Newspaper Page Text
Have Yob W Last Weed’s
CHRISTIAN INDEX?
Tbea Read This Wears.
ESTABLISHED 1821.
. ©he ©hvietian sn&ex
3. CIMcMICHAEL. Proprietor.
of the Baptist Denomination in
Georgia.
Published Every Thursday at Atlanta, Ga.
Subscription Puce ;
One copy, one year $ 2,00
One copy, six months 1.00
One copy, three months 50
One hundred words free of
charge. For each extra word, ono cent per
word, cash with copy.
To Cokkbspomients —Do not use abrevia
tions; be extra careful in writ ingproper names;
write with ink. on one side of paper; Do not
write copy intended for the editor and busi
ness items on same sheet. Leave off personal
ities; condense.
Business.—Write alj names, and post offices
distinctly. In orderings change give the old
as well as the now address. The date of label
indicates the time your subscription expires.
If you do not wish it continued, order it stop
ped a week before, we consider each sub
'r scriber permanent, until he orders his paper
discontinued. When you order it stopped pay
up to date.
Rekhtaxces by check preferred; or regis
tered letter, money order, postal note.
CONVENTION OFFICERS.
As many of our readers have nev
er met personally the officers of the
Georgia State Baptist Convention, we
take pleasure in introducing them:
1 Rev. James Hines Kilpatrick, Pres
ident of the State Convention, was
born in Burke county, Ga., October
18,1833. He was reared in Rich
mond county, where the village of
Hephzibah now stands.
Though he is of rather a grave turn
* of mind, yet, there is a vein of cheer
fulness running through his disposi
v tion, that makes him a moat agreea
\ ble companion. As a student at the
/ Academy he was diligent and careful,
I rarely, if ever failing to do the work
j assigned him to the satisfaction of
| his teachers.
X He entered Mercer University in
t\ 1849, and was graduated in 1853,
r/sharing the highest honors of his class
( with John T. Clarke and Henry T.
C 5Vi nberl y.
x * *lTe made profession of religion
I while at Mercer in 1850, and was im-
J pressed from the beginning with the
X duty of giving himself to the gospel
,r ministry.
He was called to ordination by the
Baptist church at White Plains,
«
,w
, Greene county, and was ordained at
y Hopeful church, Burke county.
He succeeded Rev. V. R. Thorn
ton as pastor of the Baptist church at
White Plains in 1855.
Though he has given a ’ portion of
his time to other churches, his main
work has been at White Plains, hav
ing had an unbroken pastorate there
since he was first called.
Under hia care that church has
steadily grown in numbers, liberality,
and spirituality, while its pastor is as
strongly entrenched in the confidence
and affections to-day of its members
as he ever was.
He is a plain, simple, earnest
preacher of the gospel, thoroughly
sound in doctrine, an able expounder,
and a brave defender of Baptist prin
ciples. As a writer, ho is clear, for
cible and string.
He succeeded Dr. Battle as Presi
dent of the Baptist Convention of the
State of Georgia. As a presiding
j officer, he is prompt, impartial, dig
nified, and has shown himself “a mas
ter of assemblies.”
No minister in Georgia has led a
more uniformly consistent, consecra
ted life. IDs opinions are highly re
spected by the denomination and his
sound judgment relied on with great
confidence.
He has been thoroughly identified
with the great interests of Georgia
Baptists, religious and educational,
and though quiet and unobtrusive his
influence has been largely felt in their
development.
-J, - ■ *
Rev. George Robert McCall, Sec
retary of the Convention, wag born
in Scriven county, Ga., February 7th
1829. He descended from a line of
— -—■———- -
—>
worthy Baptist ministers, his grand
father, W m. McCall, of Revolutionary
fame, and his father, M. M. McCall,
both being Baptist ministers.
Our worthy Secretary graduated
at Mercer University in 1853, enter
ed actively into the ministry in 1855,
and served Richland church, Twiggs
county, 27 years, Hawkinsville 16
years, and Griffin church three years,
beside other churches.
He entered the State Convention
in 1853 and bus never missed a ses
sion, and has been Secretary since
1869. He is also Secretary and
Treasurer of Mercer University, and
Instructor of the Institutes of colored
ministers under the appointment of
the Board of missions. In this latter
responsible place he is discharging
one of the most important works in
' mV
which our denomination is engaged.
He is also filling the pastorate at
Louisville and Wadley.
In 1889, he was stricken with par
alysis, and great fears of future use
fulness were entertained, but his re
covery is wonderful and his friends
are much elated.
‘ As a preachr t, he lo’-es all Bible
truth, and presents Jt. as he finds it in
the Scriptures. His congregations,'
therefore, are well instructed in the
doctrines of the Bible. He loves
truth ardently and yet is tolerant to
ward those who differ with him.
Rev. F. C. McConnell, pastor of.
the First Baptist Church, at Gaines
ville, Ga., was born August 2, 1856,
in Clay county, N. C. While quite
young, his father moved to the beau
tiful Hiawasse Village. Here he
spent his boyhood days, attending the
village school, roaming over the
mountains and selling goods in his fa
ther’s store.
At the age of 11 years, he was con
verted to God and immediately united
with the Macedonia Baptist church.
The next event of importance in
his life, was his marriage to Miss Em
ma England, a pious young woman
of strong character who has been a
constant inspiration to him in all his
struggles to properly fit himself for
preaching the gospel.
It was in 188 g, while successfully
conducting a large mercantile bus
iness in Mt. Airy, Ga., that God
moved upon his heart, making him
feel his obligation to preach the gos
pel. The strftggle was fierce, but not
long. He yielded, and announced
his purpose to devote himself to the
work of the ministry. Entering the
Louisville Seminary in 1879, he spent,
with great profit to himself, three
years in that institution.
Returning home, he preached for
two years in Northeast Ga n as a mis
sionary of the State Board. -But feel
ing the need of a better education, in
1884, he entered the Freshman
class of Mercer University where he
remained four years, graduating in
June 1888. The following August
the First Baptist church at Gaiues-
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. APRIL 7, 1892.
ville, extended to him a call, which
heiaccepted, r itering upon his M'ork
in September.
As a preacher, Bro. McConnell
stands in the front rank of our Geor
gia ministry. While in the Semina
ry be was popular 1 as pastor of the
Baptist church in Jeffersonville, In
da. It was frequently remarked
among the .Seminary students that
he would be heard from in the fu
ture. During his college course, as
pastor of Eatonton and Harmony
churches, he was considered a gifted
and brilliant speaker. His brethren
in Gainesville delight to speak of him
as a prince among gospel preachers.
In addition to his pastoral work, he
has established the Hiawassee High
School which yearly, sends out to
bless the world, scores of educated
and consecrated young men and wo
men.
The denomination has more than
once honored this young divine by
electing him to positions of trust.
For several years, he has been Assis
sistaut Secretary of the State Con
vention ;he is a trustee of Mercer
University and Vice President for
Georgia of the Sunday-school Board
of the Southern Baptist Convention
We thank God for him and hope that
his achievements for the Master in
the future, may be still more splen
did till in a ripe old age, he shall be
gathered to his fathers.
CUBA
[The following letter from Brother
Diaz is in response to one written by
Dr. Tichenor, telling of our financial
straits. He also asked for informa
tion concerning the opening of sta
tions in other citiea us Cuba. A por
tion of the lettm? is marked “I’ri
hi t vze
just as it was wriftWZp
Havana, Cuba, Mar. 16, 1892.
Dear Dr I. T. TichenorYour
letter of March 9th is at hand. lam
extremely sorry to hear of the finan
cial depression of the board.
Do not worry about the missiona
ries in Cuba, the Lord will provide
for them—he has before, he will
again. We have some Spanish prov
erbs that meet this emergency, and
prepare us to cheerfully submit to
our fate. They arc as follows:
“When the sun rises it shines for all,
and when it rains we all get wet.”
No partiality is shown, and do you
remember Christ’s words in his ser
mon on the mount ?
“Why take ye thought for raiment ?
Consider the lilies of the field, how
they grow; they toil not, neither do
they spin, and yet I say unto you
that Solomon in all his glory was not
arrayed like one of these.” And the
beautiful hymn, “Oh do not be dis
couraged for Jesus is your friend.”
We ought to be very thankful, the
kind Savior has been very merciful
unto us, and he will not forsake us in
these time of perplexity. We have
been mercifully brought through this
season of “la grippe” safely where
it is with difficulty they are brought
back to the fold again with any regu
larity. The church is well attended;
we have good congregations on Sun
day, and Thursday, evenings, a lar
ger and more intelligent public at
tendance and more interest than us
ual prevails.
We cannot close our churches here
like you can in the States, evro for a
short period, and for several of us to
leave now 1 , for a few weeks,
might do us a lasting injury. I con
sider it would not be wise. It would
Lake at least two months to regain
our present footing and our people
are surrounded with temptations,
Sabbath days more than others, to
lure them from their nobler habits;
temptation stares them in the face at
every turn. We must not let them
feel that they are homeless. The on
ly one at liberty to go this year is
myself, and perhaps Miss Gertie
Joerg, who if she goes will be pres
pared with all details concerning our
mission, to render accounts of it
whenever required) of her.
Thia year there is more to do than
ever before, making it more difficult
also to absent myself any length of
time. I intend to have Brother Cova
fill my place part of the time—if pot-
sible divide the work’*'with some of
the other missionaries. Brother Co
va has been away several weeks, and
returned to his work w ith renewed
interest. He is doing very well; his
charge is in a condition,
and his school is advancing and has
more applicants than he is able to
care of, although he has his mother's
valuable assistance.
The school at Neptuuo street we
were compelled to move further out,
as a dispute about the land took
place, and it has increased, to such an
extent that my mother and sister, As
uncion were obliged and
leave this school; the supply of teach
ers were very insufficient to meet the
demand; it is now in a prosperous
condition.
The school in Jane is carried on by
my wife, a Spanish lady, and Miss
Joerg, who has charge of the English
class. This week ten new scholars
entered; schools are all well attend
ed.
To place new missionaries in other
towns will require some meditation
as to the best mode of proceeding, so
we will consider this matter some
what before coming to iny decis
ion. v
We are happy to say *lat Brother
Paine and his wife are with us at
present; we are partioulaily favored
this year, as their stay is longer than
usual. They are very much loved
by all our people, always taking such
kind interest in our mission and al
ways occupying themselves about
our welfare. Brother attends
all meetings; and mis
sion is favored with 'No
matter how bad r<%?.< ,-®or how
inclement tha sure
' oughly mv<Mti£;ates.mir jfooK
Sabbath and day schools, ex,amina
tions and all. He has kindly brought
out a magic lantern, with many well
selected views to entertain and in
struct our children and grown folks,
furnishing them with an abtmdance
of pleasure. His entertainments are
well attended and appreciated. lam
making the most of this opportunity
and deliver lectures in connection
with some of the most important sub
jects to enlighten and impress the
minds of the old as well ai the young.
I think it is a success. Brother Paine
is always busy, he does missionary
work among the migratoi-y Ameri
cans that come to visit onr land.many
of whom have never heard of our
mission. When he is not able to
speak to his counfrymen personally,
he has notices of our services printed
placed in the hotels, in fact he never
rests. May the Lord shower bless
ings upon him, and give him a long
life for his noble work. Many kind
regards from my family to yourself
and family. lam as ever,
Yours in Christian love,
A. J. Diaz.
Private.
The bishop has persecuted us for
more than three years in the ceme
tery line. He puts three years ago
the charges for his cemetery at $3
apiece, while we have it for $5.50.
About two months ago he has take
that back and charge as usual $lB for
each remain. That is the reason why
the number of interments has in
creased in our cemetery, and if it
continues so I do hope we can sup
port part of our work. Do you see
how merciful is God with us ? He
help us as soon as we need him. I
borrow about $174, and with money
from the cemetery I pay the mission
aries last month. Please give this
Account to Brother Adair. Diaz.
'Noth :—lt is seen from the above
that so far from using mission funds
to support the cemetery, Brother Di
others have not been so fortunate.
You ask who will come from Cuba
to the convention. Many would be
willing and glad to go, but ours is a
peculiar people, and their religious
training from childhood has been
slack, and they get accustomed to a
certain routine and if that is inter
rupted they wander like sheep, and
az is able to draw funds from,the re
ceipt* of the cemetery to support the
missionaries. Indeed, we may repeat
again what we have several times
mentioned but it seems so hard for
brethren to understand: We have not
only never paid one dollar of mission
funds for either the purchase or the
maintenance of the cemetery, hut it
has yielded a net income of over
$4,000.00 which has been paid into
the treasury of the Board.—Ed. Home
Field. '
ITALIAN OHHPELS.
It is God’s good pleasure through
the foolishness of the preaching to
save them that believe.” But a place
is needed where the preachers may
stand and the people gather.
Our Lord and His Apostles found
everywhere Jewish synagogues in
which they could expound the Old
Testament and show; how its prophe
cies were fulfilled in “the Lamb of
God which taketh away the sin of
the world.” Moreover, at the sea
side and in market-place and forum,
they were free to preach to the mul
titudes. The same facility, many of
our missionaries to the heathen en
joy to-day. In Italy, it is not so.
Roman Catholic churches are of
course, closed to us, and it is unlaw
ful to hold any religious service save
at a burial or within the walls of a
house. Hence we are compelled to
rent a locale, which is generally a
small shop or a room on the second
floor. It is almost self-evident that
something better is needed; yet the
following consideration’s are submit
ted.
1. It is extremely difficult to se
cure even such places as have Been
named. Sometimes a search of
months is in vain. If one, tolerably
eligible (relatively speaking) has
been found, very likely the landlord
itajuscs'tq rent it for evangelical
winch it is held is uncertain; and, in
any case, the moment approaches
for the renewal of the contract, there
is an agony of anxiety, lest the work
be turned out of doors and be com
pelled, after months of homelessness,
to tabernacle in another quarter of
the city, far away from the people
who may have begun to attend the
meetings; These are not imaginary
experiences, but such as have oc
curred in the history of our own and
the other missions. In Naples, there
is, 'Count Papengouth tells me, a
society which will pay the rent of a
locale in order to keep it out of Prot
estants hands.
2. The places rented for our meet
ings are, as a rule, inadequate and
unworthy. Stores in Italian cities
are generally shallow and almost al
ways without winA/ the doors
serving the double purp .e. As our
services are chiefly in the evening we
can manage about light, but alas for
the lack of ventilation. Alas for
preacher and congregation we have
to breathe the same air over *nd over
again.
How can we expect people, almost
as aesthetic as the ancient Greeks, ac
customed to beautiful.’ theatres and
churches, as well as to beautiful pic
tures and natural scenery—how can
wo expect them to come to our mean
and uncomfortable preaching places?
If they were very anxious to hear
the Gospel, then they would put up
with much that is disagreeable. But
just because they are hostile or relig
iously indifferent, and often, strange
as it may seem, both together, it be
comes us to leave no obstacle in their
way, but rather to attract them with
every legitimate means. Hard by
the lovely Milan cathedral, one of
the wonders of the world, our little
Baptist church worships, and onr
brother Nicholas Papengouth, preach
es in an ex-beer shop, and a poor beer
shop at that.
3. A rented place gives to the
work an air of instability. It is no
slight matter, under the most favora
ble conditions, for an Italian to break
with all his past and with his friends
and the surroundings of his daily life,
and join .a little band of evangelical
Christians; but it becomes far more
difficult when these have no perma
nent local habitation. A property,
however modest, held in fee simple,
proclaims to all in the historic words
of Victor Emanuel: “Here we are
and here we stay.”
A little chapel, too, bears, all the
week, a silent but eloquent testimony
to the doctrine preached, and the
simple spiritual worship offered, stat
edly within its walls. People of the
town, and from the country around,
ask “what mean these stones ? ” And
it will be a little reminder, of great
truths, in this laud, forgotten or de
nied.
4. Even from the money point of
view chapel building in Italy is a
wise economy. Take one case as an
illustration. In Naples, our preach
ing place is on the second floor, and
to get the one room the entire apart
ment, of five or six rooms, had to be
rented by us. We pay $560 which
is the interest, at 5 per cent, oh over
SII,OOO, which sum would almost
build a chapel even in that great
city.
5. The othei 1 denominations at
work in Italy, in view of these con
siderations, are pressing the work of
chapel building. The American
Methodists propose to build one chap
el every year. They have a very
good one in Rome, but have bojight,
in addition, valuable ground in the
new quarter, on which they mean
to put up a one hundred
thousand dollar building. In Mil
an they have also erected a beau
tify church in the central posi
tion, and the Waldensians own
in that city a valuable and historic
ex-Roman Catholic church, bought
from the government. The free Ital
ian church (Chiesa Libera) and the
Wesleyans, in the same place, are al
most as well off. We have an ex
beer shop. The Wesleyans are just
completing a handsome chapel and
schoolhouse at La Spezia. In Flor
ence. th-? Walden ians an*-? the Free •
Italian church own five bnil&igs. In
Naples, the Wesleyans own a prop
erty which costs not less than two
hundred thousand dollars. And this
list of Pedo-baptist chapels could be
greatly increased. Baptists, Ameri
cans and English, have done some
thing in this direction, but they are
behind our Pedo-baptist brethren.
Shall they remain behind ? Will we
be believed when we emphasize the
importance of our peculiar principles,
if people see that w ith these vaunted
principles and our numbers and
wealth, we are not, at least, abreast
of other Christian denominations in
liberality and enterprise ? J Moreover,
can we blame Italians if they turn to
those Missions which declare in brick
and stone that they are not here for
a day, but for all time till Italy is
evangelized?
The zeal and wisdom of Romanists
might well put us to shame. In ev
ery thriving town in the West and
Northwest in our country, Rome
buys promptly a first-rate site and
puts up a solid edifice for church and
school. With the material progress
of the New South, we may be sure
that Rome will be on hand, ready
everywhere to lay hold of strategic
positions. And in Rome, with its
nearly four hundred Roman Catholic
churches, new ones are building all
the time to meet the wants of the
growing population and the exten
sion of the city. O, I admire the sa
gacity, perseverance, generosity of
Romanists, and I am amazed at the
apathy of us who are at the opposite
pole front Romanism and claim to be
the nearess of all Chistendom to the
primitive type of Christianity.
Two remarks in conclusion:
1. It is not proposed to build any
fhapel except where there already
exists a church which gives signa of
life and promise of growth. If I had
the means, I would build now at Cag
liari, Bari and in Milan. In a year
or two our work at Naples, Florence
and perhaps other cities will, no doubt,
justify and demand chapels.
2. While a neat chapel is a great
help, it does not guarantee success.
The hardest and most patient wor% is
necessary. Above all, onr depen
dence is in the power and presence
of the Holy Ghost. Therefore, let
every contributor to the Chapel
Fund, pray that the existing chapels
and those yet to be reared, become
the birth-places of souls, and homes
YoHmotMirtisl
news of Georgia till you mi:
IHe CHRISTIAN INDBI 1
VOL. 69.-NO. 14. z
for congregations of true worshipers,
Geo. B. Taylob.
Rome, Italy.
PEN DROPPINGS.
BY 1. L. V.
That religion often makes thd
young meet death, not with cheerful
resignation alope, hut with a reeling
of joyful anticipation, is a most signal
illustration of its power. As a mat
ter of reasoning, the aged ought to be
willing to die. An early close of
their earthly existence is a physical
necessity. They cannot anticipate .
any great amount of enjoyment, and
constantly increasing infirmities are
promising to render that little less.
Many may, and we doubt not, many
do think with more dread of living
than of dying.
But to the young, life is not a
thrice told tale. Its vistas spread
out before their view alluringly and
the prospect is full of joyful antici
pation. When the message comes to
one that he must leave life just as it
is opening most attractively, the first
feelings must he grief and fear. If a ’
sick boy comes to the conclusion that
his sickness is going to be fatal, his
first emotions must be those of dread.
Life seems to him so pleasant, that
he canot think of death otherwise
than as a fearful thing when ha
turns away from all this prospect that
lies out so flatteringly before him, and
contemplates the certainty of early
death. With a feeling akin to rap
ture, it most signally proves the be
neficent power of religion.
Just such an experience was pass
ed through before his parents and
friends by a dear little relative of
months -go. , JysVarfcZJ
Xad completed his t well th year,
became the victim of a strange, buQ
exceedingly painful disease. Soon—
long before his parents allowed them
selves to anticipate such a result—he
became convinced that he would not
recover. As he contemplated this, he
seemed not so much filled with a fear
of death, as with a sense of his utter
unworthiness. For days and even
weeks, he seemed to suffer more from .
this than from the pains with which
his little frame was racked. But af
ter a time, the clouds seemed to scat
ter, and all appeared to him radiant
and serene. He recalled with a keen
personal interest all that had ever
heed told him about the plan of sal
vation. The fact that he could claim
the Saviour as holding that endear
ing relation to him individually, seem
ed to have burst upon him like a rev
elation, and filled him withan ecstat
ic joy. Thenceforward, there was
nothing of fear in his thoughts of
death.
The eyes which had long been
closed to the beauties of Nature,
seemed now to have opened on the
glories of another world and the long
hours of patient watching which lov
ing ones had to spend at his bedside
were relieved by his repeated assur
ances that while he felt himself pass
ing away from earth, he knew that he
was rising to a higher state of exist
ence.
As they listened to his earnest pe.
titions to them not to grieve, but to
join with him in his joy at his speedy
release from suffering, they could not
realize that he was little more than a
child, who but a few months before
was wholly engrossed with his sports
and amusements.
Here on his bed of suffering, he,
had passed through a glorious expo
rience of grace which had rendered
him their superior. As we witnessed
the hiding sway from sight of the
poor, perished form, we could not feel
that it was time for grief. We could
but regard his death as truly a mat
ter for thankfulness as his life. He
had illustrated the power of- religion
more forcibly in * f®w months, than
do many who live to old age.
An Umtimbit Death. —An un.
timely death so often follows neglect
of a slight cough or cold. If Taylor’s
Cherokee Remedy of Sweet Gum and
Mullein is taken in time it pre- K
vent any evil results. It cures
coughs, colds and coeumption.