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Many good and strong things were said in be
half of
MISSIONS
During the Session of the
Southern Baptist Convention.
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ESTABLISHED 1821.
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Can there be an acceptable prayei;
to God which does not involve the
provision, expressly or by implica
tion, “thy will be done”?
There are people who think that
their attendance upon a preacher’s
ministry is a compliment to him, and
their withdrawal of such patronage
a disaster to him.
After all our multiplied organi
zations and appliances, we have con
stant need for the divine guidance
and help in church work. “Unless
the Lord build the house they labor
in vain that build it”.
He is indeed a happy pastor who
can strike the “golden mean” be
twixt pulpit preparation and pasto
ral duties. It is not unlikely* that
much of the demand for pastoral vis
iting has no really religious fuonda
tion.
The readiness with which unbeliev
ers pick up qew and absurd beliefs
about religion proves that their diffi
culty is not ont of belief so much as
it is of morals. He who earnestly
desires to do the will of God “shall
know of thq doctrine”.
finely says r “The rnosi
comprehensive end of life is, the pos
session of the noblest personality.”
This is higher than wealth, or pow
er, or enjoyment; and it is attained
only by “pure religion and undefiled
before God and the Father.”
It is no business of the churches
to furnish amusement for young peo
ple nor for any other people. Reli
gion is not a funny thing, nor is it
the chief aim in life be be amused.
People who are full of the joy of '
salvation do not need worldly dissi
pations.
There is no sound reason why a
Christian man should set up one I
standard of piety for himself and an
other for his pastor. A deacon or
other member of a church who
tolerates dancing and card parties in
his house can show no good reason
for these things which his pastor can
not also show.
The power of an ideal to stimulate
our effort is proportionate to its prac
ticability and the desirableness of
what it represents. When our Lord
said “Be ye therefore perfect even
as your Father in heaven is perfect”,
he gave an ideal toward which we
may make real forgivness, and
which ever increases in power as we
w’ork toward it.
In this centennial of missions it is
surely appropriate for every Chris
tian to make a special thank-offering
for the purpose of sending the gospel
to the ends of the earth. And that
offering ought to be so large as to
involve some real self-denial. If it
be that, rich and poor alike will give
much more than they have ever done
before.
We hear a deal about the evils of
ambition and greed from time to
time, and without doubt both may
become inordinate and result in evil.
But is it not probable that the num
ber of those who waste their lives in
“inglorious ease”, even in our own
complex civilization, is far greater
than that of those who are wrecked
upon the shoals of covetousness and
ambition?
The joy of salvation is assential to
the best work for our Lord. The
happy, joyous Christian life is a liv
ing commentary upon the truth and
power of the gospel. So the Psalm
ist prayed Restore unto mo the joy
of thy salvation; then shall I teach
transgressors thy ways aud sinners
flic (tljristian
shall be converted unto thee. “And
the apostle Paul wrote the Philippi
ans, “Rejoice in the Lord always,
and again I say. rejoice.
The N orthern Presbyterian
Church the past year did not ignore
the ordinance of baptism. The offi
cial statistics, show that during the
year ending April 30th more infants
were baptized into that church than
adults. The adults baptised were
20.859. and the infants 25.762. The
figures also show that nearly this
number have been baptised every
year during the past, six years, the
lowest number any year during that
time being 23.469.
What an exceedingly boastful
thing the so-called higher criticism
is, to bo sure! In this it is in marked
contrast with good learning which is
always modest. These critics as
sume certain limitations for God and
then proceed to try the current and
well-established interpretations of
scripture, as well as the whole matter
its authority and genuineness, by
their own canons. This they are at
liberty to do if they wish, but they
ought in all conscience to cease call
ing it “scientific”.
A young lady, at Asbury Park,
N. J., the other day, appeared on
the streets, in a ball-room dress.”
She was arrested by order of a mag
istrate, who sharply rebuked her for
the immodesty of her attire. Now,
w T e are profoundly aware that mas
culine ineptness on all questions of
feminine apparel is too obvious for
denial and too inveterate for cure.
But we are willing to risk a fresh
exposure of it in the present case, in
order to say : Alas for this young
lady if she could gain her own con
sent to wear in a ball-room any
dress which worn elsewhere would
justify a charge of immodesty
against her ! Alas for her ; aud for
all others of her like ; and for the
ball-rooms where the wearing of such
dresses escapes reproof I
“T’-.o f’.iJzsLS-ger Exiles in 'Geor
gia” furnish Rev. Jno. F. Hurst, I).
D., materials for an interesting arti
cle in the August “Harpers.” We
gather from it that among the Bap
tist families in Effingham county to
day, the Rohus, Dashers, Waldhaurs,
Wisenbakers and Bergsteiners are
descendants from these exiles. This
is an honorable lineage, the more es
pecially as it remounts to the Wal
denses. How many other Baptist
families in that portion of the state
share it? We should be glad of
any facts -with regard to the histori
cal relations between the Salzsbur
gers aud our Baptist fathers. A
household or neighborhood tradition
may linger here and there on the
verge of extinction, and we should
take no little pleasure in putting it
on record in our columns before it
sinks irrecoverably into the vortex of
“dumb forgetfulness.” Who of our
brethren can or will gratify these
wishes ?
One of the literary papers of New
York imputes “bigotry” to Rev. Ar
thur Ritchie, an Episcopal priest in
that city, because he will not open
his church choir to Jewish singers.
We wmuld think the charge just, if
the exclusion rested on the simple
fact of Hebrew blood in the veins
without regard to personal religious
faith. But its real ground is the
far deeper and more momentous
fact that the mind and heart have
not been purged from the old He
brew unbelief and blasphemy. This
puts up, as it seems to us, a barrier
that ought to be unsurmountable.
How can the love that adores Christ
as Divine and trusts Christ as Re
deeming, give over the service of
public song which, in ideal, is always
and only that love’s worship of this
Redeeming, Divine Christ, to men
and women blinded and hardened
in spirit by the Christ-renouncing,
Christ-crucifying creed of their fath
ers! To our judgment, such a
course would savor of impiety and
mockery ; so obviously too, that no
one could have conceived the idea
of its permissibility but for the gen
eral prevalence of looseness concern
ing the relation of the choir to
the spirituality of the church.
There ought to be an intelligent
Christian belief and a sound Chris
tian experience among the qualities
demanded for admission into any
choir that is to be itself accepted as
Christian and to render Christian
worship.
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. AUGUST 18, 1892.
The Index is not a political paper
and very rarely deals with purely
political questions. The Index is
interested in good goverment and
honest legislation. Now while men
are being selected for office, from
the Presidency down partyisan feel
ing should not take place of principle.
Give us men of principle in all the
walks of life. Give us especially
men of principle, .in our rulers and
law-makers. The Senate by a vote
of 28 to 26 refused to allow the sale
of liquor on the grounds, at the
Worlds Fair. This is supposed to be
the honest vote of that body. The
management of the fail' having been
offered $600,000 for the privilege of
dealing out liquor on the grounds,
obtained a second vote, which revers
ed the decision, and declared that as,
important and dignified body as
the Senate does not always vote
from principle.
Give us men of principle as rulers
and law-makers.
It is the opinion of the world that
Ministers of the Gospel only pay at
tention to calls by churches where a
better field and larger salary is of
fered. This is not always the case
by a great deal. We have known
several cases, where larger salaries
were offered and the call rejected.
The question of money was not the
ruling consideration. It was the de
sire in the heart to best serve the
Lord. Rev. T. B. Meyer, of London
is one of such examples. It is really
refreshing to read his words. He
decided to accept the call to the pas
torate of Christs church, recently va
cated by Rev. Newman Hall, D. D.
and has bidden farewell to Regent
Park. Read these words, see in them
the spirit that is not prompted by
salary or worldly glory. He says:
“I have often questioned whether
I was acting consistently with my
deepest principles, to be officiating
as the minister of an influential and
successful church, drawing a larsje
salary, and surrounded by every sign
of success, and welcomed in all parts
I's pie count*,’-w a eudwr,
whilst the great masses of the people
were living in sin and need in the
more densely-populated districts of
London. An opportunity is now
presented me of fulfilling a long
cherished purpose, and 1 want to
engage in it with the feeling that
you freely give me up to it, and
yield me your sympathy and your
prayers.”
ASKED AND ANSWERED.
C. E. W. DOBBS, D. D.
Who are the “Stundists,” and why
are they persecuted in Russia?
l. s. F.
The “Stundists” are Russian
Christians who protest against the
established church of that empire.
That church is the “Orthodox Orien
tial or Greek church.” More than
three-fourths of the entire popula
tion belong to it. The Russian law
declares that “all people living in
Russia may worship God according
to the laws and faith of their ances
tors.” At the same time it is or
dained: “No Christian can change
his religion for any other than the
Russian church, nor can a non-
Christian embrace any other form of
Christianity, and any apostacy from
the state church is punished by sev
ere penalties,” These quotations
are from an article prepared for the
Schaff-llerzog Encyclopedia by a
gentleman who was a priest in the
Russian church, and may be consid
ered authortative. Another article
in the same work prepared by Dr.
P. J. Popoff, whose very name is
suggestive of prejudice, says that
“the sect of the Stundists is of recent
origin, it became known only in 1860.
The Stundists strive to get rid of
the authority both of the State and
the Church. They hold that every
body is free to understood the Bible
in his or her way. So far they have
come to those conclusions, —the
priestly hierarchy is invalid, there is
no sense in the adoration of the
cross and holy images, of the seven
sacraments only baptism and com
munion are to be retained.” "With
the exception of the doubtless false
charge of civil anarchy, their position
will receive the general endorsement
of Protestants everywhere. In a
recent article in Harper’s Magazine,
Mr. Poultney Bigelow gives some
very interesting facts concerning
these Russian “heretics.” Accord
ing to him and others the name
Stundists is derived from the Ger
man stunde, an hour, referring to
the length of the usual service of
the sects. This seems rather fanci
ful, but may be true. As to the
character of these persecuted Chris
tians, Mr. Bigelow has a very favora
ble word:
“Twenty years ago there w’ere
known to be about 1,000 Stundists
in all Russia. To-day there are
probably 250,000, although it is im
possible to bo certain on such a
point. The bulk of them are scatter
ed between the Black Sea and
Poland; though their puritan doc
trine finds an echo in every province
of the empire. They are a vital
Christian force, and are doing vast
ly more to revolutionize Russia than
the nihilists. They are spreading
popular education amongst the class
that needs it most, ami are starting
inquiry in the minds of the people
whose fathers never questioned the
divinity of the Czar.Thc Russian gov
ernment could afford to ignore these
people for many years, especially as
the police reported them as uniform
ly industrious, honest, sober and
prompt in the payment of taxes. The
Church, however,had to protect itself,
for Stundists held one doctrine that
could never bo forgiven-donial of Or
thodoxy. The government is fighting
the Stundists aud Skoptzi with the
same well-worn weapons of old fash
ioned persecution, and no one who
knows Russia need bo surprised that
Protestantism is making eqormous
strides in consequence. While on this
subject it may be in teresting to refer to
a recent book by Rev. Ur. Harmann
Dalton of Berlin. For more than a
geueration he has lived in Russia as
pastor of the leading reformed church
in St. Petersburg, and in his oflicial
capacity and by his many journeys
has with his own eyes seen and with
his own ears heard that whereof he
speaks. His description of the spir
itual condition of the Russian Ortho
dox church is a sad one. One of the
surprises of the book is the statistics
given of the religious Dissenters, the
“Rascol” or Schism, a they are ofli
usifllly Urn rvl. «N»u» that
fully fourteen or fifteen million
Christian subjects in European Rus
sia are Nonconformists, so that nearly
one-third of the empire are oppo
nents of the State Church. The
“Stundists,” the best and most evan
gelical of the native Dissenters, he
places at two million. These figures
are in advance of those furnished by
Zoeckler and other statisticians ; but
Dalton has had access to the best of
sources. These figures make it plain
why the authorities of State and
Church so bitterly persecute Dissen
ters at present. The Russians are
beginning to think, and the attempt
to seal the Empire hermetically to
progressive thought from within and
and without is proving a dismal, or
rather a fortunate, failure.
Here is an anonymous postal card,
on which is scrawled this question:
“Why did Christ choose Judas as
ono of his disciples if he knew he
was a bad man and a thief?” Though
it is against the rule to answer in
quiries from anonymous correspon
dents, we will in this instance over
look the rule. The answer is as
short as easy. “We don’t know.”
In fact, a good many brethren are
given to asking questions about which
wo suppose the angels of heaven
know little or nothing. They are
mere questions of curiosity and spec
ulation, w hich have no relation to
our duty to God or man.
An Alabama subscriber writes to
ask “what proportion of the world is
Christian?” There are no positively
reliable statistics at hand, but Whit
aker’s Church Almanac gives the fol
lowing figures:
THE RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD.
Buddhists 483,000,000, Christians
371,000,000, Hindoos 139,000,000
Mohammedans 103,500,000, Jews 8,-
000,000, Fetichism (aboriginal tribes
of Africa and America) 189,000,000,
Population under Roman Catholic
governments 180,787,905, Popula
tion under Greek Church govern
ment, 96,101,891, Population under
Protestant government, 408,569,612.
In 1700 the numbers respectively
were 90,000,000, 83,000,000 and 32,-
000,000.
• Will you please urge preachers to
speak more distinctly. Ask them to
stop loud declamation and sing-song,
and just talk to us. I frequently
miss the moaning of what our pas
tor says simply because ho rants and
tears. a sufferer.
The dear brother has our profound
sympathy. But what can the Index
do? The preachers who need the
above rebuke are probably not num
bered among our subscribers and
nothing we could say w r ould reach
them. But seriously our brother has
called attention to what is of great
importance. All preaching should
be done as effectively as possible,
and every minister should conscien
tiously strive to acquire a natural
and good delivery. Just here our
eye falls on this paragraph which is
too good to be lost:
It is rather unpleasant says the
Boston Transcript, to hear a public
speaker remark, “My friends, ur, I
wish to say a few words—ur, on this
occasion—ur.” But then it should
be remembered that to ur is hu
man.
In your issue of 14th July under
the caption “Asked and Answered,”
there appears this question: “What
proof have we that the apostles were
ever baptized?” In addition to the
one then given allow us to suggest
another, viz., “Christ before entering
upon His ministry submitted to bap
tism, hence, it being a qualification
for a Gospel minister, He would not
have commissioned anyone to preach
who lacked it. j. s. freeman.
Certainly, but the trouble is that
your argument assumes baptism as
the necessary qualification for a gos
pel minister, which is not admitted
by the gentleman propounding the
inquiry answered in this column.
Written for The Index.
OMNIBUS LETTER.
It is an easy thing to make prom
ises but not always easy to fulfill
them. I have realized this in the
one made you this Spring, I thought
then I would have furnished you a
news letter from Florida, long before
this. Daily papers and telegraphs
take all the starch out of a man’s
good intentions very often, and spoil
a good letter in the mind, so quickly
it almost makes one’s head swim.
.This ha Ikh i liift V-R.J- lor
the last three mbnths.
Our rainy season is delaying its
appearance in portions of our State,
giving us some very warm days.
Occasional showers refresh every
thing and keep us in good spirits,
but a regular season of summer
rains would change the thermometer
and make the air cool and balmy as
the mountain breezes of the North.
Our nights, however warm the days
may be, are delightful, giving re
freshing slumber to weary toiler, or
the lounging drone.
The orange trees are thrifty and
the crops of fruit promises a hand
some return to the owners next fall.
The March freeze and the drought
which followed has reduced the crop
of the State to about one-half of
what it was last year. I have trav
eled over a large portion of the or
ange growing section, making inqui
ries of those who ought to be inform
ed in their section, and the estimate
I have been able to make is as above
stated.
The vegetable crop in many sec
tions was almost an entire failure
in consequence of the late cold and
drought in the Spring. Some more
favored portions did well, and the
growers received handsome returns
for their labor.
The religious condition of the
State is fair. I gather this from my
observation, and reports in our State
paper. My estimate, however, is
more largely based upon the finan
cial reports of the Corresponding
Secretary to our State Board of
Missions. Notwithstanding the fi
nancial depression existing through
out the State, there has been no de
cline in the mission collections of
our churches. Some ofthem are ex
ceeding their gifts of other years.
I can say, the mission work of the
State is in a healthy condition.
We have several pastorless
churches, looking around for pastors,
Lake City, Palatka, DeLand, and
Arcadia, want indershepherds. The
Ocala church has done a wise thing
in calling Rev. L. D. Geiger, of Lees
burg, to its pastorate. Bro. Geiger
is one of our strongest men, and is
steadily growing in pulpit power.
If he accepts the call to Ocala, the
Leesburg church will bo bereaved.
They lose the best pastor they have
ever had, and his place will be hard
to fill.
The Orlanda church extended a
hearty aud unanimous call to Rev.
M. D. Early, of Memphis, Tenn., and
are in suspense as to his acceptance.
We hope to receive a favorable re
sponse, for he and his noble wife are
needed in Florida. The Citra
church has called a Kentucky brother,
whose name' I have forgotten. He
will enter upon his pastorate the
first of Octobei' next. These contri
butions to the Floridra ministry will
strengthen our force very greatly.
We have suffered heavy loss in
the death of 1 lev. Paul Willis, which
occurred on the 2nd of July. His
name is familiar to the readers of
the Index. Bro. Willis was one of
our rising ministers. A good preach
er and laborious pastor, he was emi
nently successful in building up his
churches, both numerically and spir
itually. lie fell a victim to La Grippe
in the very meridian of life. Our
W’hole State is bereft by his removal.
The DeLand church as well as the
State has suffered loss in the remov
al to another State, of its recent pas
tor, Rev. John McKinney. He did
a noble work at DeLand, and though
in the State but a few years, he had
won a warm place in the hearts of
all, by his active zeal in all our State
work. Wo could illy spare him.
The Centennial work is enlisting
the sympathies of our brethren, and
is proving a fine educator of our
churches in missions. We are en
deavoring to enlist all bur pastors,
and where we have succeeded in
this, there will be but little difficulty
in enlisting the churches. More
at another time. N. A. Bailey.
Orlando, Fla., Aug. 4, 1892.
PEN-DROPPINGS.
BY. 1.. L. V.
It is never very easy for the Chris
tian to live up to the standard pres
cribed irf the New Testament. Even
with those in whom evil tendencies
are weakest, it required no slight ef
fort of will, to keep thought, tongue
and hand all in. such subjection that
the outer life will appear correct.
There are temperaments which make
good living -exceedingly viitliculu
Then! are timtes tod) when the diffi
culties in the way of practicing the
truth, justice and moderation
which deserve to be ranked as lead
ing Christian virtues are exception
ally great. We of this country are
just entering upon one such period
now. Years of Presidential election
always subject the patience, forbear
ance and benevolence of motives of
Christians to the severest tests.
When great interests are said to be
at stake, strong passions are likely to
be excited and many fail to confine
their enthusiasm within the bounds
of moderation. . Intemperate words
are apt to be uttered at unguarded
moments, and severe criticisms made
which leave sores long after the oc
casions that called them forth have
passed. When men gather in large
crowds they are very likely to do
and say that m their moments of
coolness they condemn, and which
they afterwards deeply regret, some
times, however they do not repent;
but having committed themselves to
some erroneous position, they persist
in maintaining it and are carried on
farther and farther in the way of
wrong. Many persons, we suspect,
who once decently moral, get far
away from righteousness may date
the beginning of their downfall from
the time of their engaging ardently
in politics. Some having enlisted
themselves in a party, in their desire
to win, yield their assent to schemes
of treachery and corruption and are
gradually drawn on into courses,
from the baseness of which they
would at first have shrank with hor
ror. Those who do not participate
so actively may still be injured in
their morals, if they become very
much interested in the campaign
stories that are set afloat, they will
be led to criticise with unjust sever
ity the words and actions of those
who have reached conclusions dif
ferent from theirs, and to judge
harshly of their motives. In this
country it has become much the
fashion for those interested in poli
itics to bring the charge of corrup
tion against their opponents. Many
simple-minded people really believe
that the representative men who have
been selected to look after public af
fairs hold themselves for sale and
are bought up by wealthy corpora
tions. It has a very demoralizing
effect for one to entertain such sus
picions. It becomes ton-fold more
difficult for us to keep in the path
way of right when we are satisfied
that the other way is the more profit-
Brother Minister,
Working Layman,
Zealous Sister,
Wo are striving to make
Index
the best of its kind. Help us by securing a
new subscriber.
VOL. 69.-NO. 33‘
able and popular. The disposition
to distrust everybody’s avowels
grows especially strong in years
when a great many candidates are
before the people, and becomes a
great hindrance to good Christian
living.
Written for the Christian Index.
RELIGION AND POLITICS.
To-day has ended one of the bit
terest political contests that Alabama
has known for years. Families have
been divided, communities have
been rent by contentions and
churches have been torn by unholy
political strife. As we have looked
over the field we could but exclaim,
what a pity! what a pity!
It may be laid down as a truism
that religion should always go into
politics; but politics never into re
ligion. Religious principles ought
to .control politics, so as to purify
and cleanse. A lie should be re
garded none the less a lie because it
is in politics; a false report should
bo regarded as disreputable in a pol
itical canvass as in anything else.
Tricks and misrepresentations should
be scorned in politics as they are in
social life. Truth, honor and inte
grity should be insisted upon in pol
itics as they are demanded in busi
ness. We have no right to do
wrong-that good may result. Os
such persons Paul says their “con
demnation is just,” Rom., 3:8. - j
Religion should go into politics to
lead men to respect the rights of
others. My neighbor has the sama
right to his opinions that I have to
mine. If I attempt to take away
from him his right to those opinions!
however erroneous they may seem
to me, I am trying to rob him of a
God given right.
Liberty of conscience is a right so
sacred, that martyrs have died in its
defense. Don’t condemn and anath
amatize your brother because he
can’t see as you do. God has not
made you his judge. This religion
sh /uld l>e c..rrii-a imo politics. <
But if we tring politics into rej
ligion, we are uniting church and*
state, most unholy alliance.
Because a man is not of my party,
therefore, I will not recognize him as
my brother in the church is carrying
out the same principles that deluged
Europe with blood through so many
ages and finally culminated in the
establishment of the Roman Cath
olic Inquisition. A Baptist church
in a neighboring county called for
the resignation of their pastor be
cause he said he should vote for a
candidate that a majority of the
church was opposed to. What a
long departure that church has made
from Baptist grounds!
An old Methodist minister of thia
(Bullock) county, was by his neigh
bors threatened with social and re
ligious ostracism, if he pledged him
self to support the candidates on the
other side. The same spirit would
imprison and put to death those of
the opposite opinion and faith.
Carry your religion into your pol
itics but beware of carrying politics
into your religion. T. IL Stout.
Midway, Ala., Aug., 1, 1892.
In some Sunday-schools, classes
have been allowed to select their
teachers. The question has been
asked of the Baptist Teacher if thia
should be the privilige of classes in
our Sunday-schools and the answer
is given by comparison. But does the
principle of choice prevail in publia
school teaching? Suppose each depart
ment of a public school should make
own selection of teachers,and resolve
to go out in a body if their demands
were not complied with; on what
grounds could they maintain their
case? And what succes could be prop
erly expected in such case? There
may be, and doubtless are, good rea •
sons for consulting a class under
some circumtances with regard to
one who is proposed for teacher; but
as a custom, it certainly would no
bo wise or expedient to do so. The
superintendent should have such full
knowledge of his school that he wilj
be able to judge almost unerringly
what sort of person would meet the
requiretnentsof any given class. Then
by a suitable introduction, the per
son appointed should be inducted
without any if “you please”about it.
It is practically a question as to.
who shall manage the school, th<
superintendent or the pupils,and
the question can have but one right
answer.
Beecham’s Pills for a bad Livery