Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

Many good and strong things were said in be half of MISSIONS During the Session of the Southern Baptist Convention. Subscribe to and read the Christian Index, if you would keep informed. ESTABLISHED 18£1. ©he ©hrisiian Inxtex 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 i.oo One copy, three months 50 Obituaries.—One hundred words free of chaige. For each extra word, one cent per wont, cash witli copy. To Correspondents.—Do not uite abrevia tions; lie 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 off 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 date of label 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 regis tered letter, money order, postal note. One of the eighteen preachers the American Baptist Missionary Union is supporting in Russia has been exiled to Siberia for preaching, the gospel, and another sent out of the country on only three hours notice. Did you ever think that you would like to die joyous ? Such a death can only be to those who live with a view to dying. The Rev. Dr. Spring says that he never knew an irreligious man to die joyous; nor a religious man to die miserable. The Methodist General Conference at Omaha, after much discussion of the question of women delegates, - roted as a compromise measure, that die district conference should ballot on the matter, and unless a two thirds opposition results, the word “lay” shall be understood to include women. Most of the conferences, have already decided the matter in saver of the women, and hence the compromise measure vir tually settles the question. Late dispatches from Honolulu in dicate a revolution in Hawaii, the capital city of the paradise of the Pacific. This excitement grows out of the arrest, the hitter part of May, of twenty persons charged with the crime of treason against the Hawai ian Government. The persons ar rested are understood to lie mem bers of the “Hawaiian Protective As sociation.” The purpose of these men is to overthrow the present Gov ernment, of Queen Liliuakalini and establish instead a republic. There are many Baptist ministers, both North and South, who use the Revised Version of the Scriptures in their pulpit reading. We see. that the Episcopal Convention of Massa chusetts has by a decided majority voted to ask the general convention of that church to sanction the use of that version in public worship. The Standard, of Chicago, has this word on the subject: “While the use of the revised ver sion is not so general as was expect ed upon its promulgation, it seems to tie certain that its use will gradually extend during the years to ' come. The vote of this branch of this con servative denomination is note worthy.” When the Christian people and lovers of good order all over our country are bringing their influence to bear in favor of closing the gates of the world’s fair on the Lord’s-day, it is discouraging to have so eminent a man as the Rev. Dr. Gifford, of the Immanuel Baptist Church, Chicago, preaching in favor of opening them. Every denomination nearly, through its highest representative body, has voted in favor of closing. The truth about Sunday opening is tersely stated by the Philadelphia Ledger: “The dangerous classes want the Chicago exposition open on Sunday. The best citizens want it shut.” In May a Jewish Rabbi and nine children were received into the He brew Christian Church in New York and all baptized upon a confession of their faith in Christ. Rabbi Herman Faust, Ph. D., his wife and his two oldest children re ceived adult Baptist upon confession of their faith in Christ. It was their own idea and desire that in addition to their former names they should each receive a new name chosen from the New Testament. In accordance with their request, Mr. Freshman, the pastor, baptized the Rabbi, Herman “Paul,” his wife Ida “Mary,” his glje (Sljristian 3nOrr. daughter ft «Uelmina “Martha,” and his Son Herman “Matthew.” They feyßev. Mr. Gabelein, the Assistant pastor, questioned the pa rents in/ Jarman as to their desire to bring g ae children in the Chris tian faffnr They heartily responded in the affirmative. Mr. Freshman then baptized the seven younger as follows: Rebecca “Magdalene,” Ed win “Mark,” Alfred “Luke,” Martin “John,” Caroline “Elisabeth,” Rudol phine “Anna,” Elijah “Timothy.” We are reminded of the homely, but pregnant remark Os Josh Billings when he said, “It is better not to know so mneh than to know so many things that aint so.” The higher critics become exceedingly impatient when we of a lower plane venture to suggest that their critical guesses may lack’ substantial bases. Yet here is an instance of historic erran cy that may well cause us to pause a moment. The Boston Watchman makes this good point: “It is not asking too much to re quest the scholars, whose revolution ary conclusions in Biblical criticism are presented for our, acceptance, to confirm our faith in their findings by then 1 trust-worthiness in the matters of which we know something. Prof. C. H. Toy, for instance, in the New Review says that Astruc was a favorite at the Court of Louis XIV. Louis died in 1715, and it was not until 1720 that Astruc was appointed consulting surgeon to the King. In 1715 and for years afterward he was at Montpelier. We should have a good deal more confidence in Prof- Toy’s conclusions that we cannot test if he did not trip in stating facts that we know something about also.” The eyes of the political world are just now turned to Minneapolis and Chicago. At the first place the Republican national nominating con vention to nominate a Candidate for the presidency is to be. It seems now that it will be President Harri. son against the field. • There have been developed strong elements of opposition to the present incumbent. It may be that these elements can unite upon Mr. Blaine. The health of Mr. Blaine isjuncertain, and Mr. Harrison’s chances seem best. Yet it is the uncertain that happens. At Chicago the Democratic nation al convention will meet later for the purpose of nominating a candidate for the presidency. Perhaps there is greater uncertainty as to the nom inee, since there are many more names to come before this conven tion. Among the names most prom inent are Ex-Governor Gray, of In diana, Senator Palmer, of Illinois, Governor Boies, of lowa, Ex-Govern or Campbell, of Ohio, besides Ex president Grover Cleveland and Sen ator Hill, of New York. Beside the greater uncertainty, there is proba bly greater difficulties to solve by the Democratic convention. While Mr. Cleveland is undoubtedly the choice of a majority of the politicians, in Democratic circles, he is also op posed by the masses of the agricul tural people especially in the South. This opposition comes of his differ ing with them upon the monetary questions of the hour. There is a sort of novelty in this situation. Gov ernor Boies when Mr. Cleveland was elected before was a Republican and opposed him and supported Blaine. If he should now be nomi nated he would oppose Blaine if the latter should be nominated •at Min neapolis. But such a status will probably not exist, when the two conventions have concluded their work. Governor Northen’s proclomation in behalf of older and peace, as against lynch law is very timely and appropriate. His utterances were forcible and to-the point as the emer gencies of the hour demand. It is to bo hoped that the colored people will unite their influence and efforts to prevent their people committing the crimes which lie at the bottom of these lynchings. This done and a rigid enforcement of the laws by the courts and executive power of the state, we arc satisfied the practice of lynching people in the South will cease. The failure, if not the power lessness of the laws, to bring the per petrators of outrageous crimes to j ustice, has caused certain elements to rise up and take the law in hand. This should not be allowed to con tinue, and the Governor’s move in ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. JUNE 9, 1892. the matter should be promptly and liberally supplemented by the law abiding element in the State. It is unnecessary to give the several rea sons why this should be done. Be side the necessity of disposing of such matters by process of law, it is necessary to keep down organized defence by the colored race. Al eady the y have begun to collect and publish statistics showing the num ber of legal executions and the num ber of lynchings last year, by sec tions and by races. Whether these statistics are correct or not, we are not able to say. It may be worth the time to give them, that our read ers may see what they claim. They say there were 125 persons legally executed on conviction of capital crime in the United States in 1891, while 195 were put to death without process of law. Os the legal executions, twenty-seven were in the Northern States and ninety-six in the South. One colored man was legally hanged in the North, while twenty-six white men were so ex ecuted there. In the South sixty-four negroes were executed under due process of law and thirty-two white persons. Os the persons lynched in the South, 118 were negroes and fifty one whites. We give the figures from the standpoint of the negro race. Wheth er they are correct or not, we are convinced that the practice of lynch ing is too frequent and that public sentiment should decry it, and indi vidual effort should be made to stop it as far as possible. FROM JAPAN. BY REV. 0. C. POPE. We arrive at Yokohama safely and obtain a boarding place with Mr. and Mrs. Staniland, ex-missionaries, who now keep a splendid hoarding house where Christian people can find all the comforts of a home. Mr. Staniland is an English Baptist, who accepted an appointment as mission ary from the Board of the Christian or Campbellite church of America and went to Japan, but it did not take long to find out that he was not a Campbellite in sentiment and he was discontinued. He is a whole hearted capital good man and were he instructed in the way of the Lord more perfectly on the question of communion, would make a good Baptist worker. His wife certainly knows how to run a house well. Yokohama is quite a modern city, having grown from a struggling vil lage to a city of about two-hundred thousand people since the country was opened to foreigners thirty or forty years ago. It is the principal sea port of Japan and the entrepot for Tokyo the capital. It looks about as much like an American or Eu ropean city as it does like a Japa nese place. There are good hotels, large business houses and fine resi dences, several splendid Protestant churches and good buildings for mis sion schools. The Baptist have a church of about three-hundred mem bers organized under the Boston Board, with a house of worship worth about t 2,500. They also have a girl’s school of seventy pupils and a school building that cost about $15,000. The Presbyterians are ahead, having two fine brick churches and good schools. Tokyo, the capital is an hour’s ride by rail and contains about a million and a half of inhabitants and being over a thousand years old is of course thoroughly Japanese. We spent several days quite profita bly in this city. The principal ob jects of interest are the magnificent Buhdist and Shin too temples of which there are many, the palace and grounds of the emperor, the great national university and the various factories and innumerable stores. There are three Baptist church organizations with a small house of worship, and a girl’s school belonging to the Baptist with a prop erty worth $6,000. We made the acquaintance of the missionaries and teachers and found them pleasant and hopeful. The national univer sity in buildings and equipments will compare favorably with the best institutions we have in America. It is modern and fully up with the age. I visited Nikko about a hundred miles still further in the interior and connected with the capital by rail. This is a mere village famous for the finest and most sacred tvJtples of the country. These temples, built about four hundred years ago,-are very fine and every year hundied? of thous ands of people resort to them. The location at the foot of a range of mountains, is very fine and the sur-' rounding scenery extremely grand. We have been in Japan a month, so I will sum up my observations. As to climate, it is about similar to that of our Atlantic States, from Florida to Maryland, so? while the whole empires contains about as many square miles as the State of California, it stretches North and South over eight hundred miles. The Southern portion grows tropi cal fruits and knows nothing of ice and snow, while the Northern part is quite cold in winter. The climate is warmer than similar latitudes in China owing to an ocean current which sweeps around the island sim ilar to our Gulf Stream off the At lantic coast. There was a snow fall the middle of February in Yokohama of six inches in depth, but it lay on the ground only a few hours. Through the centre of the islands there is a range of mountains with now and then a high peak thrown up by volcanic action and one of these peaks, the beautiful Fujiyamma tow ers up about thirteen thousand feet with its summit perpetually covered with snow. This is a volcano which occasionally becomes active. It is doubtless volcanic action which causes the frequent earthquakes one of which caused such great destruc tion of life and property not long before our arrival in the country. The railroad from Kobe to Yokoha ma was not in running orker during our visit on account of the earth quake. The valleys on either side of the mountain range, are very fer tile and are cultivated like a garden. Though the whole empire has an area only about equal to that of Cali fornia it has a populat of over forty millions tAo-tlwa**, i *ucb a*T the population of the .v'lwlp United States, and such is the , fertility of the soil that a sufficiency is produced to support this vaet population and large qualities of rice, tea and silk are exported to other countries. Flowers abound everywhere and the land-scapes formed by the well cul tivated fields, the numerous flowers with green ipountains in the back ground are perfectly lovely. I do not think we have seen a country anywhere outside of the United States bo beautiful as Japan. The people are small of stature as a rule but extremely bright and in telligent. It is a rare thing to meet a person even of the lowest classes who cannot read and write. They are quick to catch any need idea and are quite progressive both in arts and sciences. They are very neat in their dress and in their houses, polite to strangers and seem to be merry and happy. The women mix freely in society, and as a rule are merry and good looking. The Japanese are born artiste and not only produce beautiful designs in silks, embroider ies and porcelain ware, but adorn their persons and their houses with the results of their skill. I have seen even small boys and girls doing work on porcelain vases that would bring from twenty to thirty dollars each. Their machines are, of course, in many respects crude and old fashion ed, but they produce with them mar vellous results, and quickly discard an old appliance as soon as they learn of something better. They are proud of their history running back nearly three thousand years, for their present emperor or Mikado as he is called, claims to be the hundred and sixty third occupant of the throne in a direct line, and can trace his ances try directly back for over two thous and years. The Japanese are famous for their family affection. No member of the family will permit another member to suffer, while he has the meairs to prevent it, and the son or daughter never gets two ol(l to be relieved from the obligation to assist the old folks in need. Os course many of their social customs differ very wide ly from ours, but they are not to be judged by our standards. The religion of the country is a mixture. Originally it was Shintoo ism in which those distinguished for their supposed virtues or heroism were deified, and shrines erected for their worship. Buhdism was intro duced into the country from China and took a firm hold of the people and now the two religions are so blended that the masses profess both, and there are Shintoo temples and Buhdist temples in which the people worship alternately as they choose, and in some temples there are shrines to both religions. The emperor is the head of. the religions as well as the civil life of the people, but there is no restriction by law on religious worship of any kind, each one being free to worship or not, as he chooses. Christianity has made some prog ress and I think that Japan is by far the most hopeful field for Christian work of any country in Asia. The emperor thought at one time of adopting Christianity as the national religion and sent his chief minister of religion to Europe to investigate and report upon the influence of Christi anity on the nations where it was professed. On his return the minis ter reported that in the so-called Christian countries which he visited he found drunkenness, licentiousness and crime so prevalent that he doubted if the religion of those coun tries was any improvement on that of Japan and so no change was made. The bad example of Euro peans and Americans in India, China and Japan is one of the greatest ob stacles which the missionaries have to encounter in impressing our re ligion upon the natives. Our steamer the beautiful Oceanic is lying in the bay and to-morrow we leave for a voyage of 5,400 miles to San Francisco, via Honolulu, but we leave Japan with regret and shall long carry in mind the memory of its lovely valleys, beautiful mountains, and pleasant and polite people. If you get the opportunity be sure to visit Japan. Yokohama, Feb, 23d, 1892. FROM ARKANSAS. INFORMATION WANTED. Since it lias come to light that Mr. i Towner is not a Baptist, but a ' Northern Methodist, a great many Baptists are wanting to know who appointed him to take charge of the singing at the Convention in Atlan ta, and if the parties appointing him know that he was a Methodist when they appointed him. We want also to know if it was known that he had a song hook he wished to adver tise, a real Methodist song book, so deeply dyed in Methodism that the _good old Baptist song “How Firm A Foundation” has been changed in the last line to read “The soul that on Jesus doth lean for repose.’’ Many Baptists bought this book and carried it home with them for their children to sing such songs not knowing these things. I learn that when some one called the attention of the friends of this book to -this change, they said that it was copied from Harvest Bells song book which only makes it Io much worse, for that proves that it was not a mitsake, but that the change was made inten tionally since it is a fact that Har vest Bells has “Hath leaned for re pose.” Our great Southern Baptist Convention has certainly reached a very low point when it is used as a “market place,” or a bulletin board, to advertise a Northern Methodist, and his book. Pretty cheap adver tising it seems to me. I have to pay for all the advertising I get, and I do it willingly, and cheerfully, hut this free advertising arrangement seems to run clear of the papers so that they are not troubled with an expense account. We want to know if this thing is to be repeated at the Centennials at Louisville, and Rich mond. The Methodists are enjoy ing this thing hugely and I do not blame them, for they together with all others have said for a great while that Baptists were an ignorant set, and now Baptiste have furnished the proof. If brethren Branham, Haw thorne, Tichenor, Jones or any one else can give us any information about the matters herein referred to, I think at least two millions of Bap tists North and South would like to have it. Several good Baptist breth ren from the North have asked me recently a very hard question, “How is it that you Southern Baptiste claim to bo such strong Baptists and get a Methodist to lead the singing at your Convention?” I take nearly all the Baptist papers in the South, and I failed to see that any of them have said a word about this innova tion except two. I suppose the at- tention of the others has not been called to it. W. E. Penn, Baptist Evangelist. DR. MILLER EXPLAINS. BRIEFLY ’STATING HIS VIEWS OF CHURCH MUSIC. Editor the Christian Idex :—A recent issue of your excellent paper, in an editorial on “Criticism of the Convention,” does me and perhaps, the choir of the First Church, Atlan ta, an unintentional injustice, as a word of explanation will plainly show. lam writing a series of arti cles for the Arkansas Baptist on “The Old Gospeland having been very much impressed by the singing in the Convention of “Old Time Re ligion.” I wrote an article on the subject, and to emphasize what I was saying in favor of “Old Time Reli gion>” I mentioned that Dr. Haw thorne, the able and eloquent pastor of the First Church, was so much impressed with the hymns sung with so much good effect in the Conven tion that he requested Dr. Carroll to preach in his church Sunday night on the old time doctrine of repent ance, and I referred byway of con trast, for the purpose of making the sentiment of my article all the more forcible, to what was said of the fine operatic or classical music at the First Church that night, and which I heard severely criticized by brethren at the hotel where I was stopping. I was not present myself as I preach ed in another church at the same hour. I emphatically disclaim writ ing that article as a criticism in any sense of the Convention or anything that occurred in that great gathering of the Lord’s hosts, or as a Phillipis against the choir in Dr. Hawthorne’s church. Such is not my style nor my taste. Yet I stand by every sentence or sentiment of that article in its proper connection. And now, in regard to choirs, church music, etc. I have no word to say, as I en tertain som& views formed from long expedience which poss : Lly may be , of service to others. Choirs and con- i gregations both have their rights which should he promptly recogniz ed and duly respected. Allowing a bit of personal experience byway of illustration, I will state that several years ago, while State evangelist in Kentucky, I was asked to supply the pulpit of the Walnut Street Church, Louisville, for a time, and on arriv ingin the city I soon found that there was a conflict, of a more or less serious nature, between the choir and some of the congregation. A brother came to me with the sug gestion that I should announce the first hymn immediately on going in to the hulpit; but I said the choir would likely have a voluntary of some kind for the opening; and that is just what we don’t want” was his prompt and rather emphatic reply. “Very well,” said I; “When does the choir meet ?” I had made up my mind to . meet with the choir, and have matters understood. So I attended the meeting, which was very full, the choir from the Jewish temple being present, and the music was very fine. Just be fore the close of the practice. I took the leader of the choir aside and said to him ; “You have a very fine choir, and I am delighted with the singing. I shall probably be with you for a few Sundays, and I want to say that you can make your voluntary or anthem at the opening just as artistic and classical as you like, and so of the “offertory,” the pleasure of the choir shall be my pleasure; but you will please set plain, familiar tunes to the hymns announced from the pulpit, so that as many as may desire to do so may join in the singing. I further re marked that I always had some such understanding in the churches where I preached as it was right and there by trouble was avoided.- I made the suggestion because I knew per fectly well that the choir and a con siderable class in the congregation would not be satisfied with less, and the rights of the congregation were fully guarded by the singing of the hymns to familiar tunes. And I hope never to be less careful or pru dent in my allusions to the music of any church. Great and good as was the late Dr. Fuller, I could not but think that his criticism of the music in the First Church, Memphis, when the Convention met there, was too severe. After a very finely render ed anthem by the choir Sunday | Brother Minister, < Working Layman, ’■ Zealous Sister, tv We are striving to make Index the kind. Help us by securing • neW/Wnßcnber. VOL. 69.-NO. 23. morning, he announced a hymn, re questing the congregation to sing it, and saying that he would rot give the singing of one good hymn by the congregation for all the operatio music by trained choirs in the world; and well do I remember how loud and emphatic were the “amens” from a number of good brethren. But Dr. Fuller came to me the next day, and begged me, as pastor of the church to apologize to the membera of the choir for what he had said, fearing that he had hurt their feelings. I was glad to be able to say that none were hurt at what he had said, and I sincerely hope that no one has been offended at anything I have said. Surely nothing could have been further from my intention. Hoping that I have made myself fully understood, and that good and not harm may result from what hag been said, I am Yours sincerely, A. B. Milleb. Little Rock, May 30, 1892. FROM ALABAMA. Strained analogies are very com mon. A clebrated preacher in Geor gia, was said to have a famous ser mon cautioning against apostasy, bas ed on the parable of the wiseand fool ish virgins, assuming that the oil in the vessels represent grace in the heart. I mentioned this case to a man of some rough-hewn ability, and considerable ingenuity, who re plied, “Oh but the foolish virgins had no oil in the vessels—they only said they had,” showing that he also made the same assumption. So I have frequently heard sermons in appeal to the unconverted drawn from the parable of the prodigal son. Perhaps it were better to say these cases were an unauthorized use of mere incidents in the story. Such thing is very common. Another preacher assumed that the servants in the parable of the talents represented Christians. Towards the end of his discourse, he stopped short as he ap pioached the statement that the un faithful servant was “Cast into out er darkness,” somewhat like a man suddently coming upon a precipice with horse and buggy. ’ Incidents are not to be regarded as a part of the res gesta, unless intimated by the context, sustained by the analogy of faith, by comment of the Savior or apostles, or by the scope of the passage under interpretation. In the cases cited, nothing is clear, but the use of marriage customs to warn all . to be prepared to meet their account with God, to eschew the jealousy manifested by the older brothen (the Jews,) to use gifts and endow ments, on whomsoever bestowed, for tho service of God. More apposite to our heading, is the insistence of Paul in* the 6th, 7th and Bth of Romans, that converted people are not under the law but under grace,” denominated by the influence and satisfying power of the Holy Spirit, not wholly but mainly. If wholly, sinless perfection were indicated; if not at all sanctification were denied. The point aimed at, is that analogies, things which do not go all fours, are not to be accepted as absolute like nesses, or to be used at all except when the use is pointed out clearly by comment of Christ or his apostles or authorized by the general teach ing of Scripture. How wild the spitualizing habit of such great men as Oligen and Gill, resulting from strained analogies, Lord’s very able book on Figures of Speech, laying down the basis pro position that in-figurative language the figure is always in the predicate, never in the subject of the proposi- x tion, unless something in the context or scope of the passage or its sur roundings, indiartes the fact, —by which last clause he unwillingly throws away entirely his great prin ciple,—is a remarkable case of over looking the necessity of recourse to that common-sense judgment which rises above all technical Canons. Accepting his lame theory, men look for the certain literal restoration of the Jews, and tho premillennial per sonal coming of Christ, a theory that would seem to require the restora tion of the Mosaic ritual, and throw us back on a typical ’Gospel. A double meaning however as in many of the Psalms, may not be impos sible. Many men think strongly but not safely; are carried away with liknesses, overlooking uulikenesses,