The Christian index and southern Baptist. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1881-1892, April 28, 1892, Image 1

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Haw Yon Read Last Week’s CHRISTIAN INDEX? Tta Read Tins Week’s. ESTABLISHED 1821. She ffiltriefitut gndss j. c. McMichael, proprietor. Organ of the Baptist Denomination in Georgia. Published Every Thursday at Atlanta, Ga. Subscription Price: One copy, one year $ 2.00 One copy, six months 1.00 One copy, three months 50 Obituaries.—One hundred words free of charge. For each extra word, one cent per word, cash with copy. To CORRKepoNPENTS.—Do not use abrovia tions ;be extra careful in writing-proper 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 oif personal ities; condense. Business.—Write all names, and post oinces distinctly. In ordering a change give the old as well as the new address. The date of laoel indicates the time your subscription expires. If you do not wish it continued, order it stop ped a week before. Wo consider each sub scriber permanent, until he orders his paper discontinued. When you order it stopped pay up to date. Remittances by check preferred; or regts tcred letter, money order, postal note. FROM INDIA. THE PARSERS. I am much interested in these peculiar people and have looked into their history and conversed with many of their educated and intel ligent men that I might write about them without prejudice. They are called fire-worshippers and sun-wor shippers and have been persecuted and driven from place to place, and yet they have maintained their sepa rate existence and cling to their peculiar customs with as much te nacity as the Hebrews of the present . day. I have not heard of a single instance, where a Parsee has been converted to Christianity nor are they overcome by the powerful in fluence of Braminism or Mahometan ism by which they have been sur rounded for a thousand years. THEIR ORIGIN. They are decendants of, the Per sians, as theif name signifies and fol lowers of Zoroaster, the great re ligious leader of Persia about two thousand years before Christ. When Persia was over run about twelve hundred years ago by the Mahome tan hords of Arabia the people were given the usual choice of the Koran or the sword. Many of the people submitted to the conquerors and many were slain, but a handful es caped their persecutors, and, fleeing south, passed into India where they obtained permission to live. They were mostly an agricultural people living quietly along the shores north of Bombay when the English came into possession of the country, but when Bombay began to increase in importance they gradually came to that city until now about fifty thou sand tare living there. They took kindly to Western civilization and soon became leaders in commercial and manufacturing enterprises and now many of them count their wealth by millions. THEIR RELIGION. They claim that they do not wor ship the sun or fire but that they are pure monotheists worshipping only one God, that the four elements, earth, air, the fire and water, are the highest manifestations of God and they revere these elements as such. I saw a great number of them as semble on the sea shore at the set ting of the sun’and engage in prayer and I asked some of them if they were not worshipping the sun. They replied that they worshipped only God and simply looked upon the sea and the sun as manifestations of God. Their watch-words are Right thoughts. Right words. Right actions. They believe that the earth, the air, fire and water should not be contaminated and this belief leads them into some curious customs, one of which is their manner of DISPOSING OF THE DEAD. They do not bury as the Christians or Mahometans because they think that would defile the earth and water, nor do they burn as the Hindus because that would defile the air and fire, so they expose the bodies of their dead that they may be quickly devoured by the birds of the air. This was formerly done on the tops of high and lonely hills, but living now in a great city they have re source to what they call THE TOWERS OF SILENCE. Near Bombay, on a high hill, they - - . r l , have laid out beautiful grounds enclosed by a high wall and orna mented with shrubs and trees. W ithin, they erected round towers of stone about thirty feet in diameter and about twenty feet high open at the top. The towers are floored with stone tightly cemented and in clined towards the centre where there is a pit from which drains pro ceed in four directions passing through beds of charcoal. There are doors to the towers for entrance. I obtained permission to visit these towers and saw the bearers bringing a corpse to be disposed of. They took it into the tower, the friends remain ing on the outside, and deposited it on the stone floor removing the burial clothes and coming out closed the door and the funeral procession de parted. Huge vultures were sitting around on the sides of the towers and in adjacent trees and swooping down devoured the body. It is said that within ten minutes there is not a vestage of body remaining except the bones and these are soon dis solved by the action of the tropical sun and rain, and are washed into the pit, the water from which is puri fied by passing through the char coal. To me rhe whole idea at first was horrible, and I took the first occasion to ask an intelligent and refined Parsee how a people so civilized and apparently refined as his people were, could consent to place the body of a dear friend, perhaps a mother, a wife or a child where the vultures devour it. He said that if the body were placed in a grave that it would be devoured by noisome worms or would slowly decay and he did not the Parsee method was more ■revritiny than and the worms, and for sanitary reasons he considered it much better, as the earth and water were not contami nated by the use of the towers. On an average there are two or three funerals a day and the vultures are constantly on the lookout for their meal of human flesh. The force of custom has much to do with our ideas of propriety. THEIR CUSTOMS. The Parsec may be distinguished anywhere by his dress which is of good material and though pictu resque,is quite becoming. The ladies are treated with great consideration and kindness and the girls are edu cated which is something quite un common in Eastern lands. When a son marries he brings his wife to the home of his father, and frequently a father and three or four married sons live in the same house in great est concord. They are not a war like people but some of them have risen to distinction in civil life and some of them have been knighted and one or two of them have been made baronets by the queen of Eng land. They give largely of their means to found hospitals, endow schools, furnish public libraries and for other work of humanity, and do not confine their beneficence to their own race. They are loyal to the British government, doubtless be cause they have enjoyed a large measure of prosperity under British rule in India. It appears to me that here is one of the finest fields for mission work to be found any where. These peo ple have, not been disgusted with a pseudo Christianity as the Italians and Mexicans have been, nor are they so debased with ignorance and superstition as the Hindus or Chinese, but are sociable, appreciative and anxious to learn new and better ways. If they could be reached with the Gospel they would become, with their intelligence, enterprise and liberality, a powerful factor in the evangelization of the East. Thus far, so far as I could learn, no special effort has been made to reach them. Their heroic endurance for what they considered right, their enlarged views and notable benevolence entitle them to special consideration. 0. C. Pope.’ Bombay, India, Dec. 1891. Beecham’s Pills will save doo or’s bills. ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. APRIL 28. 189. T- CHAPULTEPEO. The Castle of Chapultepec is about two miles from the city of Mexico. A magnificent drive leads from the city to the grounds of the Castle. It is broad and level, and bordered on both sides for some distance at the end next to the city with bronze statues of distinguished men of the nation. At the beginning of the drive is a statue of Charles IV., of Spain the largest equestrian statue in the world, except, perhaps, that of Hadrian in Home. Horse and rider are moulded in one piece. The de signer forgot to provide stirups for bis majesty, and it is said that he died of a broken heart because there was a defect in his great work. On the pedestal we find the statement, (and you will not fail to hear the ring of Mexican patriotism in it) that this statue is preserved as a work of art.” Two other splendid statues on lof ty pedestals adorn the drive, that of Columbus, and that of Guatemoo. The latter was the last of the Aztec kings, and the hero of Gen. Wallace novel “the Fair God.” The Aztecs of the city have an annual dance around this statue in honor of their last king. Each of these statues stood on a beautiful green circular mound, and the drive divides, pass ing on each side of them. The scene in this drive is animated and brilliant in the afternoons. The car riages and horses are quite handsome, and many of the coachman we’ar ele gant liveries. And the driving of every one of these coachmen is like the driving of Jehu. The damp, moss covered arches of an old aque duct, add picturesqueness to the scone. .. t .i We the'grr-untb of Chapul-' tepee by a large gate guarded by soldiers. The grounds are only the natural woods, most of the trees be ing cypress, I think. The long, grey southern moss hangs from the branch es of the trees, making a weird, fan tastic scene. The charm of my drive through these dark and shad owy woods will not wear out of my mind for many a year. Some wild animals and birds are kept in cages near the gate, here and there among the green trees are seen bronze stat ues of Apollo and Venus. Here a lofty monument commemorates the heroic deeds of the Mexican ca dets who fell in defence of then country at the storming of the Cas tle of Capultepec by U. S. soldiers during the war which on .the monu ment is termed the North American Invasion, and which we call the Mex ican War. The castle stands on an almost perpendicular hill, which is covered with luxuriant trees and un dergrowth and vines to the top. On one side of the hill are some large rocks covered with Aztec carving. Farther on around the hill, we find an opening, and we are told that it leads into a cave, and that there is a passage from the cave to the top of the hill, where, as every body knows, Monte zuma had a summer palace. The existence of the cave was unknown to all but to Montezuma; and he was accustomed to retire into it, telling his courtiers on his return that.he had visited the spirit world. Wo pass “Monteztimas Bath,” a deep spring of sparkling water, which now helps to supply the city. Here, also, is “Montezuma’s Tree,” and no doubt it stood here when his Royal Highness wandered in super stitious reveries through these woods, for it is 56 feet in circumference and more than 100 in height. We ascend the hill by the broad stone stairway. “E’en on the landing Proud statues arc standing.” But they represent, not pride, but the thought of the Mexican nation, Patriotism and Resentment of For eign Interference. They are bronze statues of weather beaten soldiers, officers who fell during the storming of the Castle—animated, alert, watch ful, gun in hand, ready to fire on the approaching enemy. The narrow space in front of the Castle is paved and a stone wall runs around the i edge of the hill to prevent the un- i wary from tumbling down. There is nothing about the castle to remind you of pictures of castles which you have seen ; there are no gloomy towers nor romantic turrets, nor draw bridges nor terrible dun geons. It is a low, broad, two story building, of stone I think, and point ed white, airy and cool-looking and commodious, suggestive of ease and refinement. In one of the upper porches are- many flowers and vinos. On one side is an elegant round tow er which I suppose forms bay win dows in the rooms to'which it is uni ted. . The Castle was built by the Virey Galvez. It was occupied by Maxi milion and Carlotta, and ig now the summer residence of the President of the republic. The rooms were being repaired so that I did not have the privilege of catering it. I was told that it was splendidly furnished in the Parisian and New York styles. Though my informant was a Mexi can gentleman he spoke with enthu siasm of Mrs. Diaz exquisite little sewing room. Would that I could have seen it! Back of the Castle, and united to it by a magnificent stairway is the National Academy, the West Point of Mexico. A few months ago a Bishop of the Methodist church was in the city and was taken to Chapul tepec. The President of the Acade my, being told that the Bishop was a distinguished man from the United States, introduced the cadets to him. As each ono shook hands with him the Bishop asked him, “What is your religion V” and, each one re plied, “I hate noye,” except, one and he replied, “I as t4l Ptotestant.” J'WMM .tljp tlie Castle is seen the . SvesbV*'' ‘Molino, del Jtey/'Ahe Kings Mill. The big old brick mill stands there yet with the inscription across its front; and it still grinds. From the wall in front of the Cas tle one has a grand view. The pur ple mountains form an amphitheater. On one side rise Popocatapetl and Ictacihuatl, the Woman in White. Both these are covered perpetually withenow. The Woman in White is so called because on the top of the mountain, many miles in length is the figure of the corpse of a woman, with a sheet spread over her. It is all there in perfect proportion ; the “decent composure’’ of the figure, the head, the folded arms, the feet, and over it all has sunk down so as to reveal the figure in striking out line, that sparkling sheet of snow', “white as no fuller on earth could whiten it.” The Indian legend is that Popocatepetl is the husband of the White Woman. The Great Spir it enraged at him killed his w'ife; and now when he roars and throws out lava it is in rage for her death. At the feet of the Woman in White lies the blue silvery lake of Tezcuco. Within the encircling mountains lies the Valley of Mexico, green as emerald, and dotted with lit tle crystal lake rfnd great patches of yellow flowers; and in the midst of all this beauty sits like a queen,the City of Mexico. Perhaps the eyes of the Grand Duke and of Grand Duchess never beheld a more glorious view than that which greet ed Maximilion and Carlotta every morning from the windows of this castle. We turned at last from this pano rama, and as we crossed the paved space one <?f the many cadets who were sauntering about, a tall, slender elegant young gentleman ap proached us and caught up in his arms a little girl of our party, talk ing to her in caressing tones. Her mother told us that they had known him at tho hotel. And she also told us that his uncle owned the moun tain Popocatepetl, and that he would inherit it What an incongruity be tween the owner and the possession I Sallie Hale. Without a Peer. Dr. Sylvanus Landrum once said before the Southern Baptist Conven tion that Mrs. M. J. Kennedy was without a peer in the preparation of Bible lessons for the little onfcs. She edits the Intermediate Quarterly of the American Baptist Publication Society. PEN DEOPPINGS. BY L. L. V. Os the very common sins about which it is the minister’s duty to speak to the people, there is no one about which he ought to speak to them more earnestly than the use of light, frivolous and profane language. It is a sin too lightly rated. Many pro fessed Christians whose deportment otherwise conforms to a respectably high standard of morality bring the cause of religion into disrepute by not being duly regardful of their style of speech. It is of course possible for one to be sincerely pious and yet have a temperament that will cause him to enjoy lively and humorous talk. We should mistake often in our estimate of Christians as of others, if we al ways took it for granted that the man who sighs is better than the man who laughs. To be forbiddingly grave of aspect is not at all necessary for the maintenance of a devotional frame of mind. Yet there are jest ings so little befitting that they should be avoided by every one who would commend the religion which lie professes to outsiders. Very much of the slang so common in our day is unbecoming the lips of those who wish to be regarded as imitators of the Saviour. A little of it is neith er coarse nor profane. Much of it, however, is both. It is used by some persons—by some indeed, who, how ever speak from pulpits, under the impression that it is a forcible style , of speech, and that it brings a speak er in closer touch with his hearers, ft i would be easy to show that there is slightest need/]f comprumis ’ ing the purity and elegance of our . language in order to render it clear and emphatic. We are far more the slaves of words than we ordinarily suppose, and we will not be apt to keep our thoughts chaste if our lan guage is indecent. Os all public speakers, the preacher should be most careful about the choice of his words. His hearers are ready enough to think that they will be excusable for going beyond him in any line of impropriety. If he uses a slang phrase now and then they will take it that they may make up a large part of their talk of coarse expressions. If he pronounces the name of the Supreme being meaning lessly as a mere ejaculation, some of those who hear him will conclude that it will not be much amiss if they introduce the same awful name by way of emphasizing their assertions. Irreverence for the name of the Su preme Being is much too common among professed Christians. Some of those whom we call heathen and send missionaries to convert, furnish examples on this point which we will do well to imitate. Instead of speak ing the name of their Supreme Deity familiarly, they will be at the pains of a great deal of circumlocution to avoid uttering it at all. We are quite sure z that some preachers en courage profanity by their utterances from tho pulpit. They are at no pains to speak with that awful rever ence without which it should never be spoken. When they employ it idly as a mere expletive to conceal the want of an idea which is not forthcoming, they can hardly expect otherwise than that some of their hearers will fall into the habit of us ing it flippantly. peovidentiaFindioations. Has not our Heavenly Father in dicated to us unmistakably during the past year that he is leading us to higher achievements in the accom plishment of his gracious purposes concerning fallen man ? Has he not indicated most conclusively that his people are not too poor to sustain his cause and extend his kingdom? The unprecedented hard times, seven cent cotton and the consequent depression instead of retarding us has resulted in almost doubling our contributions to his cause and given us more Christian zeal and better signs of spiritual progress, than has been observed for many years. Thank God for his wonderful goodness. Now let us begin the work of the new Conventional year with unwavering faith and a fixed determination to do grandly for our Master. Only about one-third of Georgia Baptists hflve done anything during the past year, by contributing of their means to the world’s evan. gelization. The remaining two-thirds are just as able .as the one-third. Now, if one-third can contribute $125,000 in one year to Baptist en terprises, the other two-thirds could, with equal easej contribute $250,000. Nov.’, brethren and sisters, I know I am deeply grateful to you, and I thank you, in the name of our bless ed Master, for your sympathy, pray ers and earnest co-operation in the prosecution of the responsible work which you have committed to my charge, I know you will continue it in the future. I regard your call up on me to this work, as God’s call, and in his name I will give to it the very best of my feeble powers. We must now move up all along the line. Last year was a kind of skirmishing period, this year, God helping us, the whole army of Georgia Baptists must be brought into action, to this end let us all constantly pray for the presence and influence of the Holy Spirit. Our Foreign and Home Boards are con siderably in debt, let us help them with all our might that the Conven tion in May may find them free. J. G. Gibson, Cor. Sec. Crawford, Ga., April 15, 1892. PAUL AND JAMES. Paul wrote his Epistle to the Romans it is believed A. D. 58. In the third chapter of this epistle he writes thus, 28 verse.: “Therefore we conclude that i man is justified f«ith. 'KxljniH the of the law.” This is the 1 old version. The new reads thus: “We reckon therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.” Again in the fourth chapter 3rd verse he writes: “Abraham believed God and it was counted unto (O. V.) or reckoned (N. V.) unto him for righteousness.” The gross misrepresentation and perversion of this doctrine pro claimed by Paul, induced the Apostle James three years later, A. D. 61, to give his understanding of the doc trine of justification by faith, so I judge. And so in his epistle he writes thus: “What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say ho lyith faith, but have not works ? Can faith save him ? ” Read now to the 17th verse. “Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in* itself.” Verse 20, “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren? Was not Abraham, our father, justified by works, in that he offered up Issac, his son upon the altar ? Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made per fect. And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. We see that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” I have quoted them largely that I might clearly present to the readers the contrast between Paul and James in these two epistles. But two years later A. D. 63 Paul seems to have accepted Jaine’s correction; for in the epistle to tho Hebrews, believing that he wrote it, we read thus: “ By faith, Abraham when he was called, obeyed to go out, etc.” This brought him squarely up to Jarno’s position. Abraham’s faith wrought with his obedience (his books), and by his obedience was his faith made perfect. Luther, who 400 years ago revived tho doctrine of justification by faith, has been as much misunderstood, and the doctrine as much perverted, as it was in the days of Paul. Evon in his own day a disciple by tho name of Nicholas of Ahnsdoif prepared an elaborate thesis, affirm ing “that good works were positively injurious to salvation.” And this doctrine has been taught in this day. There have been preachers, ordained ministers of tho gospel, who openly declared that Yon nave Mt the Bajtist nmol Geo® till mrt iie CHRISTIAN INDEI w- VOL. 69.—N0. 17. - they were free from the obligations of the moral law, and could do what they pleased, or chose, or desired. In support of their claim to this liberty, they further rely on Paul: “Ye are not under law but under grace.” The only question in the case is, What is faith? The faith justifies and saves the soul. This we will endeavor to answer in our next. W. P. Boad. Starkville, Miss. SOME INQUIRES WORTHY OF CON SIDERATION. Dr. T. P. Crawford, of Lang Chow, China, is distributing an earn est tract among the churches, argu ing the expediency of independent church missions, instead of missions managed by general boards. A few days ago he traversed the country in person, representing the same views, without much effect. An association undertaking his support when first sent out, did not long continue thia plan. Similar views were held at one time by prominent brethren in Georgia and elsewhere—perhaps may be still held—with but tempo rary impression. Nevertheless, views emanating from such brethren, breth ren of unquestioned disinterested ness, large experience? and wide ob servation, deserve respectful and earnest consideration. Per contra, greater concentration of agencies is being suggested. Both parties wish to simplify machinery and save expense. It is suggested that the home mission work in most of the states, where well organized state boards exist, might be turned over to these boards, leaving the work in frontier states and territories. . /general board. That nication with pastors and churches might be made more effectual by substituting the denominational pa pers for the Foreign Journal and Home Field; that these are, and will be, much more, commonly read than the latter. There is a strong feeling that we have too much machinery; that too much time and means are required to read the multiplied publications pressed on our attention. It has even been suggested that the Home and Foreign boards be merged ; that it would contribute to economy, and that the misleading nomenclature, suggesting conflict between Horae and Foreign missions might be obviated. On the commission they are one. The vast expense of attending our Conventions is a serious matter, and the vast expense of maintaining them when they are assembled. Perhaps it; were better for a good many of us to stay at home. A less unwieldy body than our General Convention might be more efficient. Dr. Basil Manly, Sr., once induced the Ala bama State Convention to elect a limited number of delegates to the Southern Baptist Convention. All these questions may be con sidered in a spirit of conservatisnl, like that which manifested itself in Birmingham at the last meeting of the Southern Convention, in regard to Sunday-school literature. Perfect systems are a growth instead of the result of a priori reasoning, the result out of constant collision between conservatism and innovation. E. B. T. The Collapse of a Rotten Ten ement. —While crumbling founda tion and shaky, bulging walls, is not more certainly to be looked for than the sudden giving away of a oonsti-* tution sapped by overwork, unremitt ing anxiety or exposure to hardship and malign climatic influences. Against the disastrous effects of each and all of these, Hostetter’s Stomach Bitters is an effectual safeguard. It fortifies the system against them bjr infusing into it fresh vigor begotten of renewed and complete digestion and assimilation of tho food, and its consequent reparative action upon the exhausted tissues and impov erished circulation. No preparative for the undergoing, without injury, of an unusual amount of bodily or mental work, no means of averting malarial infection, or disorders born of bad diet and impure water equals this superlatively fine defensive in vigorant. Take it for dyspepsia, con stipation, billiousness, rheumatism, kidnoy trouble, la grippe.