels and semi
infidels, the new theories set forth by m»n of
“advanced thought," as well as the doubts
that some preachers called Baptists, try to
create in our miuds in reference to the full
inspiration of tbe Bible, are all no more than
an idle wind to me. What I know, I know;
and what I have felt and experienced in my
own heart is as convincing to me, and as
satisfactory as the answer to any problem in
mathematics that has been solved by an in
fallible rule.
How wonderfully has the Lard dealt with
us! My venerable father still lives, who
more than 49 years ago, led Dr. Henderson
and myself down inlo the baptismal waters!
not at the same time, but nearly so. I think
the editor of the Alabama department of
The Index was baptized a week or a month
before I was. I know that when I was a
“ mourner” I applieed to him to teach me
tbe way. Please excuse this old fashioned
talk, which I wish—like other old lashions —
might be revived.
The cause of Indian missions—for I must
come to that—needs help right now. We
have but two Baptist meeting houses along
the line of the railroad all the way from
Kansas to Texas. Other denominations have
houses in all the railroad towns. The Board
at Marion should have
A CHURCH EDIFICE FUND.
Brethren should contribute to our Board for
this special object. The Indians are leaving
their bush arbors and are building houses
of worship; but they shun railroad towns
that are made up of white peopte. Mining
towns, with people in them from all nations
are springing up and growing rapidly along
the Misouri Pacific railroad that runs through
the Nation from north to south. J. Gould
has obtained the right-of-way for an east and
west road, and that means an early comple
tion. The San Francisco road has also ob
tained the right-of way through the Choctaw
Nation. About 2000 white people are work
ing at McAlister mines, 300 are working at
Savannah, as many, perhaps, near Atoka;
and soon a mighty wave of immigrants will
break upon these Indian shores. What will
we do for them ? Let us first build houses
of worship in the railroad towns and then fill
their pulpits. We should have a special
missionary for them. The Indian mission
aries now have all they can do. I am tempt
ed to write more, but I have said enough for
your present meditation Excuse me, breth
ren editors, for I have left you in pursuit of
your readers generally.
H. F. Buckner.
Eufaula, Creek Nation, Dec. 13th, 1881.
Why should not the banner church
in giving to Foreign Missions have the
privilege of nominating the president,
the standard bearer, at the May meet
ings? Who could be more worthy of
the office than a pastor who keeps the
holy {lame burning the brightest ? If
there were a struggle for the place, by
this plan, it would be an honorable
rivalry, a provoking to good works, and
would forever put an end to bidding
and lobbying for the position.
The Maori Christians of New Zea
land are very active in supplying
churches for themselves. Six new
churches, all built at their own ex
pense, were opened in different dis
tricts last year, and three or four oth
ers are in progress.
Money spent on myself may be a
mill-stone about my neck: money
spent on others may give me wings
like the eagles.— Rev. R. D. Hitchcock,
D. D.
JOTTINQS BY THE lI'A Y.
Since my last I have traveled so far, visited
so many places, and seen so much that I
would like to write you about, that I scarcely
know whereto begin However, here goes
to tell you what I can: After leaving Atlan
ta I made a rapid trlpover the Heorgta rail
road, stopping fiist at Stone Mountain. And
now lam within nine miles of the place of
my nativity, my parents residing at that
• time in the good old county of Gwinnett
tn childhood many happy hours did 1 spend
roaming over the grand old mountain that I
now see just yonder. All the old families
are gone away from here now, and no one
that 1 meet knows me. Business over. I
wandered to near the foot of the mountain
and lived over again, in memory, the happy
days of yore. Here I brought rny wife on
our bridal tour twen'y-seven (27) years ago.
it seems but yesterday. Th« excellent hotel
where we w re so handsomely entertained
was long since destroyed by lire.
But 1 must be off—by freight train at night
to Conyers, where I spend a tew hours, and
then go on to Monroe, Walton county, one of
the most plessaut places I have visited In all
of my travels. And no where have I met a
more accomodating railroad official than
Mr. Smith, the conductor on the Monroe
train. His kindness tome on this trip I
shall not soon forget. I had but a lew hours
time lu Monroe—none to spare for pleasure—
but it was my good fortune to meet a num
ber of brethren at'his point whom I had
never met before. Back to Social Circle,
where (as has ever been the case with me at
this point) I spent a pleasant time truly.
As usual I stopped at the Echols House, one
of the very best kept hotels In all the laud.
The table js unsurpassed, the rooms neat and
tidy and the beds tit for kings and princes.
This may seem extravagant language, but I
mean every word I say. It Was prayer meet
ing night at the Baptist church. Rain com
menced tailing justatthe hour forassem
bling and not very many were out, but the
spirit of the Lord was there, as I b.-lleve and
we had a precious hour. A number of tbe
brethren accompanied me back to the hotel
where we spent the remainder of the even
ill: in delightful social lutercourse.
Next at Madison, where I again had a good
time with brethren Burney, Norton and
others I took tea with brother Burney and
family. In my Jourueylngs I am so olten re
minded of tbatSeripture ‘-Behold bow good
and how pleasant It Is for brethren to dwell
together In unity” etc. I lett Madison for
Greensboro about midnight, and arrived at
that place about 2 O’clock a. m. Here I
was greatly pressed for time, and could stop
but for a few minutes with each brother that
1 met an J then passed on. Thence to Un
ion Point. Afters transacting my business I
went up to our good brother Dr. M M. Lan
drum's, where, after spending adellghful
evening, I got a good night's rest until 4
o'clock a. nr., when I had to leave for Ath
ens. Here (at Athens; our good brother
Campbell greatly assisted me in my work.
The North Georgia Conference ol tlie ME.
Church, South, wasin s sslon, and I had the
pleasure of witnessing their deliberations
for an hour or two. I often wish that tbe
Baptists were half the workers the Metho
dist- are, It is to our shame n at we are not
The North Georgia Conference contains
many noble Christian workers and able
ministers. This morning tbe Conference
was endeavoring to raise $3,00a for Emory
College, an 1 they did not stop untd the
amount was subscribed Bishop McTier was
in the chair, and aline presiding officer he
is. 1 was told by a member of the Confer
ence Unit he is the ‘Dr. Mell of the Methodist
church.” And ibis reminds raeofthe pleas
ant dining at our Dr. Mell's that day. Among
the guests were Rev. Dr Evans, Col. Wler
Boyd, Judge McCutcnln, Bev. Thos. F. Pierce
and others whose names I cannot now re
call—all of tile North Georgia Conlerence. I
bad often seen our beloved bi other presiding
with that distinction, which characterizes
him, over the Georgia and 8 >u hern Baptist
Conventions, but never before over a dining
party In his own happy home. 1 can scarce
ly decide in my own mind where lie appears
to greatest advant -ge. But let him be where
be may—presiding over a deliberative body
in the Chancellor's chair of the University of
Georgia, or at bls own fireside in the midst of
his charming family entertaining his guests,
tie is the same noble Christian gentleman
andjwell my Georgians delight to do him
honor.
I am greatly indebted to brother Camp,
bell for affording me many pleasures during
my brief visit to Athens. Truly this Is a
city set upon many hills, and a more fitting
site could scarcely nave been selected for
the seat of learning In Georgia. In the after
noon brother Campbell accompanied me on
an extended tour through some of the most
attractive parts of the city and closed with a
pleasant little tea party at his pleasant Home
early lu tbe evening, where I again meta
number of tbe members of the Conference
And thus closed my visit to Athens. M
At 7p. ml left for the Florida Baptist
Convention, the proceedings of which yon
have already published. But I propose giv
ing you a few ‘ jottings" from the land of gol
den iruit. (Not much flowers tbisseason of
the year.) I left Savannah for Ocala Tues
day noon by 8. F. A W. I rain (we used to call
It the Atlanta & Gull R. R. ) to Callahan,
where I had to remain over night. Thence
to Transit Railroad, arriving at Ocala
Wednesday evening. Brother Chaudoin ana
other brethren of tbecommittee on hospital
ity met ns (delegates and visitors) at the
train, and soon had us all comfortaoly quar
tered in pleasant homes Brotlur Chalker, of
LakeCity,and n yselt.were assigned to Dr. Al
reau’s, where we were grandly entertained
during the Convention. As I report tbe pro
ceedings In full I shad say nothing further
concerning this Convention, except tore
peat that it was one of the most pleasant
meetings I ever attended. I felt from the
first that we were going to have a good ses
sion, and the reason was this: Wednesday
night I attended prayer meeting at the
Methodist church, and earnest prayers were
sent up for blessings upon the Conventlo ' to
assemble next day. And Thursday morning
when I arrived at the Baptist church I found
a number ot brethren assembled In a devo
tional meeting praying for blessings upon
the Convention then about to assemble.
Hence, I was not surprised that we had such
a harmonious and pleas int session; fori be
lieve the blessings asked for came, and the
devil didn’t have much sbowlngabout there
The old villain is sure to be around whenev
er any good Is sought to be accomplished,
but when the Great Jehovah is asked to keep
him off He never falls to do It.
Ocala. Is a pleasant growing town, and is
soon to be quite a railroad centre I was told
that 11 is expected to be the Atlanta ot Fiori
da, I do hope that iis growth and future
prosperity may far exceed the expectations
of the noble citizens who now Inhabit it and
who so gener usly entertained us during our
four days’sbjouru In their midst
Monday morning found the train well filled
with delegates and visitors returning from
the Convention, a party of four of us, viz:
Rev. Dr, A. J. Battle, Rev. Dr. W. H. Mcln
tosh, Rev. W.N. Chaudoin and your humble
servant organized ourselves Into an explor
ingparty with brother Chaudoin as our
guide, to see something moreot this delight
ful country before our return home. We
stopped at Hamilton. Here brother C. in
troduced us to Dr. Johnson (a good Baptist)
and family. The doctor invited us to visit
his orange grove,which we did with a hearty
good wbl, and Dr. Battle and I each plucked
rrom the tree our first orange. It may have
been Imagination, but somehow that orange
did seem of finer flavor than any I had tasted
before. Well, we had a good time here, and
ate oranges until we wanted no more, for
that time at least.
From Hawthorn by narrow gauge railroad
to Palatka. Here we spent an hour or two
sight seeing and then embarked on the
sp.endld steamer Sylvan Glen. There are a
number of fine bo its plying betwren here|and
Jacksonville, and some of them going much
higher up the river than Palatka. But there
are two special rivals, the John Sylvester
and the Sylvan Glen—both splendid steamers
that run on the Hu Ison during the summer
and on the St. Johns during the winter.
And now they have Just had a race from
Jacksonville to Palatka, the Sylvesi er com
ing In four minutes ahead. The Glen comes
up gtandiy In tbe rear, lands her passengers,
takes on board others, and Is off again >n pre
cisely one minute. But scarcely Is she un
der way before the Sylvester Is pressing hard
after her. And now beglnssomethlng trulv
exciting—a real boat race (none of your
shams) between two splendid boats on this
magnificent river. The Glen Is perhaps fifty
yards in tbe lead when our party descends
lo dinner. Pretty soon we can feel our boat
quiver In every Joint. The Sylvester Is stain
ing on her and steam Is being Increased as
rapidly as possible, and as the steam would
be let on we could feel the boat putting forth
all its strength as if it were a thing ol life,
and tbe machinery groaning and creaking
In the mighty struggle for the mastery. But
on comes the more powerful rival until side
by side the two vessels plow through the
waves. I remember the tearful run on the
Mississippi many years ago when the Henry
Clay was blown up, and wish “they would
quit their foolishness." The glasses begin
to tumble from tbe table where we sit eating
dinner. Well, Dr. Mclntosh says be was
through eating,—wasn’t Irightened—didn't
wan’lany coffee ne way, and just went on
deck to see the Sylvester pnss us. That’s his
way of telling It now. Anyhow, he did not
stay until we were all through dinner. Now,
I confess I only drank about half of my cof
fee It was so hot, you know. For twenty
miles the two boats thus ran side by side
At last In reaching a landing ac dlislonseem
ed Inevitable And then Dr. Mclntosh says
the last hesaw of Dr. Battle he was rushing
for the upper deck, the skirts of his coat follow
ing at an angleofabout fori y-flvo degress. But
Dr. B. says he was only obeying the order to
‘‘clear the bow.” As for brother Chaudoin,
he was so much Interested In the rare that
he didn't seem tbe least bit frightened. But
you know that none of the rest of us had ever
been In a boat race before. Well, our boat
got beat, and I shall have to defer the re
mainder ofourtrlpto another letter, as I
know your space Is exhausted.
J M. G. Medlock.
THEATRE FIRES.
Thesecular papers are ever and anon,calling
upon the authorities to devise measures for
the safety of theatre goers, in cases of fires
or other accident. Having put themselves
upon record, they relapse into silence until
aroused by the next human holocaust, when
they again come to the front with divers sug
gestions for the protection of human life
against the fiery element.
But the aforesaid newspapers seem never
to inquire whe her there is not a manifest
impropriety in great multitudes crowding
into places of danger, with no higher motive
than simply to be entertained and amused.
Any sensible man, it would seem, ought to
know that a building crowded with a multi
tude of excited pleasure-seekers cannot be so
constructed as to insure safety to people al
ready half beside themselves with the craze
of the play, when made suddenly aware that
they are surrounded by tbe forces of the fire
king. The sad casualties which have car
ried sorrow to so many hearts, have not
been altogether owing to defects in burning
tleitres, but in part to the nature of the
amusements which so engross the attention
and excite the mind as to render it almost
impossible to prevent a panic when tbe cry
of fire is suddenly raised. The liability for
fires to occur at theatres is very great, and
when they do take place, it is not the want
of sufficient means of egress which causes
the trouble; but in almost every case, where
loss of life has followed, it has resulted from
the fact that the panic-stricken people, los
ing self-control, crowd each other so as to
effectually close the doors by which escape
might have been made easy, under the in
fl lenceof thoughtful deliberation
If people will not abstain from theatre
going upon high moral ground, the dictate
of self preservation ought to stand for some
thing in this connection. No class of public
buildings has made so sinister a record as
theatres, and this fact should stand as a
warning to those who are bent upou pleas
ure at all hazards.
Can it be regarded as superstitious to say
that God sometimes most singularly displays
His displeasure against those who, forgetting
their obligations, seek pleasure even at the
sacrifice of high religious principle ?
As Paul's friends entreated him not to
adventure himself into the theatre at Ephe
sus, so would the writer suggest to his breth
ren “to shun all appearance of evil" and
they will not be likely to feel the flames of a
burning play -house.
A Christian is not to shun danger, when
duty calls, but neither is he to tempt the
Lord by going into dangerous places when
his vocation does not demand bis presence
there. That a Christian is out of place at a
theatre is almost as certain as that be is in
place at the prayer meeting. H. C. H.
A MONTH IN TEXAS.
My first month ot pastoral work in this
city is now done; and it has occurred to me
that some of your readers would wish to
hear from this modern Venice—this ‘ Island
City” as it is often called—this city in the
sea. Through The I\dkx the tiding had
preceded us .of the deep sorrow that had be-i
fallen us in the loss of our darling child and
of the very great kindness of God’s people
to us in parting from them at Atlanta
j’Jqse tidinge bad opened the hearts of God's
people here, and so they worked to give us
glad welcome After a few pleasant days at
the Tremont House (the Kimball House of
Galveston) we were notified that tbe par
sonage was ready. Several hundreds of
dollars had been expended in making ita
delightful home for us, and besides this the
pantry bad been most liberally supplied
Since our coming everything has been done
that a considerate kindness could devise, to
assure us of a generous gladness for our
coming.
The congregations are large and solidly
augmenting; several have been received by
letter and one by baptism. The best of all
is that we have in cash and pledges over
thirteen thousand dollars toward the build
ing of a new house of worship. If during
this week we can secure some ten thousand
more we shall begin to build.
Two or three of our most prominent busi
ness men—not connected with our church—
go for us “on the strand" to day among our
liberal hearted capitalists. What a noble
way in which to spend the Christmas holi
day! A. T Spaldins.
Galveston, Texas, Dec. 26th. 1881,
In conversation with a friend, Ad
miral Farragut said: “When I was
ten years of age I was with my father
on board a man-of-war. I had some
qualities that I-thought made a man
vis me. I could swear like an old salt;
could drink as stiff a glass of grog as if
I had doubled Cape Horn, and could
smoke like a locomotive. I was great
at cards, and fond of gaming in every
shape. At the close of dinner, one
day, my father turned everybody out
of the cabin, and said to me: “David
what do you mean to be?” “I mean
to follow the sea.” “Follow the sea!
yes, to be a poor, miserable drunken
sailor before the mast, be kicked and
cuffed about the world, and die in some
fever-hospital in a foreign clime.”
-*No,” said I, “I’ll tread the quarter
deck and command as you do.” “No,
David; no boy ever trod the quarter
deck with such principles as you have,
and such habits as you exhibit. You’ll
have to change your whole course of
life if you ever become a man.” My
father left me and. went on deck. I
was stunned by the rebuke and over
whelmed with mortification. A poor,
miserable, drunken sailor before the
mast, be kicked and cuffed about the
world, and die in some fever-hospital!
That’s my fate, is it? I’ll change my
life, and change it at once. I will nev
er utter another oath, I will never
drink another drop of intoxicating liq
uor, I will never gamble. I have kept
these three vows to this hour. Short
ly afterwards I became a Christian.
That act was the turning-point in my
destiny.”
The difference between riding a
horse and riding a hobby consists in
this—that one can get off of a horse at
any time, but once on a hobby, a man
can never get off.
Missionary Department.
REV. J. H DeVOTIE. D.D„ I
REV. C. M. IRWIN. D.D., f Kallorß '
MISSIONARIES STATE BOARD.
J. H. DeVotlc, Atlanta, Ga.; C. M. Irwin, Mt.
Airy, Habersham, Rabun and White counties;
V. A. Bell, Ringgold. Whitfield and Chattooga
counties; Chas Edwards, Toccoa, Habersham
county; T. C. Tucker, Caasandria, Dade and Wal
ker counties; W. J. King, Nannie; P. A. Jessup,
Eastman, Dodge an 1 Telfair counties; A. C. Ward,
Brunswick; George A. Blount, Eden, Effingham,
Bryan and Liberty counties, D. G. Daniell, Wal
thourville ; J. H. Campbell, Columbus, Muscogee
coiin.'y; Alfred Corn, Blairsville, Towns county ;
T. C. Boykin, Atlanta, State of Georgia; Simeon
Maxwell, Talbotton. Talbot county ; W. B. Ben
net, Quitman ; W. V. Perdue, Valdosta ; G. H.
Washington, co!., Albany. Mitchell county; J. C.
Biyan, col., Americus, Schley, Lee and Dough
erty counties; Frank M. Simmons, col., Stone
Mountain; G. B. Mitehell, col., Forsyth; 8. A
McNeil, col., Quitman; M. Brigman, Augusta
REPORT OF CENTRAL COMMITTEE ON
WOMAN'S MISSION SOCIETIES.
W M S, Second Baptist churt-h, Atlanta, Foreign
Missions S 5 00
W M S. Quitman church, for Mrs. Guirey In
California.. 10 00
WM S, Dogwood ch, for Foreign Missions... 3 00
W M S. Fifth Baptist church, Atlanta, for
Chinese boy 3 75
Rosebud Society, Quitman church, for J.
B. Hartwell 5 00
♦26 75
Mrs. Stainback Wilson, P. C, C.
Mrs. A. C. Kinnoo, Cor. Sce’y,
MISSION REVIVAL.
Judging from the ability and earn
estness of our denominational press on
the subject of missions, and from other
indications, the signs of the times indi
cate a mission “reviva. as near at
hand, if not now at the door. For this
we feel to thank G>d. It is the most
hopeful sign we now see of life in our
chuches, as well as the surest prophecy
of their future growth and increase.
As soon as the church ceases to be mis
sionary in spirit and work, it is “dead,
thrice dead, plucked up by the roots.”
It has no reason to live. It has no
mission before it. The church is
Christ’s army. This is the essential
idea of its organization. It is not, was
not designed to be, a saving institution
for those who compose it, but to move
upon the world and save it. Its very
vital breath is aggressive. It must
fight, or die. When, therefore, it ceas
es to be missionary,, it is an army, like
Senocherib’s smitten by the destroying
angel—an army of dead men. We re
peat, therefore, the awakening spirit of
missions is a most hopeful sign, and
one for which “all the people” can
well be called on to praise God.
This revival, when it comes, will, of
course, inure to the benefit of all our
mission enterprises, State, Home and
Foreign. But, while this is true, it be
comes us to see to it that each receives
the prominence in o»r benefactions it
deserves. One should not be pushed
prominently forward at the expense of
the usefulness of others. Therefore,
while so much is being said of our For
eign Mission fields and workers, we
feel like saying a word as to Home
work, lest it be too much pushed to the
rear. And we do not thus speak, be
cause we think there is danger of do
ing too much for the heathen. We do
not think such a danger eminent, at
present, anywhere, much less in Ten
neesee. Nor, yet, because we are not
heart and soul, for Foreign Missions;
for we stand as ready to give our last
dollar to that cause, as any other un
der the sun. But, we speak in the in
terest of Foreign Missions, as well as
Home Missions, when we say, let us
not neglect to cultivate our home
fields. In our view, Home Missions
are a necessity to successful Foreign
work. Such work is basal. To neg
lect it, is to grind our seed com, and so
defeat all future generous harvests
abroad, as well as at home.
T<3 illustrate this point. In the ear
ly settlement of Texas, our Home Mis
sion Board at Marion, Alabama, sent
such men as Hutchins, Tryon, Creath
and others to capture the new-born
State for Christ, and for Baptists.
They did their work grandly, and, to
day, Texas is high in the rank of Bap
tist States. She is cultivating exten
sively her own rapidly expanding ter
ritory, and reaching over into Mexico,
with helping hand, and to Brazil with
saving power, besides other Foreign
work. Every “living stone” she puts
into Christ’s spiritual building in any
of these fields, is equally a stone in the
monument to the wisdom and forecast
of the Home Mission Board; and an
unanswerable argument for our posi
tion that the road to successful For
eign Mission work lies through Home
Mission territory.
Indeed this would seem to be so ob
vious as to go without saying; yet
many seem to think lightly of Home
Mission work, especially as prosecuted
under the auspices of the Home Mis
sion Board of the Southern Baptist
Convention. From the little that is
said of the work of that Board and the
small contributions made to it, it would
seem as if denominational sentiment
has remanded it to the rear, or was
saying, in effect, its work is either ac
complished or is unimportant. Surely
neither the one, nor the other is true.
That its work is not done, let the work
in the rapidly peopling Southwest,
which it only can do, among the In
dians, and among the Chinese in Cali
fornia, carried forward only by it, de
clare. No, its work is not done, nor
unimportant. We must evangelize our
increasing centers of population in the
Southwest, if we maintain our proper
advancement. We must give the
“bread of life” to the Indians, or stand
guilty before the Master at his coming.
We must Christianize the Chinese in
California, as the most successful
means of reaching, with evangelical
truth, and saving power, the millions
in China, itself. No< Southern Bap
tists have no more necessary work be
fore them to-day, than to amply sup
ply the cutlers of our Board.at Marion.
We deplore the apathy that has here
tofore paralyzed this right arm of our
power. Now, if we are to have the
long prayed for blessing, a mission re
vival, let us see to it that this long neg
lected, meagerly supported Board, has
the very first inspirations of this com
ing breath of life. Foreign Missions
are for clamoring aid, come to the res
cue. State Missions are imperative, send
our Board at Nashville immediate and
perpetual help. But above all, we say,
send generous aid to that Board, that
combines both Home and Foreign
work, our most important, interesting
and hopeful fields, the “Home Mission
Board,” Marion, Alabama. So we say,
and “let all the people say, amen.— Dr.
Motgomery in Baptist Reflecter.
APPEAL TO YOUNG MEN.
From all parts of the heathen World
requests are sent to the Boards of the
various churches at home for more
helpers, and the reply often is : “Few
men are offering lor the foreign fields,
and there are not enough ministers to
supply the vacant churches at home
and the demands of the great West.”
Why cannot lay members, therefore,
be sent to foreign fields? They are
employed in all departments of evan
gelistic labor in the United States, and
why could not a good elder or deacon
do the Lord’s work on this side of the
sea as well?
There is work to be done of all
kinds—teaching, touring, printing,
building, pioneering, and prospecting
for mines of richest ore; even precious
souls to be redeemed and purified and
made fit for the Master’s use. There
are schools and colleges to be estab
lished and native helpers to be train
ed in more things than just theology.
There is no reason why Christian
young men should not labor here the
same as young ladies do. They might
be ordained as evangelists, elders or
deacons, and thus have a defined po
sition in the mission. Or they might
come simply as teachers or helpers and
then hold themselves ready for any
good work.
There are hundreds of educated
young men in the United States who
might be engaged in mission work, and
we believe they would enter into, it
heart and soul too, if they only had a
chance. Why should young men be
kept at home because they have had
neither time nor money to take a the
ological course, while the door is
thrown wide open to young women
many of whom have never even grad
uated at any school? We know that
God blesses the work of these women
amd crowns it with success. Shall not
tlk'ir brother!} be share the
and blessing?
r'n many heathen lands boys “in
their teens” will not go to schools
taught by women. It is necessary to
have separate schools for them. Why
then should not Christian men be sent
to do the teaching which they will not
accept from women?
The Bible does not teach that no
man but a minister shall go forth to
the heathen, and because there is so
much that men who are not ministers
could do, is one urgent reason for their
presence.
We cannot wait for ministers to be
prepared. The cry is heard to-day,
“Come over and help us!” The col
leges have hundreds of graduates where
the theological seminaries have tens,
and not one of the college graduates
is even urged to go to the foreign field,
while the seminaries are besieged year
after year with scarcely a response.
The Young Men’s Christian Associ
ations employ men all over America.
Might they not send helpers across
the sea? These associations and the
valuable property they own are all for
the benefit of young men in lands al
ready filled with Christian churches
and schools. God bless them in their
noble work, and give them more and
more to work with. But what shall
be done by Christian young men for
the young men of heathen lands?
We hope the young man who reads
these lines will ponder them well, and
see if God does not intend him to be
come a foreign missionary.—Cor. of
N. Y. Observer.
A little Cherokee girl who was sick
and nigh unto death remarked to her
Christian mistress, “How long have
you known these things—that Jesus
loves us, and died for us”—she answer
ed. “OL a great while—always.” The
dying child with tears in her eyes
said, “and you never told us? My
mother and grandmother died with
out knowing Jesus, why did you not
come before and tell this great thing
to us so that they too could have known
the way of life?”
Why did you not come before?
This question is before the American
Church to-day. God forbid that she
should hear those words from the last
of a lost race.
An address has been presented by
the Australian Wesleyan General Con
ference to King George, of Tongay,
one of the oldest converts of the mis
sions to the Friendly Islands, a pow
erful Prince who has given all his in
fluence to Christianity, and who him
self labors in person as a local preach
er for its spread.