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About The Christian index. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1892-current | View Entire Issue (May 5, 1892)
Have you had a more satisfactory issue of the INDEX THAN THIS Twelve Page Paper? Our idea is to make a first-class paper and it will be supported. ESTABLISHED 1821. ©lie Orctettatt J. c. McMichael, propriktor. Organ of the Baptist Denomination in Georgia. • Published Every Thursday at Atlanta, Ga. Subscription Pricb : One copy, one year $ 2.(0 One copy, six months 1.00 Ono copy, three months w Obituaries.—Ono hundred words free of charge. For each extra word, one cent per worn, cash with copy. To CoRRESroNDKSTS.—Do not use abrevia tions; be extra cares u 1 in writing proper names; write with ink, on one side of paper; Do not write copy intended tor the editor andbusi ness items on same sheet. Leave oil personal ities; condense. Business.—Write all names, and post offices distinctly. In ordering a change give the old as well as the new address. The dato of label indicates the time your subscription expires. If you do not wish it continued, order it stop ped a week before. W« 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 regis tered letter, money order, postal note. FROM INDIA—THE HINDUS. There are various races of people in India, differing among themselves in minor particulars and in language, and yet in many respects they resem ble each other so closely as to force the conviction that they are from one parent stock. Hindu is a distinction of religion rather than of race, and the large majority of the people of India are of this religion; perhaps two hundred millions of the two hundred and eighty-five millions of people. Centuries ago the Mahome tans overrun and conquered the greater part of the country, and that religion, next to Hinduism, is now most prevalent in the land, but the great masses of the people still cling to the older religion. Buhdism, which was a reformation of Hinduism, swept over the country centuries ago, but it seems to have passed on to the East and found its permanent home in Burmah and China. The very enteresting cave temples hewn from the solid rock, are relics of the traces of Buhdism in China. Not far from Bombay is a marvelous temple of this descrip tion called the caves of Elephonti, whii'h w» viwl <l. But rmil wa;s, invasions, the overturning of em pires and the conquering sword of the British, Hinduism has lived and is alike impervious to the civiliza tion of Europe, the rule of England, and the influences of Christianity. Os all forms of heathenism it is the most difficult for the missionaries to deal with. There are different sects of this religion and while they are intolerant of each other, they do not yield to the inroads of others and hold many things in common. You can distinguish a Hindu wherever you see him, by his dress and peculiar customs. Every trade or profession consti tutes a distinct caste, and no one can leave his caste or violate any of its rules without suffering disgrace and ruin. The merchant class may not w ear the dress or associate in any way with the carpenter class or the farmer class, or either of these with the Sudras or laborers. It is not even permitted for one class to eat food handled or cooked by those of another class and there are no inter marriages between these classes. Should an individual, for any viola tion of caste rules, be outcasted from his own class, no other class will re ceive him and he is practically de nied all intercourse with his fellows» and his life becomes a burden to him. This caste feeling is perhaps the greatest obstacle which Christianity has to encounter and no one who has anything of social life to lose can afford to violate his caste rules by even attending a Christian service, for he is at once outcasted and the members of his own family, even, dare not associate with him. One can form no conception of the un relenting tyranny of these cast rules without a somewhat intimate ac quaintance with Hindu life. Men have been known to starve to death rather than partake of food prepared by one not of his own caste. At the head of all the castes, stands the Brahmins, because, as they say, they proceeded from the mouth or breath of Brahma. They constitute the priestly class and are the repositories of learning, both secular and religious. They do not work but claim that as all things be long to Brahma, as his direct repre sentatives, they have a right to what they need and so live by the labors of others. The pure Hindus do not eat ani mal food as they do not believe it is right to take life of any kind. To fljristian 3ni'cr. such extremes is this Regard for life carried by some that they wear a thin gauze over their mouth and nose lest unwittingly they should inhale some minute insect and thus be guilty of destroying life. Missionaries must refrain from shooting birds and game as they would lose in influence with the Hindus if they were guilty of the supposed wickedness of destroy ing life. Some of the regulations imposed by Hinduism would be an improvement on our own civilization, but some of their customs are so re volting that they have been sup pressed by the laws imposed by the British government. For instance, children of one, two and three years old, and engaged by their parents to be married to each other, and in some instances these engagements or espousals take place even before the children are born, and it was customary to consummate the marriage sometimes as early as eight or ten years of age, but the British government has made it a penal offence to give a.daughter in marriage before the age of twelve, and while many complain bitterly at this interference on the part of the government they are forced to obey the law much to the advantage of the country. Formerly the widow of one dying was burned on the funeral pyre with her dead husband and this is forbid den now by British law, but she had almost as well be dead, as she is never permitted to go in company again but secludes herself for the rest of her life as the servant of the family, and this penalty is imposed on the girl espoused to a boy who dies, even though they have not been actually married, so that sometimes there are widows of five or six years of age, doomed to perpetual banish ment from all society. The Hindus, as a rule, are a quiet, inoffensive people, a few of them wealthy and a few well educated, but the great masses are very poor and vety 'gnorant, *u and. ambition. If they had half the courage and enterprise of our North American Indians, Great Brittain would never be able to rule two hundred millions with seventy-five thousand soldiers and forty or fifty thousand civilians. They seem to be an effete race with their glory and enterprise in the past. The Nisam of Hyderbad, a native prince, has an income of about two and a half millions of dollars a month and yet he wastes it on two or three hundred women, and dissi pation and trinkets. Not long since he agreed to give about three millions of dollars for a diamond and actually paid a million and a half on it and then backed out of the trade and is trying to recover the amount in a suit before the British courts. The Gaikwar of Baroda, another native prince, with an income of six millions of dollars a year, makes a wiser use of his money as he has a European education and more en. lightened views than many of his as sociates. I became right well ac quainted with the commander of his artillery and cavalry, going with him to the camp where the Arabs brought down their horses for sale and he bought them for the cavalry of his prince, and I found him quite an intelligent and enlightened gentle man, who gave me much information concerning India. He told me that his prince intended visiting America to learn something of our civilization. One of the best read and most in telligent men I have ever met any. where is a Brahmin with whom I have just spent four or five hours in an interview on this country. He is a civil officer under the British government and an A. M. of Cam bridge, England, but is anxious to see the people of India have a larger voice in the government of the country. He told me that since he had laid aside the dress and custonig of the Brahmins, not even his own brother would eat at the same table with him nor his own mother em brace him. He no longer believed in Hinduism, but in common with nearly all the educated class who re nounce Hinduism, he is an Agnostic or free thinker. What the future of India is to be, rests in great obscurity. The past to them is one of wonderful memories. The Tajh Mahal in Agra, is per haps the most expensive and elegant building in the world—a monument of what India could do iu the past, ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. MAY 5, 1892. but so far as greatness is concerned, it is all in the past and the future is not hopeful. I have lingered a month in this sun-kissed clime, amid its strange people, wondrous scenery, magnifi cent vegetation, and historic memo ries reaching back to the days of Alexander the Great, hundreds of years before the Christian Era, and I have been greatly interested and profited by the visit. To-morrow is New Years Day and I shall begin 1892 with a voyage still further South, though the weather here is too warm to-day for comfort. We have packed our trunks and are bound for Ceylon, Malay Peninsula and China. 0. C. Pope. Bombay, Dec. 31st, 1891. '•CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A CREED ; BUT A LIFE.” In a late number of the N. Y. Ex aminer appeared an able article, in which the writer aimed to show that ministers should be careful when ad vocating new truth, not to assail, or disparage the old oues. The caution is Certainly needed, and the views of the writer were well stated. Among the illustrations, which he used to enforce his words of caution, was the sentence which stands at the head of this paper. His admonitions, con cerning the use which should be made of it, were judicious and time ly. But he seemed to me to accept the statement as true, and not to be thrown hastily aside.” The smartness and brevity of the expression give to it an epigrammat ic force which makes it attractive. Such expressions often win their way to the heart without due con sideration ; and, then, they become dangerous weapons in the hands of the sophist. The sentence before us , y ■ -r< - - HENRY H. TUCKER, I). D., I), It is fitting as the Convention meets in Atlanta, that the members re member the striking face of our beloved Tucker, whose portrait we give above. is a case inpoint. Let us loojr at it. “Christianity is not a creed; but a life.” The sentence is concise and grace ful ; it has the form of a proverbs, and the force of an epigram; and the electric thought of immortality, that flashes from the second clause, seems to invert the whole with a halo of divine beauty. And so it has come to pass, that thousands have adopted it as if it were an oracle from Heav en. It is time, then, that we exam ine its claims to this high distinc tion. The sentence contains two clauses. The first is: “CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A CREED.” If this clause be taken literally, it expresses a downright falsehood. Remember, the work “creed” is the English abbreviation of the Latin “credendum,” plural, “credenda,” denoting a thing, or things to be be lieved. And every Latin scholar knows that the form of these terms expresses an obligation or necessity that the things referred to must be believed, i. e., that we are bound to believe them. This is exactl they case with the things which Chris tianity reveals, —we are required, and are therefore under obligations to believe them. Hence Christiani ty is in the highest sense a creed; and, therefore, if the clause be taken literally, it is false. But it may be claimed that these words should not be taken literally; —that those, who use them, do not me'an, that Christianity is in no sense or degree, a creed; but that the life, which it reveals, is of such transcen dent importance, that, in comparison with it, the doctrines sink into insig nificance. Well, even with this ex- planation, the sentence is false. It is not true, that the doctrines which make up the creed of Christianity, are less important than the life which it inculcates. I joyfully admit that Christianity is a life, —a glorious, an eternal life; but, let it never be for gotten that it is all this, only because it is a creed, —something to be be lieved. If there is, in the New Tes tament, one thought more often re peated and more strongly emphasized than all others, it is, that the sinners way to God, and to a holy life, is through faith in “Him whom God hath sent.” But to believe in Him means to believe the doctrines which He taught. Take away from the Gospel its “credenda,”—the things which are to be believed, —and it would be to us, no better than a dried nfummy from the catacombs of Egypt. It is a life because it makes known to us the only living and true God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, whom to know is eternal life. It is a life, because it reveals to us the great scheme of re demption, whereby the guilty and the lost may be saved by simple faith in the precious blood of the Son of God which cleanseth us from all sin. And it is also a life, because it teaches us, with unerring wisdom, how we should live in this present world, in order to secure our highest well-being here, and in the world to come. From all this, it clearly follows : That he who Jflippantly says, that, Christianity is not a creed, but a life, is really giving utterance to a state ment that is, not only not true, but dangerous and hurtful. It virtually teaches us, that it does not matter what a man believes, provided his conduct is right There are a mul- titude of people, who reject Christi anity, not on account of the life which it requires them to live; but on ac count of the doctrines, which it re quires theni to believe. They admit the purity of its moral teachings, and would no doubt, be glad if all mon would regulate their conduct accord ing to them; but its stern revelations of the coming judgment of retribu tion, and of the endless punishment of unbelievers, are some of the things which they are not willing to re ceive. Such people are delighted to take refuge in the idea that Christi anity is not a creed, but only a life, —that it makes no difference what one believes if his life is right. They fail to see the absurdity which viti ates the principle upon which they rely. The absurdity is clearly seen, as soon as we attempt to apply the principle to the affairs of this life, How many thousands of business men have wrecked their fortunes, not because they were dishonest, or idle and inattentive; but simply be cause they misjudged the facts upon which they made their investments ? To explain the case briefly:—They believed a lie, and no amount of rec titude in their business conduct could save them from financial ruin. In a word, nine tenths of all the unhap piness which afflicts mankind, when traced to its ultimate cause, will be found to have its origin in some false belief. If so, it surely is a mat ter of great importance, to our worldly interest, what we be lieve. It cannot be a matter of less im portance in regard to the things which await us in the world to come. Our first parents lost the garden of Eden because they believed a lie. The antediluvians perished in the flood because they would not believe the preaching of Noah. The Nine vites, on the other hand, were spared, because they did believe the preach ing of Jonah., Our Saviour says to the Jews: “If ye believe not that I am He, —the Messiah, —ye shall die in your sins.” And Paul tells of some who who “were given up to believe a lie that they might be damned.” Hence we conclude that it is a mat ter of great importance what a man believes, not only for his well being in the life which now, is but also in the life beyond the grave. There fore our preachers should give the people the doctrines, as well as the life which Christianity teaches. S. G. Hillyer. 73, Wheat St., Atlanta Ga. LETTER FROM DIAZ. Havana, Cuba, 23 April, 1892. Dear Dr. Tichenok : When you was here you asked me “if I had ob served any reaction in congrega tion ? ” I told you no, everything go very nicely. We have, as the sai lor say “fair wind,” but now let me tell you we have a great “reaction” and if it continues, the big place we have here will be small in a couple of years. ■ We have 8,000 seats in the church, and for the last three months, at every meeting, we have an average of a thousand in it. When I deliver lectures with the magic lantern, I have sometimes more than 2,000 people. The church looks very pretty. We have electric lights in it, and, above all, “the fight of the world is shining here.” I hold, week before last, a series of sermons every night of the week, and I had an at tendance from a thousand to one thousand and five hundred—twenty five were converted and two hundred manifested sympathy for the cause. Mr. Paine and his wife have been here. They left here for Atlanta week before last. I hope to see them there. I'ue jciiodl is too large, >ve Can t hold as we wish, and all the work is on the same way. We need more laborers, more teachers, more mis sionaries and more money to carry on this work. Who will come and help us ? I want, for the school, an American teacher, that will be able to teach and manage the boarders— and I need a couple of ministers that understand the missionarie work and the Spanish language, for the impor tant towns here. The Lord has open this door, and think it wise to go in as quick as pocible. On the 6 of May, of 1886, this work was adopted by the S. B. Con vention, in Montgomery, Ala., and day before the convention adjourned you told me this words, “Diaz, we will not take this work from your hand, but we don’t want you come like a child and lay down in our arms; try to be a man—any time the Lord open any door for you in Cuba, go right in.” Well, now is the time, the Lord has opened many doors be fore us, and we want to go in. How could we do it ? Let us think about it, and pray for it, and the good shepherd will direct us. Yours in Christ Jesus, Diaz. J. G. GIBSON. Eastman.—Contact awakens in terest and sympathy. How little we know of each other! It takes a big heart to hold Georgia, but it is said that Dr. Gibson has put it all in his heart and left no corners sticking out. When he is down here he talks of the work in middle and north Georgia, and so interests us in all sections. His letter in the last In dex has the right ring and will stir many hearts. He is at once the most active and efficient missionary in Georgia to-day. I heard a Meth odist preacher call him “a master with a broadaxe,” and he said truly, for he is “a master” wherever he works. And how he works! Some months ago I heard him preach an hour and thirty minutes on “Justifi cation by faith,” and he swept every thing before him like a cyclone or avalanche. Tired ? Preach too long? Pooh ! A lady with tearful, joyful face said, “I could have listen ed four hours.” I don’t think he thought of Gibson while he was preaching, for he put all his power into his work. In the afternoon, noticing his fatigued look, I said, “Brother Gibson, we love to hear you preach, but we want you to take care of yourself for we have great use for you.” He answered, “Broth er Scarboro, don’t talk to me about taking care of myself,” and then his voice fell, husky with pentup emo tion as he added, “I saw Jesus to day,” He is one of the foremost thinkers in the land, clear, logical and convincing. He knows the plan of salvation and can tell it. He understands the philosophy as well as the theology of missions and can tell that, too. The brethren down this way want his masterly article on missions, published in the Index of March 10., I believe, put in tract form for gratuitous distribution. We need his pen in the work and cannot very well afford to do without it. SOUTH GEORGIA BAPTISTS. South Georgia Baptists are busy planning and holding meetings, Insti tutes, Centennials, etc., and we ex pect grand results. lam just home from a week’s meeting at Waycross, three days in an Institute and three in a Centennial. The attendance was not as large as was desired and expected, but the meeting was suc cessful. It is a very busy season and few of the pastors who are com pelled to farm for a support could or did afford to leave their farms. The Centennial was very well at tended especially locally, and those who came expressed themselves as highly pleased, being both instructed and edified. Some of the speakers could not attend but most of them were there and rendered very valua ble service. Bro. Murray of Valdos ta, is one of the ablest preachers in the denomination. Quiet, conserva tive, unpretentious but a man of deep convictions and great earnest ness in the Master’s cause. It was a real pleasure to know him better. His speeches were rich in thought and made the brethren draw their pencils to preserve the gems he scattered among them. Bro. E. Pendleton Jones of Savannah, deliv ered the address on “Cuba, Diaz and /H'jue,Providence” in th** >vom of his father. Dr. J. William Jones, and some of the brethren wondered whether the Dr. had not better guard his laurels by keeping the “boys” at home. Brother Golden never did better work in his life. His address es on Carey was par excellence and called forth many expressions of ap preciation. Many of us felt that so excellent an address should be pub lished, and let all have the benefit of the rich and rare thoughts it contains. Brother Boykin came all the way from Decatur to help in the meeting and he fairly eclipsed himself. He always does good work but at Way cro'Ss he won his way to every heart and made scores of friends among the old and young. Brother Jessup was there and that is equivalent to saying that he did his part and did it well too, as he always does. He always moves the people when he speaks and that is more than some of us do. Some argue with peoples’ heads but Jessup goes for their hearts and generally finds them. Brother Pruitt with his noble wife, was there and gave most interesting and instructive accounts of China and their work there as well as made stirring appeals to the people to do more for missions at home and abroad. Bro. Pruitt is a very quiet, humble man and depends upon the power of truth to move the people rather than upon that vague thing called oratory or eloquence, and yet he was elo quent, for he was thoroughly in earn est in everything he said. Sister Pruitt’s talks to the ladies were highly appreciated and will do much to encourage the women in their laudable efforts to help in the good cause of missions. Brother Stanley, the beloved pastor at Ho merville and Waresboro, is one of the rising preachers of South Geor gia. His speeches in the meeting were short and brimfull of truths that struck with force all who heard hint. And Grace was there, we mean Brother Grace, the pastor at Blackshear. His heart is full of the love of Christ and souls and it did us good to hear him speak so earnestly in the Master’s name. If anybody asks you where Grace is and what he is doing tell them he is in wire grass Georgia hard at work. Breth ren Black and Bennett also added much to the meeting by their pres ence and help and we regretted that appointments compelled them to leave so early. WAYCROSS. Now let us tell you something Brother Minister, Working Layman, Zealous Sister, We are striving to make The Index the best of its kind. Help us by securing a new subscriber. VOL. 69.-NO, 18. about Waycross and the Baptista there. 1. The church is comparatively young and weak numerically and financially. About 150 members and most of the males are laboring men working for salaries barely suf ficient to support their families. But they have done and are doing noble work. Waycross has about 3,500 inhabitants and its phenomenal growth continues. It has block after block of large, fine brick buildings, hotels, stores, lodges, newspapers, opfera house, bank, electric lights, etc., with Methodist, Presbyterian, Epis copal and Baptist churches, Y. M. C« A., and other orders. It is a great railroad center having five lines, four of them being great trunk lines and doing a heavy business. Its per manence and steady growth are thus assured. 2. I was told that the Methodist people will soon begin the erection of a $15,000 building. The Presby terians have a nice house as well as the Episcopalians. Our people are worshipping in an old house, in an out of the way place, hard-by the railroad track where the preacher has sometimes to stop till the locomo tive’s clang and screech have ceased to proceed. Besides this the build ing is too small. The pastor inform ed me that it was a very common thing for people to be turned away for want of room to seat them, al though the aisles were filled with chairs, at the regular Sabbath ser vices. 3. They have laid the foundation of a large and substantial building in a central locality, and have raised some SSOO toward building and now have the frame and exterior work under contract. They need at least three thousand dollars to get the building in condition to use. I know no church more deserving of the help and sympathy of the denomina tion than the ’Vaycrmja church. Brother Scruggs, thb-pasb-r has en cl bared himself to the people of Way* cross and done a work that is sur prising in view of the difficulties he has had to surmount. With his people he works and waits patiently, never murmuring nor even appeal ing to the denomination for help, al though he could do so with as much right as other churches no more de serving that have received very lib eral help. Brethren, sisters, would it not be a nice thing to surprise Brother Scruggs and his faithful flock by sending them a contribution that will cheer their hearts. Let us not wait for them to ask for it, that would spoil the pleasure df giving. This is written without the knowl edge of the church or pastor. Let us help them now, and the time will soon come when they will help oth ers. J. A. Scarboro. Cordele.—The Baptists of South Georgia are now united and with one accord will push the building of the Freddie Shipp Baptist Female Col lege at this place. The charter when obtained had incorporated w’ithin it that the college should always be under the control of the Baptists of Georgia. This secures it to the de nomination for all time to come. The building will be a handsome structure when finished, and will cost twenty thousand dollars. A large force of hands are now em ployed on it and work will be rapid ly pushed forward to completion. The site of this college near the home of Georgia’s war Governor, Joe Brown who lived here in the dark days of 1864. The corner stone of the college will be laid with imposing ceremonies and it will be a great day for Georgia Baptists when this college is opened up to the pub lic. The denomination seem to take great pride in the up-building of this institute and the Rev. J. A. Scar boro who is traveling from church to church in behalf of the same has met with great encouragement every where he has gone and liberal dona-. tions will no doubt be made to it through him. No better location could have been made for the col ege than at Cordele which is high, exceedingly healthy and the city has a fine system of waterworks and sani tary sewerage. This noble institute will be an honor and blessing to Revs. P. A. Jessup, R. G. Lewis, J. F. Eden and a score of others who have been foremost in pressing its claims and in giving to South Georgia an institute that will continue to bless its founders for all time to come. This institute will stand as a living monument to the enterprise sagacity and religious zeal of the Baptists ol South Georgia. Mrs. J. E. D. Shipp.
