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4 @4te ©lxrietian Published Every Thursday at 67'4 S. Broad Street, Atlanta. Ga. THE SCRIPTURAL LAW OF DI VOROE. Wc have quite an earnest request from an anxious inquirer asking for light on the scriptural law of divorce. He asks: “Do the scriptures per mit divorce for any other cause than adultery, as effecting an entire dis solution of the marriage bond?” If by “scriptures” is meant the old as ■well as the new Testament, the question must be answered in the affirmative. The Mosaic law did not prescribe divorce but death, as the penalty for adultery. (Lev. 20 :10). Provision was made for divorce. (Dent. 23:1). The Jewish interpre ters differed very widely in regard to the permissible causes for divorce. Some went so far as to say that if a wife should burn her husbands food in cooking, ho was at liberty to put her away! Josephus, who was a | Pharisee, gives a paraphrase of the law: “If any one wishes to bo di vorced from his wife for any cause whatsoever (and many such causes might happen among mankind), let him give assurance in writing that he will never more live with her,” etc. (Antiquities 4,8, 23). In the time of Christ the Jews were divid ed in opinion about the matter, but ! most of them held that a man might lawfully' dismiss his wife “for every cause,” and the only restriction was that he must give her the written document referred to in the law. It was with this very provision of their law that the Pharisees con fronted Jesus, seeking to entangle him. (Matt. 19:3). The Jews un derstood the right to “put away” a wife as involving the right to take another. They know nothing of a mere legalized separation without the right of remarriage. Divorce was absolute and either party might Again marry. In his reply here, and In Matt. 5: 31-32, Jesus admits the low plane upon which Moses placed the question, and attributed the lax ity of his prescriptions to the “hard ness of heart” of the people to whom he gave the law. The law giver knew the moral condition of the nation just delivered from Egypt lion slavery, and he was wise enough to know that only by slow progress could they' be lifted to a high and proper standard in this matter. “The Israelites who received the law,” as Dr. Broadus well remarks, “were not qualified for elevated ethical perceptions, dispositions, or conduct, and would fiercely break over a se vere enactment; and their descen dents were still too much of the same character.” This inferiority of the moral requirements of the Mo saic law, as compared with the high er ethical teachings of the New Tes tament cannot be over-looked if one washes to properly’ interpret the scriptures. The gospel law’ of di vorce is on a more elevated moral plane than the old. Putting together our Lord’s utter ances on the subject we find that he did permit absolute divorce for adul tery. For that cause the innocent party might put away the guilty’ party. It may be well to say just here that even the Jews did not re gard their law as absolutely requir. ing the guilty parties to be put to death. In the time of our Lord they had come to the conclusion that even in cases of adultery, the guilty ones might be simply “put away.” So Joseph proposed to act with reference to Mary’. (Matt. 1: 18-2(1) Jesus m Matt. 5 :31, 32, clearly puts his own teaching in this matter as paramount to, and as su perceding, the law of Moses: “It was said, whoever puts ayvay his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement. But 1 say to you, that every one who puts away his wife, except for the cause of fornication, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries her when put away commits adultery.” Substantially the same teaching is found in Matt. 19 :3-9; Mark 10 :2-12; Luke 16: 18. The law’ of exclusive and permanent union was the original law of marriage, and this law Jesus I reaffirms. Neither party to the j union can treat it as null, so as to contract another marriage, without 1 forfeiting the character of Christ’s disciples. One cause only can break the bond. That cause, once estab lished, has of itself put asunder those whom God had joined together. It is also clear from these words of our Lord, that adultery is chargeable on man or woman who marries again while a former wife or husband lives, not having been fouud guilty of sdultcry. * But it may be asked, may not a divorced person re-marry? In an sw'er we cannot do bettor'-than to quote from Dr. Broadus : “Neither party has a moral right to re-marry, unless the religious union has been violated by the unchastity of one of them. In that case the innocent party has a right to full divorce and re-niarriage. Our Lord has said nothing as to the question whether the guilty party has a moral right to marry again. This could be true after unquestionable repen tance. Some have thought that Paul’s language in 1 Cor. 7 : 10-16, gives a law less severe than that of Jesus. The apostle refers to a peculiar state of things. He permits a separ ation within limits that are clearly defined, yet the parties thus separat ed must remain unmarried, and the believer must seek reconciliation. In Rom. 7 :l-8, and Eph. 5 : 25-31, and elsewhere, Paul gives the same elevated view of marriage as that advanced by his Lord. Putting to gether all the New Testament teachings w r e conclude that husband and wife may “for sufficient cause separate and live apart, but may not marry again, unless the tie between them has been severed (through the commission, by one or the other of the crime our Lord mentions.” It is almost needless to add that the civil legislation of men has not been pitched on this high key. In some of the United Spites there has been and is a grievous facility for divorce, against which a healthy re action is arising in several quarters. The German Protestant churches are extremely lax as to divorce— starting from a wrong interpreta tion of Paul’s teaching, so as to make “desertion” a ground for di vorce—and that fact has embarress ed many of the ablest German com mentaries upon the passages under review. How far our churches may go in dealing with cases arising un der the civil law, is a very serious and perplexing question. Under the civil law parties have entered in to marriages which impose civil ob ligations, which the churches may not rightly set aside. When the civil law has sanctioned a marriage not strictly within the limitations of the new Testament law, and the parties to such marriage become be lievers and desire to profess their faith, the church confronts a prob lem very difficult of solution, and one which must not be decided lightly. In all such cases there is great need of Christian -forbearance and earnest prayer tor the divine guidance. BIBLE DAY. The second Sunday in November next, has been suggested by Dr. C. C. Bitting as the time for Sunday schools to take collections for Bible work. Dr. Bitting is missionary and Bible Secretary of the American Baptist Publication Society. A program designed to aid in the successful and profitable observance of that day has been prepared, con sisting of beautiful hymns and tunes, appropriate responsive readings, rec itations, and facts about Bible work- It is now ready for distribution, free, in any desired quantity, to pastors and superintendents. The only con dition is that “when used, a contribu tion shall bo taken for the Bible work of the American Baptist Publi cation Society, and all of it sent to that Society.” The money is to be used in print ing and distributing Bibles both in the home and foreign tields, includ ing the Bible work of both Northern and Southern Baptists. The mission ary must go with the Bible in hi? hand. Not only the single copy which he carries for his own use, but others to be sold, at a price little above the cost of printing, to those who are willing and able to buy, or to be given to those who can not ' pay for it. Thousands of copies are given away, every year, by the Society. Besides its generous grants of Bibles to destitute people found at home and abroad, it gave last year, to the Baptist Missionary Union $2,477.88, for its Bible work in foreign fields, and to the Foreign Missionary Board of the Southern Baptist Con vention, for its work in foreign fields, $l()0O. The need is great. It can be met only by the generous, continued giv ing of those who have the means. To print and distribute the Bible is like scattering “leaves from the Tree of Life, for the healing of the na tions.” The Word of God is the Bread of Life. To feed the perishing millions of earth upon it is but a part of the great work of missions in which we THE CHRISTIAN INDEX: THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER. 29. 1892. are engaged, in an especial manner, during this centennial year. The time appointed, second Sun day in November, in no way conflicts with any other mission work. Send to C. C. Bitting, D. D., 1420 Chestnut street, Philadelphia, get as many programs as you need, use them, and help in printing and dis tributing Bibles. No better work can engage the hearts and hands of Christians. t J GEORGIA'S RELIGIOUS STATISTICS. The United States Census Bureau has been issuing periodically bulletins giving the denominational statistics of the country, as shown by the cen sus of 1890. The Baptist bulletin has not yet made its appearance. We have taken the pains collate the figures concerning the denomi nations in Georgia, giving the Bap tist statistics from the minutes of the State Convention and the Year Book. We have no information as to the number of houses of of worship own ed by our churches : 2 SC? a » i I=’M, £ 5 2 p'U=* 7s c.k-. g-* *n. ■ 2 -i*: -rr v- . : • • ie ; x ® • Z* * ; . • » . : : h : £ ; H: ?. I • • ” *is l w" u £oZixis u2c. -• o H x > H •: S E : ■ * y ? „ -i- ■“ <e~g- S 3 118: gl , ~, garfigl UVi z. S- w -16 2c.vi?.a. 5C- i £ It will be noticed that the Episco palians do not appear in* the above table, but there are only 5,500 of them in the State. Analyzing the figures we find that there are 603,553 ‘members” in a total population of 1,837,353 or 1 in every 3. It was said by some clever humorist that while figures will not lie, liars will sometimes figure ! Every one who pauses to think knows that there is no such proportion of church mem bers to the population. The truth is that no denomination has as many members as the rolls report. Look ing further we find that there are. 268,886 white, and 835,1117 colored members. Georgia’s white popula tion in 1899 was 973,462, and the colored 663,716, that is to say we have 1 member in every 3.6 of the whites, and 1 in every 2.5 of the col ored ! This is to reduce the matter to an absurdity. Again : According to the table there are 332,871 Baptists and 233,248 Methodists in Georgia. Wc have before us the “Year Book ami Minutes of the North Georgia Con ference of the M. E. Church, South,” for 1891. In this book wc find a table giving the following figures : Methodist Episcopal, South 111,731 North '.'l,3lii African M E. 73,2 ts “ Zion 75 <..’3 Colored M. E. 23,67(1 Total Methodists in Georgia 335300 There follows another table giv ing the “total Baptists in Georgia” as 325,300. This note is added : “It has been conceded heretofore that while the Methodists lead in the United States, in Georgia our Bap tist brethren outnumbered us. The above statistics, gathered from the most reliable sources and verified, show that our church outnumbered the Missionary Baptist (white) 16,734, and that there are 10,300 ! more Methodists (all branches) than Baptists (all branches) in Georgia.’’ If wo add the above colored fig ures to those given in our first table, wo shall have a total colored church membership of 434,469 in atotal col ored population, men women, and children, of 863,716 ! Nonsense ’ Wc have no doubt both the colored Baptists and Methodists report very wildly. We have no idea that the two denominations have together over 250,000 actual members, if, in deed, there are so many. The figures of the white Baptists and Methodists are also much awry, though not so far out of the way as the colored statistics. Wo know that many Baptist Churches report annually a larger membership than they really have, and wo also know the same may be said of the Meth odists. A fair count would proba bly reduce the total claimed mem bership of both denominations 15 or 20 per cent. We would rejoice to see an honest effort in the direction of revising and correcting church rolls. Brother Williams has moved from McWhorter to Douglasville, Gn., where his correspondents will please address hereafter. RECONCILIATION, SALVATION. 1. The death of Christ accom plished a specific object. That ob ject was only a part of the whole effected by his complete work. His expiring utterance on the cross, “It is finished,” had reference only to that particular part of his work accomplished by his death. The object of his death was to atone for sin, to meet the demand of a broken law, and to satisfy justice. It was a sacrifice, an offering, for sin, to propitiate the offended Law— Maker, and to make it possible and proper for Him to be merciful and gracious to the sinner, the law breaker. The effect was Recon ciliation between God and the sin ner who laid the Land of faith upon the head of the sacrificial Lamb, thus confessing his guilt, accepting Christ as his personal substitute, and receiving the benefit of his vicareous death. This is what the scriptures plainly teach. He was delivered for our trespass es. While we were yet sinners’ Christ died for us. For he is our peace. lie has reconciled both Jew and Gentile,” in one body to God through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.” Being enemies, “we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son.” We rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” through whom we have re ceived the reconciliation.” 2. But, while this was absolutely essential, it was not, of itself, suffic ient. It was essential, because if Christ had not died for our sins, we should have had no alternative but to die for them ourselves. We shold have had to’pay the penalty of a broken law in our own persons, each individual for himself. For Christ to die, however, was not enough. A dead Savior is no Savior at all. We need not only a Savior really dead and hurried, but a Sav ior who has risen, who lives, and who, therefore, can, and does give life to the believing sinner. “If being enemies, we were recon ciled to God through the death of his son ; much more, being recon ciled, shall we be saved by his life.” If Christ has not been raised, then is our preaching vain, and our faith is also vain, we are yet in our sins and having hope in Christ in this life only, wo are of all men most miserable. Christ has risen from the dhad and become the first fruits of them who slept in him. It is because he lives, that wo shall live. Blessfd he the God and Fath er of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy ■ hath begotten us again unto a lively j hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It is a living hope in a living Savior. When Christ, our life, flhall ap pear, then shall we also appear with him in glory. This is the record that God has given unto us eternal life, and this lite is in his Son. His resurrection from the grave justifies and gives life. He ever liveth to make intercession for us. His spirit is ever with us; the spirit I of life in Christ Jesus, which makes I us free from the law of sin and death Oh death! where is thy sting? Oh grave ! where is thy victory? Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. We receive reconciliation by his death ; salvation by his life. After a soul stirring sermon a com plimentary brother was heard to tell the preacher : “You poured it into them to-day sure.” Yes, the preach er pqjired it into “them," certainly not into that brother. He had spent the time applying what was said to the “other fellow.” It is an exceedingly difficult mat ter to so preach that all who hear shall be made to realize that you are preaching to them. Il is a trait of poor human nature to excuse itself and condemn another. There are times when every word of the preach er seems directed as a shot right at the poor quivering heart of the hear er, when no thought of shifting the responsibility over occurs. This poWer of directness must be a great gift and one to be sought and cher ished by every preacher. To be able to preach right at the very hearts of your hearers must be worth more than any other of the gifts. Might not this bo cultivated by patiently applying the sermon to the thought and life of the preacher himself before delivery. A preacher* must ho in great danger of preach ing mechanical, perfunctory ser mons. Striving either to present some great truth in unquestionable terms or, correct other people’s lives by the infallible standard, he loses sight of the influence such speech has on his own heart and therefore does not produce the effect on other hearts. If you will closely notice the effect of the first preachers, it is stated that their hearers were cut to the heart- Not so much in their minds did the words of the preacher cut, but in the seat of the affections, where we al low, that moral impressions are made, this is the preaching that movefl men. It can be possessed in a great degree only by men who can preach to themselves and then with burning hearts go to make somebody else’s heart burn as their own. It is quite true that the kind of brother quoted at the cutset would not be greatly moved by any kind of preaching. He is a “hard ground hearer” from whose soil the fowls of the air steal away all the seed before they take root. Indeed, ho never recognizes that he is being preached to, or about. It is always his neigh bor who is being scored. It is well-nigh a hopeless under taking to reach such hearers. They have joined the church, been bap tized and indeed, have performed the performances connected with re ligion and therefore count themselves in for any good results and not in to hurt, should the affair fail of final expectations. • It will not do to turn hopeless and fear that our churches are being over-loaded with such material, but sure as death something desperate has taken possession of hosts of Bap tists. Would God, that preachers might gain that gift of directness that will enable them to point out the man as they preach. It is no use to warn the churches against taking in|such members. They develop after they become members. If the churches might enforce the Law cf Christ against covetousness, and condemn him who is a hearer of the word and not a doer of the work, there might be hope of correcting this evil. It will lie an awful judgment on him that heard and did not heed. The men of heathen nations will rise up in the judgment and condemn such hearers with fearful emphasis. The Lord have mercy on heedless, listless and worthless church mem bers. FREE BOOKS. School books are furnished free to the children of the schools, Colum bus, Ga. So “free” things in school matters come, one by one, as this writer pre dicted several years ago. Free tui tion, free books, and next will come free clothes and free victuals. Af ter awhile that good, liberal and very numerous father, the State, will be called on to furnish everything free to all his children, old, middle aged, and young. Indulgent parent, you are raising a worthless family of children. You are destroying individual independence, and foster ing idleness and crime. Dissatis fied, ungrateful, and rebellious, they will turn and reml you. It appears that dancing scarcely holds its own in London society ; or shall we say that having usurped what was not its own, it seems to be losing it! It is less and less prac tised as a manly accomplishment, ami those who wish to give enter tainments are obliged when ordering salads, sandwiches and tutti frutti caterers, to order as well a supply of dancing men. Under these circum stances, one would fain hope that ladies who for fashion’s sake have abandoned Christian simplicity to “ trip it on the light fantastic toe,” would for that some reason if no higher, now return to ways more decorous and devout. But we may doubt it, seeing human nature is so sunk below its first and right estate as to render the change from wise to unwise easier than the change from unwise to wise. IV e copy from the Religibus Her ald the following which we fully endorse and believe to be true : “Dr. Boykin asks us to reproduce an article from Kind Words, setting forth his views on Baptism and Re mission. The article grew out of the foolish attack made upon him, because of a comment in the Kind Words Quarterly. If we had room for the article wo would cheerfully print it. But as wo cannot do this we beg leave to say that, in our judgment, there is no sounder, safer teacher in the whole South. In the article noting the attack upon Dr. Boykin, which wc printed recently, wo said that we cordially believed the excellent preacher’s disclaimer of the doctrine of baptismal regenera tion. We wish to add that we have never had even the ecantest sym pathy with the absurd charge of heretical teaching laid at his door. WHY NOT? There is a case in our news column worthy of special notice. J. M. Ma son, a member of the church at Enon, county not given, has been called as its pastor. Such cases are of rare oc currence. Too often it is the fact that churches overlook the gifts of their own members and fail to devel op them. In looking for pastors they look so high and so far as to over look some one of their own num ber who feels called to preach and is longing to enter upon the work, but because he is one of them, near by’ them, and well known to them, en chanted by’ distance, they leave him for a call to some remote church, or allow him to remain silent altogether. Some of the safest, most consistent and successful pastors we know, are those who have been called from the bosom of the churches of ■which they were members. Look closet home, brethren, and let us have more calls of this kind. We learn that Dr. J. M. Trost, Corresponding Secretary of the Sun day School Board,has recently sent to Dr. J. G. Gibson, $184.97 to be used in Sunday school missions. This amount is lOjper cent, of the cash re ceipts from Georgia for May, June and July. Dr. Frost has sent about SIIOO.OO in the same way, and for the same purpose to all the States connected with the Southern Baptist Convention. This is a most excellent showing for our Sunday School Board and indicates what may’ be ex pected in the future. The Board should secure a liberal patronage from Southern Baptists and no doubt will. A brother who called al our office a few days ago gratified us by the statement that the brethren generally’ are very’ much pleased with the In dex. The News column, Dr. Spald ing’s briefs and Dr. Dobbs answers to queries arc considered a valable ad dition to the paper. The only’ com plaint made he says was by a preach er who said there was too many good things in it, more than he could find time to read. Brother Janies Dorn of South Carolina renews his supscription the Index saying. I have been taking the Index ever sinca it was first published and am so well pleased with contents I want to read it as long as God lets me live.” Brethren in Gn, tell those whodo not take the I.xdex what they are missing. Rev. W. M. Burr has moved from Columbiana, Ala., to Dothan, Ala. Correspondents will please note change. GENERAL. Rev. B. E. Riley, D. D., Presi dent of iWward College, East Lake, Ala., says that the indications point to a successful session. More than one hundred students have already been enrolled. New Southside Baptist Church at Birmingham, Ala., was dedicated Sunday, Sept. 18. It is an archi tectural beauty’, comfortable and convenient in internal arrangement. Dedication sermon was preached by Dr. P. S. Henson, of Chicago. The funeral sermon of Ex. Gov. Watts was preached at Montgomery, Ala., by Rew G. A. Nunnally, of Macon, Ga., on Sunday’, 18th, Sept. An immense congregation did rever ence to the memory of the deceased. The sermon of Dr. Nunnally was said to have becd beautiful and ap propriate. The time of meeting appointed for Alabama State Convention has been changed from Nov. Bth, to Nov. 22nd, on account of conflict with presidential election which oc curs on the former date. Rev. A. B. Miller, so long the pas tor of Little Rock, Ark., has accept ed the call of the First Baptist Church, Bouhan, Tex., which is said to be one of the best in the State. The Central Baptist states that Dr. W. R. L. Smith has not yet been called to the pastorate of the Third Church, St. Louis, but that the pulpit Committee has unanimous ly recommended his name to the church, and docs not doubt but that the call will be extended. Rev. C. C. Greene has resigned the pastorate of the Church at Na vasota, Tex. Rev. M. D. Early of Memphis, has been called to the Church at Ocala, Fla. A movement is said to be on foot to form a separate convention for Northwestern Texas. The Central Baptist expresses the hope that the movement may never materialize. Rev. B. T. Clark of Murray Co., Ga., has baptized 1100 persons dur- ing his ministry. He is about 80 years old, but young enough to at tend the meeting of the North Georgia Association and make a temperance speech. Dr. Gibson in bis speech at the late session of the North Georgia Association said that the Hiwassee High School had accomplished an incalculable amount of good in North East, Ga. ♦ Rev. 31. P. Hunt, editor of West Fork Baptist, Mo., has sold his sub scription list to Dr. W. 11. Williams, Editor and Proprietor of the Cen tral Baptist. The West Fork Bap tist wss a local monthly. The edi tor frankly’ says that he doubts the expediency of such publications and thinks that efforts should be mada to increase the efficiency of papers of wider circulation and to bring the people in touch with the work all over the world. He is right. The dedication of the Delmar Avenue church, St. Louis, Mo., took place on Sunday, Sept. 25, 1892. Dr. Jno. A. Broadus preached the dedi cation sermon at 3 o’clock P. M. Dr. J. C. Armstrong preached at 11 oclock., a. m. “Bible Day” is the second Sunday in November. The schools and churches should by’ this time be per fectly familliar with the fact. A care fully prepared programme has been printed and is furnished free on con dition that contribution shall be made for the Bible work of our denomina tion, and that the money received shall be forwarded promptly to Dr. Bitting, Bible Secretary of the Amer ican Baptist Publication Socie ty, Philadelphia. Thoughts. Maybe the kiss of the world has left blisters of sorrow on your lip and life; well, let me give the cure, the same as others have tried with success. The balm of Gilead, the love of Jesus and grace of God. I’ve been watching of late the effects of God’s remedy on broken hearts and lives, and so sweet has been the outcome that I want you to try it.—Christian Herald. Why should I start at the plow of my Lord, that maketh deep furrows on my soul? I know he is no idle husbandman; he pnrposeth a crop.—S. Rutherford. We have renounced reason as our in structor in the knowledge of religious truth. Wo have done it the highest honor, when we sought, as it commands us, a more authoritative and surer guide. —Rev. A. L. Gordon. Wc often hear Christian persons com plain that they cannot lovo the Saviour. That is a common complaint, but there is one easy euro for it. The wore you live with Christ the better you love him. —C. H. Spurgeon. How great is God, who can under stand even the most imbittered and soured disposition, to which no human being can find the key, and although it is no longer in relations of love to any one, can yet bring it into relations of love and confidence to himself.—Rothe. Much in izii The nurse of full grown souls is Soli tude.—Lowell. He that will often place this world and the next before him and look steadfastly at both will find the latter constantly growing greater and the former less Ui his view. Adam began ruin by eating; Christ re demption by fasting.—St. Jerome. Thousands come to me for help. How foolish! Why not go to God. It was he who said, “Fear not, 1 will help thee,” and behind the promise was the strength of omnipotence.—Christian Herald. I have lived to see every one of my most cherished hopes ono after another disappointed, and to see that it yas bet ter so.—Alexander Mackay, of Uganda. Unbelief is departure from the living God. How simple is this! So long as yon trust God you aro near him. The moment yon doubt him your soul has departed into n strange country. Faith is the link between God's fullness and strength and our emptiness and weak ness.—Dr. Saphir. Though the persons who approached our Lord manifested a variety of differ ent virtues, yet faith is the only grace which he is wont to commend.—Bengcl. We must soar beyond the clouds if we would see the silver linings or live be yond life's storms. L-" ■ 1 1-» —==. WUllo Tillbrook Son of Mayor Tillbrook of McKceiport, Px, had a Scrofula bun-S under cm car which Iho ph%lc»n laaccdaml then It because a running sore, and was followed by erysipelas. Mrs. TUlbrook garo him Hood’s Sarsaparilla the sore healed up, ho became perfectly well and Is now a lively, robust boy. Other parents whose eldldren suffer from Impure blood should profit by this example. i HOOD'D PILLB e«r» K»bltnil ConitliMtlon by restoring publaltlc action ot theiUlmcntaryeaaaL STUDY LAW AT HOME. Task a Covssn ,« ths SPRAGUE CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL OF LAW. (incorporated.) Sen<i ten canta (staerpt) for ultra to J. CoYNtR, Src-v. DETROIT. MICH. C WHITNEY IILOCK.MMMRMHML