Newspaper Page Text
4
©lie ® Jxristian gndex
J. 0. McMICHAEL,:: Proprietor.
; - , .
I. R. BRANHAM, D. D, Editor.
It is necessary for me to stop
work for awhile.
Incessant labor for quite a long
series of years, has severely taxed
my strength and energy.
1 mean to take a sort of holiday,
try to recover some of the loss, and
then make a fresh start.
Meantime, Bro. McMichael, the
proprietor, will make ample provis
ions for our readers. No doubt they
will sit down to richer weekly
feasts than ever.
I sincerely return my thanks for
the many kind words of encourage
ment that have come to me, and
pray the blessing of God on every
reader of the Index.
I R. Branham.
Happiness is not to be caught by
direct pursuit.
She is side by side with her twin
sister duty.
Make the latter your daily com
panion, and the former will be ever
present with you.
It is honorable to undertake a
great work, comprehensive in its
scope, far-reaching in its results, and
to push it through to completion in
spite of obstacles, and in the face of
opposition.
About one hundred years ago a
general revival of interest in missions
began.
It had its origin in a prayer-meet
ing held especially for a revival of
religion, followed by a sermon
preached by Wm. Carey, at Ketter
ing, England, in May, 1792.
The immediate results of that
prayer-meeting and sermon were the
formation of The Baptist Missionary
Society, and the sending of Carey
and others to India.
The first collection made by the
society amounted £l3, s 2, d 6, or
about $75.00. This for giving the
gospel to the world. A small be
ginning. A mustard seed.
The movement met with opposi
tion from individuals, church coun
cils, wealthy commercial corporations,
and even from the British Parlia
ment itself. Sidney Smith said that
the scheme of converting the natives
of India was “the dream of a dream
er, who dreams that ho has been
dreaming.”
The Scotch Presbyterian General
Assembly said that the idea of uni
versal missions was “fanatical, and
absurd, dangerous and revoluntiona
ry.”
The East India Company, who
controlled British India, said “the
sending of Christian Missionaries in
to our Eastern possessions” is the
maddest, most extravagant, most ex
pensive, most unwarrantable project
that was ever proposed by a lunatic
enthusiast.”
Undismayed by obstacles, and un
daunted by opposition, with the
world almost closed against mission
aries, Carey moved straight for
ward in his work.
His faith never wavered, his zeal
never abated. A definite plan, sin
gleness of purpose,plodding persever
ance, were the leading qualities of
his character. He planted and pray
ed. He worked and waited.
Behold the tree that has grown
from the mustard seed!
One hundred and fifty missionary
societies are at work. They have
an annual income of $11,900,000.
There are 7000 foreign missionaries,
assisted by 35,000 native helpers,
now laboring in the different mission
countries.
The native converts number about
1,000,000, while the adherents of
Christianity will number over 3,000,-
000.
The Bible has been translated into
250 languages and dialects.
The leaves of that tree are being
scattered throughout the world, and
the nations are being healed.
Carey rests from his labors, but
his works do follow- him. What a
grand following I
More than a million souls who sat
in the regions of darkness and in the
shadow of death have seen a great
light, and walk in the strength of a
new life. Millions more have caught
up the theme,” Attempt great tilings
for God: Expect great things from
God,” and with joyful voices repeat
the refrain, while they move on to
new fields and more glorious tri
umphs.
Carey the cobbler, Carey the Chris
tian, Carey the preacher, Carey the
missionary,—-look at the throngs that
bless bun, at the honors that crown
him.
THE COLOR LINE DRAWN.
Speaking of the preaching on Sun
day, May Bth during the session of the
Southern Baptist Convention, Atlanta
Ga., the correspodent of the Journal
and Messenger, Cincinnati, who signs
himself Edwin Willoughby, has the
following:
“Nearly every Protestant church
in the city will be occupied by our
ministers tomorrow. The committee
has read a long list of appointments.
The colored churches are conspicu
ous for their absence from the list.
Recently a prominent colored minis
ter told me that his people had de
termined to invite no more white
men into their pulpits, until the
whites were willing to return the
compliment. This will never come
to pass, in this latitude.”
A similar statement is made by C.
E. W. D., in a letter to The Examiner,
New- York. We presume that one
writer is author of both‘letters.
He speaks from personal knowl
edge, and knowing who C. E. W. D.
is, and that he is not in the habit of
making statements carelessly, what
he has w-ritten, may be relied on.
Whether the course pursued by
the pastors of the negro churches in
Atlanta will be generally followed
by others of the same race in Geor
gia, and throughout the Southern
states, remains to be seen. If it
should he, the next step will be to
decline all aid from white men. If
they do not wish white men to oc
cupy their pulpits, of couse they do
not want the money, or the help of
white men in any way.
The whole movement is a step,
and quite a bold step, in the direc
tion of social equality. The stand
taken by the Atlanta negro Baptist
pastors in this matter says to the
whites, practically,
“You need our instruction and
preaching as much as we do yours.
We are as well qualified to occupy
your pulpits as you are to occupy
ours. We mtan to assert our right
to stand upon the same social plane
which you stand on. If we cannot
go to you, you shall not come to
us.”
This is about what it all means.
W r c have had the kindest feelings
towards the negro race. There is
nothing within our power that we
would not now do, to aid them in
improving their condition. But if
separation from the whites, entirely,
is what they demand, or else indis
criminate commingling of the races,
we say, most emphatically, let the
separation come, and let it be com
plete.
« * *
Here is more of the same sort,
only worse. It is found in the Geor
gia Baptist, a paper edited by W. J.
White, and published in Atigusta,
Ga. *
He is “a colored man,” being, as
we are credibly informed, an oc
toroon.
He is a man of considerable edu
cation and ability. His paper claims
to be the organ of the colored Bap
tists of Georgia.
He quotes from the report of the
Corresponing Secretary, Home Mis
sion Board, a paragraph or two
about the work of the Board among
the negroes, and follows with an
editorial of two columns. His edi
torial is devoted, mainly, to this ex
tract from the report, which he prints
in italics.
“Nothing is plainer to any one
who knows this race than its perfect
willingness to accept a subordinate
place provided there be confidence
that in that position of subordina
tion it will receive justice and kind
ness. That is the position it prefers
above all others, and this is the con
dition in which it attains the highest
development of every attribute of
manhood. Whenever it shall un
derstandingly and cheerfully accept
this condition, the race problem is
settled forever.”
The editor reviews the chaotic
period immediately following the
war, shows that under the admistra
tion of Andrew Johnson, also, under
the “Reconstruction law,” proper,
that the white people so shaped
legislation, as to deprive the negroes
of their rights in spite of all the
efforts to prevent it.
He refers to the decision of the
Supreme Court, of the State of
Georgia, rendered by Governor
Brown, then Chief Justice, under
which thirty or forty negroes who
have been expelled by the legisla
ture were reseated.
This decision was rendered in ac
cordance with the law and the facts,
and gave the negroes their rights in
the premises.
But this decision, given by Gover
nor Brown, does not make him favor
negro domination, or social equality.
He is as far from it, and as pro
nounced against it as any white
man in the state. Here is what be
has to say about it in a letter of
April 26th 1892.
“In other words, it is indispensable
to the future prosperity and happi-
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX: THURSDAY, MAY 26. 1892.
ness of the white race of the south
that we should maintain as we have
done for many years in the past a
solid south, and to remain solid it is
necessary that the whole white race
vote the democratic ticket together.
In doing this, however, we should
see to it diligently and carefully that
no injustice is done the colored race,
but they should have at all times the
full measure of their legal rights.
This insures a solid organization,
and the protection of our rights in
the south against the aggression of
the republican party in the north.
Any other course on our part will
put the republican party perma
nently into power, and will .fasten
upon us of the south force laws,
proscription and colored domina
tion.
The picture is horrible to con
template.
We should not seek to hold power
with the view of using it to do in
justice to the colored people of the
south; but we should seek to hold it
with the view of using it whenever
necessary for the full and -ample
protection of the legal rights of the
colored as well as the white race.
Permit me to conclude this com
munication by again appealing in the
strongest possible terms to the white
people of the south to stand firmly
united with the democratic party,
which is the only way to secure the
ultimate rights of all parties, to pro
tect the sanctity of our homes and
the honor and safety of our females
from cruel outrages more to be
dreaded than death, against which
brave men will always defend when
need be at the sacrifice of life.
Very respectfully,
Joseph E. Brown.
Editor White closes his review of
the history of reconstruction, and of
the paragraph above quoted form the
report of Dr. Tichenor, as fol
lows :
“It will be seen that there has
been a predetermination on the part
of the white people of the south ever
since the colored man was emanci
pated to keep him by force in a
subordinate position and to so ham
per him that he could never rise
above it. We say the south because
the experience of the colored men of
Georgia has been the experience of
the colored men m all the Southern
States sinpe the war. The determi
nation is to declare t\e colored men
only fitted for a subordinate place as
compared with the white man, and
by law, custom, and if need be, vio
lence compcll him to occupy it. It
is said that the “mills of the gods
grind slowly” but very surely,
and we have not the slightest doubt
but that these mills will in time
grind out of existence the present
unjust unscriptural and senseless
prejudice which prevails so largely
in our section today. May the time
hasten.
The colored man, if there be one
who is ready to accept as his best
and most natural place among the
whites, a psiotion of subordination is
only fitted for a white man’s slave
and ought to report at once to his
old master or some of his children
for duty.
Such persons are not worthy the
exalted position of a citizen of the
United States.”
He declares that “the colored
man, who will accept a subordinate
position among the whites “as his
best and most natural place, is only
fitted for a white man’s slave, and un
worthy the exalted position of a
citizen of the United States.”
Under this teaching the solution
of the negro problem suggested by
Dr. Tichenor falls to the ground.
The work of the Home Board
among the negroes ought to cease.
The condition on which that work
is done is the subordination of the
negro. Their organ scornfully re
pudiates it. The Home Board has
nothing to do but to with-draw from
that field of operations.
But is Editor White, who is an
octoroon, and, therefore, a “colored
man,” the accredited leader of the
negro who is a black man, and not
“a colored man?” If the negroes
accept his teachings, take him as
their leader, and follow him, the
“color line” is distictly drawn, and
we are in favor of making it as plain
as possible. However, we shall be
slow to believe that any consider
able number of the black people of
Georgia, will prove so blind to their
true interests as to follow such a
leader. As a citizen, the negro en
joys as complete protection under
the laws of Georgia as does the
white man. But when he begins to
demand social equality he steps into
a territory he can never occupy.
The sooner this lesson is learned
and practiced the sooner he will
have settled security in the enjoy
ment of his civil rights. There may
be pulpits in the north open to the
free access of negro preachers, but
we know of none. Race prejudice
is as deep seated in the minds of
the white people of the north as of the
south. It is an ineradicable antipa
thy, planted by .nature in the very
constitution of both races. It can
not be removed until all the white
people are made negroes, or all the
negroes made white people. Nether
bayonets or bullets, neither human
laws nor the laws of God as revealed
in the Bible can change the natural
instincts of either race. The only
hope of peace, psosperity, and pro
gress for either the black or white
man is for each to make himself
contented and useful and faithful in
the sphere where God has placed
him. That man white, black, or
colored who stirs up strife and bad
blood between the races, is an enemv
to society, an anarchist at heart, and
deserves the reprobation of an all
right thinking men.
There is no place under the sun
where a peacable, upright, lawabid
ing black man js freer, more re
spected, or has better opportunities
for life, than he has today, in the
southern states. Let each know his
place, stay in it, and do his duty
there, and we shall have no trouble,
otherwise, there will be conflict,
bloodshed, extinction.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Dr. R. J. Willingham, pastor
First Church, Memphis, Tenn., read
the report on the plans and future
work of the Sunday School Board.
It will be remembered that this is a
new Board, just one year old. It
was born at Birmingham, in May,
1891. It is surprisingly well grown
for a yearling. It is able to stand
alone already. Under the direction
of Rcv» J. M. Frost, Corresponding
Secretary, it gives promise of rapid
growth and great usefulness.
Bro. Willingham made a most cap
ital speech. Among other good
things he said: “The time has come
when we have got to learn the les
son of the age. Some one has said
that the great discovery of the age
is childhood and its possibilities.
That people is wise indeed which
takes hold pf it.”
Dr. Willingham spoke of attend
ing a dying man whose last words
were his mother, though he
had just Left wife and children.
“God put the, mother to train the
child,” said he.. “We are not to
wait until a man, is old. Did not the
Jews kqpw the. lesson ? Do not the
Jesuits know thf lesson ? Has not a
Catholic priest sftid to a Protestant
bishop, .„ Protestants are the
most foppish people on earth. You
turn yoqr children over to the devil
until they are ; grown and then try to
convert them back. We take them
when they arc plastic as clay, and
we When they are old
er, we are, not, afraid of them.”
“But tfyqy qyfld them to the dev
il,” said C, t .N. Donalson, of Nor
folk. | , f
“The brother says they mold them
to the
and turn them qver to the devil, I
don’t kn<pv that we are much bet
ter,” replied pr. Willingham.
We must be permitted to say, as
we pass, that Bro. Willingham is a
Georgia man. He is a solid, con
servative Baptist. His success has
been marked in all the fields where
he has worked.
Dr. Eaton, ‘pastor of Walnut St.
Church, Louisville, Ky., and Editor
of the Western Recorder, spoke on
the subject of Sunday School libra
ries. It is an important item in a
Sunday School outfit, and ought to
receive the careful attention of su
perintendents, teachers and pastors.
Here is what Dr. Eaton has to say:
“He said they should contain 1,000
books to one they have. He found
a book in his Snnaday School libra
ry that taught divorce on a frivo
lous pretext. He could find in the
Baptist Sunday School libraries of
the country books that teach infant
baptism, apostolic succession and
baptismal regeneration. Commit
tees are appointed to inspect the
books. The committees are very
good, but books are sometimes not
very good. A man was recently
put in the penetentiary and on his
person was found certificates of his
high moral character, signed by
prominent ministers.”
Dr. Eaton gave many instances in
which the reading of a book started
the impulse in some mind which led
to a revolution. The Bible itself is
a book. Dr. Eaton compared it with
others. The Bible, if its moral ten
dency had been evil, would long
ago have wrecked the world. The
books to put into the Sunday School
libraries are those which teach the
principles we want taught. The
best perhaps is “Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s
Progress.”
Dr. Eaton is a rapid, fluent speak
er, but very dear and distinct in his
articulation. He is a good scholar,
an able writer, and a preacher who
never fails to catch and to hold the
attention of his hearers.
Dr. W. L. Pickard, pastor of First
Church at Birmingham, Ala., spoke
on the “theology of Sunday School
publications.” “No man,” said he,
“can do a great work for the souls of
men without a clear cut idea of re
ligious principles. The best way for
denominations to get along together
is to have well defined beliefs. The
best way to have good neighbors is
to have a staked and ridered fence,
and you never have good neighbors
when one has a bad fence and the
other has jumping stock
“I love B”nyan and I love Baxter,
and I read what Dr. Briggs has to
say, but thank Gcd people will stick
to the old book. I’m for the book,
the grand old book, Jonah, whale and
gourd vine! From the summit of
nineteen centuries we can never
compete with the great systems
about us except on the pure and sim
ple word of God.
While living in Tennessee the Ed
itor of the Index was invited by Dr.
Bums, then pastor of the First
Church, Memphis, Tenn., to make a
speech on “The best book to lead
children to the Saviour.” A prize
had been offered for the best book
on this subject, by the Baptist Publi
cation Society located at Memphis.
The West Tennessee Convention
was in session at Trenton, and the
address was made before that body.
Suddenly called on, the Editor was
at first, troubled how to answer.
As he was about rising to begin, the
thought, “the Bible is the best book”
for the purpose named, and on that
book the speech was made. He
thinks so yet, and believes that more
Bibles and less “literature,” is what
our Sunday Schools need just now.
Dr. Pickard struck the key note.
Dr. Gambrell, speaking on the
same subject said some witty things.
Here are a few of them.
“There are books that make a boy
get sick on religion and die.
(Laughter.) We want a healthy
religion. We want the healthy boys
to come in. Sidney Smith said
there are three kinds of people, men,
women and Episcopol preachers.
(Laughter.) I think Baptist preach
ers are about as bad—neither men
nor women—with no muscle on
them. (Laughter.) They love to
sit up with old women and let the
devil run the town. We don’t want
any of that kind. They are like the
fellow who had been traveling on a
bad road, and when he struck a good
piece he kept traveling over it back
and forth the rest of the day.
(Laughter.) Some of these preach
ers get up on the old rock of predes
tination and turn round there all
day. (Laughter.) Some of us get
mixed up, like the’ boy that didn’t
know how to put on a wagon body,
and his father put a big ‘B’ on one
end and another big ‘B’ on the other.
Now, see here, son,’ said he, ‘this
“ ‘B’ ” stands for “ ‘Before.’ ” ‘Yes,’
said the boy. ‘Well, you see that
‘“B’”on the other end?’ “Yes,’
‘That means “‘Behind.’” (Great
laughter.)
Dr. Gambrell closed by recom
mending the Broadus catechism to
straighten out things.
It takes healthy food, well masti.
cated, thoroughly digested, and as
similated to make a healthy body.
So with the mind and soul. The
world is crowded with books. They
pour in an unceasing stream from
the press. Many of them furnish
nothing but froth and trash to the
reader. It is no easy task to test
their worth. It requires good taste,
sound judgment, and a correct
standard to discriminate. Yet this
is what ought to be carefully done
with every book before it is admit
ted into a Sunday School librarv.
We believe the safer and better
plan is to buy a few volumes at a
time, and thus builds up a library
slowly and surely.
WOMAN’S MISSIONARY UNION.
DE Gambrell, of Mississippi, read
the report of the special Committee
on this subject. The subjoined sum
mary shows the progress our Baptist
sisters in the South have made since
the organization of this Society
“In 1888, the first year of the socie
ty $14,316 had been raised for for
eign missions and $6,723 had been
raised for homo missions. In 1889,
$18,716 had been raised for foreign
missions and $12,057 for home mis
sions. In 1890, $21,222 had been
raised for foreign missions and $lO,-
014 for home missions. In 1892,
$25,040 had been raised for foreign
missions and $19,247 had been raised
for home missions.”
This report provoked quite a spicy
discussion.
Dr. Gambrell made a very humor
ous but strong speech in support of
his report. So, also did Dr. Lofton
of Nashville, in what he urged “that
all should strive to uphold the wo
man's society and to put down the
prejudices that were growing up
against it in certain sections, especi
ally in the country.”
Dr. S. M. Brown, of Kansas City,
Mo., said “ho didn’t believe in wo
men working separately from the
men. He thought they should work
together in the churches, as this sep
arate work, in his opinion, would
have a tendency to weaken the
churches.”
“In my state,” said he, “the sisters
go into the pulpit, read the scriptures
and expound them to mixed audi
ences.”
The last remark developed the
troublesome phase of “woman’s
work,” and provoked some sharp ad
verse comments. He concluded as
follows.
“Dr. Brown continued his remarks
referring to the fact that there were
five thousand women in Kansas City
making their own living when the
men who should have them for
wives were spending their money at
the baseball games on Sunday or at
theatres.
He was fearful that the women
working separately would have a
very bad effect in the future; he
didn’t know what it would bring to
pass.”
In regard to women’s speaking in
public, and more especially as to
their ordination as regular preachers,
and taking charge of churches as
pastors, the position of the Index is
well known. It stands squarely, and
immovably on scripture ground.
As to distinct organizations, and
separate work, within certain limits,
and as auxiliaries to the churches,
working in them and through them,
there seems to be no well grounded
objection. Thus restricted, we bid
them God-speed in their noble work.
We are inclined, however, to give
heed to the warning given by Bro.
Brown of Missouri. The tendency
to separation and to an excessive
multiplication of societies, especially
of those which do their work inde
pendent of the churches, is to be
deprecated.
Dr. S. H. Ford, of St. Louis, the
Editor of the Christian Repository,
referring the women of Missouri)
said “it was not a general thing for
them to appear in the pulpits. The
case mentioned by Dr. Brown was
one of the extremes showing how
far some people could go.
In the state of Missouri there was
not more than one woman who ap
peared in pulpits in this way, cer
tainly not more than two.
He said there need be no fear of
the Southern women who made us
what we are, doing anything that was
in the least improper.”
There are a few examples of South
ern women taking the platform, and
addressing promirfeious assemblies.
While they do not meet with any
very great encouragement among
women generally still the leaven may
be working.
Dr. Cranfill of Texas, thought the
apprehensions of Dr. Brown looked
too far into the future, illustrating as
follows.
He said “he heard a story once of
a little girl who was found by her
mother sitting by a big spring crying
as if her heart would break.
When asked what the matter was,
she said, between her sobs, that she
was only thinking, suppose she should
live to get grown, suppose she should
get married, suppose God would
bless her with a little boy, suppose
he should crawl down to that spring
and fall in and get drowned,how aw
ful it would be, and here the little
girl cried harder than ever.
That was just the way it was with
Brother Brown, said the speaker.
He was looking too far to the front
and was worrying over the women
breaking up the church instead of
helping them in the work they were
doing.
Brother Brown knew a woman
who preached. He knew a Baptist
preacher who got drunk, but that
was no reason why the whole crowd
of Baptist preachers should be con
demned. All of them didn’t do that
way, and they didn’t want to do that
way.
Brother Brown knew five thous
and women who made their own liv
ing. He knew ten thousand men
who were not doing as much.”
Perhaps the five thousand women
who were making their own living
were in that way encouraging the
ten thousand men who were not, in
idleness.
We believe it the duty of every
man who has a family to provide for
the support of his wife and children.
Let the wife be his help-meet by be
ing “a keeper at home,” and “look
ing well to her household.”
The following poem was written
by the grand daughter of Gov. John
Milledge. It is a touching tribute to
her grandmother.
Tne author was smitten with paral
ysis while engaged in assisting in the
preparation of an operetta, in the
hall of Momoe Female College, in
July 1886. The blow'fell upon her
at 10 a. in., and by 3 p. in., she was
gone to the Better Land. It was a
terrible shock, not only to her associ-
—"T~~—rw—
ate teachers and the pupils, who loved
her dearly, but also to the whole com
munity of Forsyth. She was a wo
man of rare qualities of character,
universally respected and deeply
mourned. The poem is a tender,
loving tribute to old age, a spark
from the true poetic fire that burned
within her soul. I. r. b.
OUB GRANDMOTHER.
On the wall.
Os mem’ries Pall, ,
Hangs a Picture soft aha fair
Golden glasses—Silver Hair—
A picture like none other,
Os our father’s sainted mother.
By the light.
Os fire bright,
Neath a fall of snowy lace
Perfect still—that placid face
And the rays are very clear
On those features ever dear—
Oh! how often.
Did she soften, ,
Those old wrinkles with a smile.
Childhood's sorrows, to beguile
For well knew wo—who was strong,
To protect from every wrong-
in the dark,
I can mark.
The folds of her ’kerchief white
And her gown so wondrous tight—
For tills quaint old sober way
Was the fashion—in her day.
And her chair—
It is there!
That dear old hickory thing—
With no cushion—neither spring
Yet she was a queen—withal
Seated in it—proud and tall—
Still I see—
On her knee—
The Holy Book—her dear treasure
Its comforts, wi.o could m asuse?
And the words, now on my heart
Which were thou of her a part—
Mid the strife.
Os daily life—
Comes this vision, back to me—
And 1 sit upon h■ r knee,
List’ning to lit r accents mild
Os the V ngin’s Holy Child,
Oh! I would.
If I could—
Loan me now, upon her breast
With no thought, save only rest—
And no yearning, but to meet
Those we love at Jesus feet.
Kate Elliott Millkdge.
Overton, (near Augusta) Ga., Feb. 1868.
CALLED TO ORDER.
Attention is directed to a com
munication from Brother T. M. Cal
laway correcting au error in an ar
ticle in the issue of last week beaded,
“Points of order.” ,
Brother Callaway is right.
The call for the “previous ques
tion,” when sustained by the body,
cuts off debate.
In the case referred to, the call
was for “the question,” which is
merely away of showing that the
body is tired of discussion, and that
it desires a vote.
Upon a call for the “previous
question” sustained by the body,
though debate upon the main ques
tion is stopped, yet a member may
speak to a question of privilege, but
to nothing else.
The editor ment no reflection upon
our worthy presiding officer, but
simply to notice the growing ten
dency in the Convention to throw off f
restraint, and, hence, to become dis
orderly.
It is hard to write right, harder to
speak right, harder, still, to do
right.
Much obliged, Brother Callaway,
for setting me right. The editor
heartily wishes that somebody would
keep him right.
THE ANTIDOTE.
It seems to this writer that the
religious press is giving too much
time and space to a direct combat
with error. We place false teach
ings, before the minds of our readers
and then proceed to prove them
false. Better not give place to er
ror. Let us fill onr columns with
“the truth,” and scatter them wher
ever error is found. It does not
mitigate the deadly effects of error
to publish its bad qualities, or to ar
gue against its dangerous tendencies.
If a man has taken arsenic it will
do him no good to argue with him
about its deadly properties. He
needs the antidote to the poison.
Delay will soon place him beyond
the reach of remedy.
When the Israelites were stnng
by the fiery serpents, God did not
tell Moses to go through the camp,
and speak to the people about the
dreadful effects of the poison.
He ordered him to make a brazen
serpent and to lift it up on a pole so
that it would be possible for all to
see it. Having done so, Moses’ di
rection to the dying Israelites was to
look and live. They needed the an
tidote to the poison, not argument
about its deadly effects.
“And as Moses lifted up the ser
pent in the wilderness, even so naust
the Son of Man be lifted up, that
whosoever belicveth in him should
not perish but have everlasting life.”
Sin is the poison, and the deadly
element of every error.
Jesus is the antidote to the poison.
“The truth as it is in him,” is the
corrective of every error.
We must have the eyes of the
world look upon “Christ Crucified,”
and upon nothing else, if we would
have it saved.
“He gave them a banner that
it might be displayed for the truth.”
And I, if 1 bo lifted up, will
draw all men unto me.”
“Go through, go through the gates;
prepars ye the way of the people;
cast up, cast up the highway; lift up
a standard for the people.”