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About The Christian index. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1892-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 6, 1892)
Many food and strong things were said in be half of XII SION » During the Session of the Southern Baptist Convention. Subscribe to and read the Christian Index, if you would keep informed. ESTABLISHED 1821. ©TtrUtian index Published Every Thursday at 67H S. Broad Street. Atlanta. Ga. J. c. McMichael, proprietor. Organ of the Baptist Denomination in Georgia. Subscription Price : Bne copy, one year $ 2.00 ne copy, six months 1.00 One copy, throe months 60 Obituaries.— One hundred words free of charge. For each extra word, one cent per wont, cash with copy. To Corrbspoxdkkts.—Do not use abrevla tions; be extra careful in writingproper names; write w ith 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 tho 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; orregis tered letter, money order, postal note. The centennial work for missions was inaugurated last Sunday, the 2nd inst. Now let all the churches and Sunday schools and workers wheel into line and push the great enterprise as they never did before ! There are only three newspapers in China. Would it not be a good idea to cultivate the reading habit among that people, and stimulate the spirit of inquiry, by printing small church papers in connection with our missions? Rev. Dr. S. S. Mcßride, of the Baptist church, who resigned a prom inent pastorate some months ago, to enter upon an effort for the evangel ization of Ireland, has recently re ceived a check of $5,500 from a mer chant in New York City, who is a native of the North of Ireland, to aid in carrying forward tho good work. The instructions of the Apostle Paul to his young protege, Timothy, were exceedingly wise. “Study to show thyself a workman that need eth not to be ashamed.” Not a lit tle of what passes for preaching is mere “sound and fury signifying nothing.” A mafi who attempts to proclaim “the unsearchable riches of Christ” without study, painstaking, laborious study, needs to pray, “keep back thy servant, also, from pre sumptuous sins.” A thoughtful and well written article in the September Forum by a Chinaman, shows that much of the hostility recently shown to mission aries in China is due to adverse leg islation in this country. The Chi nese have suffered great wrongs at the hands of English-speaking peo ple, and this hostility toward all foreigners is not surprising. The objections urged against Chi nese immigration lie with equal force against some other nations which are unrestricted. We beg leave to suggest to the clerksof Associations that the minutes they send out are an index to the zeal and intelligence of the bodies they represent. It is a matter wor thy of careful consideration, that they should be well printed, but much more so that they should be correctly written. The statistical tablets should be arranged with care. If our churches would report the Sunday school statistics, they would make an important addition to our denominational history. All moneys raised by the churches, for whatever purpose, should go into the record and be printed. We are making history. And by all means send two copies of your minutes to Dr. Lansing Bur rows, Augusta, Ga. * One of our exchanges notes the exposure in a western city of an editor of a Catholic paper who has taken much pleasure in assailing the character ot preachers, and calls it “poetic justice.” It is also a natural sequence. Romanism everywhere divorces religion and morality. Its open and unblushing sale of indulg ences, its justification of means by the end in view and its jitter aban donment of discipline for immoral conduct, prove this to be true. Ev erybody knows that it is not neces sary to be a good man in order to be p good priest or a good Catholic. It is this divorce, which puts the conscience to sleep and removes the restraints of morality, that constitu tes its danger and its power. There may be morality without religion, hut there can be no genuine religion without morality. tEljc (L’lgistian jin Cut. RwTßWest ________ Written for the Christian Index. Will you allow me space in the Index to lay before its readers tho following statements in regard to ourselves. I need not begin farther back than my husband’s visit to tho United States in 1885. He made this visit under a sense of duty and at his own expense for the purpose of trying to induce our Baptist boards and churches, North and South to consider some serious evils connected with our foreign mission* methods and to urge them to adopt if possible, what is called the “native self-support policy.” This policy is, in short, “preach Christ and let ad juncts alone, or, as Dr. Ashmore says : “Give the heathen tho Gospel and let them develop their own civ ilization. In other words, it means to evangelize the world without the accompanying inducements of for eign money in emploping native preachers and Bible women, in build ing chapels, carrying on schools, hos pital and other charitable institutions which should have a natural growth on the native soil. Mr. Crawford’s “self support” ideas began upon our arrival at Hong Kong early in 1852 from what we there heard regarding the ways of certain “native assis tants,” and grew with his years and experience until they reached their present form. A careful study of scriptural prin ciples and methods of work, with determination to do God’s will wherever recognized at all hazards also led him stage by stage to the conclusions set forth in his recent tract “Churches to the Front.” The publication of this tract, as he an ticipated, caused tho F. M. Board to drop his name from the roll of their missionaries. The views therein ex pressed did not originate, as insinua ted in the May number of the For eign Mission Journal, from “wrath” engendered by the failure of his ef forts to introduce the “self-support” policy or from any personal griev ance (for he has none) but from ‘‘many years of observation in con nection with missionary operations and deep-seated Baptist convictions,” as clearly stated on the 12th page of the tract. To challenge the Scriptu ralness, wisdom or practicability of his position is legitimate and open to all; but, without proof, to impugn his motives and turn aside to person al attacks and inuendos as various persons have been doing, is, to say the least, unbrotherly. As lately said in the Baptist and Reflector, freedom of the press is one thing, license another, and so of speech. When Christian men feel at liberty to defeat a measure by making such attacks upon its supporters, it is surely time to call a halt and study the Golden Rule. Because a man advocates new or unpopular views, may he therefore be called “half crazy,” “off in mind,” “crank,” “er atic” and the iike? May brethren in this way attempt to defeat his argu ments by trying to undermine the confidence of the brotherhood in his motives and personal character? Surely such “campaign tricks” should not prevail among the children of God. Mr. C. and the other faithful missionaries of whom these harsh things are now being circulated are, as they believe, (each front his own point of view) bravely contending, at the sacrifice of their own interests, for great principles involving the well-being of tho church of God and the success of foreign missions. They criticize public methods, not indiv idual men. If their views are wrong let them be met by arguments and facts not by personal insinuations and attempts to suppress freedom of speech. Air. C. determined at the begin ning of his efforts for reform not to turn aside to defend himself under any provocation, but to keep steadily on in pushing the principles for which he was contending. Early in 1889 he wrote the Sec. of the Board resigning his salary and the respon sibilities of his work which he felt unable to bear. That he has “since continued to associate himself with the missionaries of the Board” is gladly admitted. AVith whom else should he associate but with Baptists brethren of tho same faith and or der laboring in tho same field? That he has tried to “direct the policy” of these missionaries is not true un less tho free expression of his opin ions on matters of public concern (a right held sacred by every true man) be so construed,for he has never voted ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. OCTOBER 6, 1892 since then, on a single question coming before the mission, and has no means whatever for putting pres sure upon them, even if he so desired. On tho publication of the tract “Churches to the Front.” Dr. Tup per wrote Mr. C. a kindly expressed letter (as his letters have always been) informing him that his name would be omitted in the list of mis sionaries whore it had remained by courtesy since his retirement from responsibilities in the spring of 1889. It left me in doubt as to what would be done with my name until a few’ days ago when the June number of the F. Al. Journal was received dropping his and retaining my name. I then wrote the Board as follows: “Dear Dr. Tupper: Since seeing your letter of April 7th to my hus band informing him that on account of the publication of his tract “Churches to the Front” his name had been removed from the roll of missionaries, I have been waiting to know what disposition had been made of mine. By the mail just in I see from the F. Al. Journal that my name has been retained and I now write to ask that at the next meeting of the Board the relations and responsibilities hitherto existing between that body and myself may terminate. Though henceforth iden tifying myself fully with the “Gos pel Mission” movement, it is our de sire to live and labor in most cordial fraternal relations with all our Bap tist brotherhood. We expect to continue our work for the Master here as members of the Tung Chow Baptist church, as in the past. The Board is welcome to the results of these labors. We shall leave them with God and be content. It will also be our care and study to keep tho unity of tho spirit in the bond of peace, both among missionaries and the natives. It is not possible for us to transfer to others tho per sonal respect and confidence of the community which wo have acquired by nearly thirty years of going in and out among those for whom we have laid down more than our lives many times. We shall, as hereto fore, try always to use these for no selfish ends, earnestly .striving to bring souls to Christ and build them up in the faith as God may give us opportunity. With our best wishes for yourself and all the members of the Board and with high appreciation of all your labors and anxieties in our be half through our many years of ser vice in this heathen land, Believe me, as ever, yours sincerely, AL T. Crawford. As stated above, it is our purpose to remain and labor in this field, as heretofore for personal conven ience, but because the necessities of the work demand it. Should duty call we shall not hesitate to remove to the ends of the earth. Should we and the Bosticks “seek some other field of labor” as suggested in the May Journal there would be only one man left for Tung Chow and Havanghein, and he as yet unable for want of the language to shepherd these little flocks and preach to the heathen of this region. This would be an irreparable loss to the denomi nation. By the blessing of God and the support of the churches either directly or through tho Board, we all hope to remain at our posts and pray to be largely reinforced imme diately. In laboring for our Lord docs it matter whether the mission aries derive their support in one way or tho other? Surely the Baptist denomination has not become so consolidated, centralized and con trolled that a matter of this kind can make a breach of fellowship between them. It is not my purpose to enter the controversial arena. As hitherto, I shall bend my energies to the presenting of Christ as the way of life to these perishing people. At ho same time I do not ignore the fact that I owe some duties on the other side of the Pacific, and will not shrink from speaking when it seems to me right to do so. We are thankful to say that wo do not need to ask pecuniary aid ourselves as we have an income sufficient to main tain us in the same simple style to which we have adhered throughout our more than forty years of mis sionary life. We are both as good, as sane, as orthodox and as worthy as in the days when we were “so much hon ored and beloved.” M. T. Crawford, Tung Chow, China, Aug. 1892. Chefoo, P. O. THE BOOK OF ISAIAH. BY S. G. BII.T.YER. In treating the above subject, I do not propose to play tho role of a “higher” critic, or of a learned exi gete. But I propose to give, in a plain and simple way, tho impres sions which repeated readings of it have made upon my mind. I recognize in the book differences in its style. But these differences coincide, just as they should do with the differences in the subject matter. Sometimes the prophet gives a sketch of simple history. Then he very properly adopts the stylo of narration. A notable example of this is the account which be gives of some of the things which occurred in the reign of Hezekiah. Os these things he was himself an eye wit ness ; and his account of them ac cords with the historical record in 2nd Kings. These two documents mutually support and verify each other. And the style in both is that of simple history. But Isaiah was a prophet far more than a historian. Prophecy was his chief function. In fulfilling this high office, it was sometimes need ful to use words es remonstrance, of rrfbuko, and of warning. Then in close proximity with these, he would, with evident joy, add words of com fort, of promise, and of hope. But in either case his words were the words of one who was moved by the Holy Spirit. The afflatus of in spiration was upon him. And tho effect was to clothe his utterances with the power of a divine revela tion, foretelling things to come. Such wonderful conditions and such lofty aims would naturally- change the stylo of the writer. It would be come more elevated tji'-n simple nar rative. And this is ytsl wiiat we find in Isaiah. His language, in such passages as those just mention ed, abounds in the free use of rhet orical figures, and his style assumes the fervor of poetry. Hence the diversities of stylo noticeable in the book, are easily accounted for ; and they afford no ground for the hypos thesis of a double authorship. Aly present object, however, is to call attention to one fact, which gives to the Book of Isaiah its very great value in the estimation of Christians. The thoughtful reader cannot fail to notice, that Isaiah often alludes to a mysterious personage, who was not then known among men, but who should, by and by, be manifest ed, and whose coming would be at tended with the most important consequences to all mankind. It seems as if the prophet stood upon some lofty eminence, whence he could see the future events of God’s great kingdom unfolding, as tho suc cessive scenes of a mighty drama. And he saw in the midst of that dra ma, as its central figure, tho afore said mysterious personage. What he thus saw in his prophetic visions, guided by the Holy Spirit, ho put on record in his inspired word. His allusions to this great charac ter are frequent and multiform. Tho first mention of of him is mere ly typical, Ahaz was in trouble and in great fear. Isaiah was sent to comfort him. And to confirm his faith in God, the prophet gave him a sign : “Behold a virgin shall con ceive an<l boar a son and shall call his name Immanuel.” And the promise was, that before tho child should know the difference between good and evil, tho power of his ene mies should bo broken. The prima ry and literal application of this sign • was to the case of Ahaz. But its significance reached far beyond that day,—it typically indicated another Immanuel, who in tho fulness of time, should bo born of another vir gin, by the direct agency of tho Ho ly Spirit, and whoso name should bo called Jesus, (Savior) becanko he should bo indeed and in truth, “God with ns,” i. c, Immanuel, and there fore able to deliver his people, not from temporal evils only, but from tho bondage of sin and from tho powers of Darkness. Tho next allusion to tho “Coming Ono” is more clearly prophetic. At Ch. 9:6 we road j- “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is liven ; and the government shall be upon his shoulder ; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, tho mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace.” We look in vain, in the Old Testament or in all the records of secular history or any historic personage to whom these words can pdssibly apply. It is in the New Testament alone that we find the Ono to whom they are applicable, and that Ono is Jesus of Nazareth. In proof of this, notice the first clause : “For unto up a child is born, unto us a son is given.” Why did the prophet use tho word ‘us” and that twice, in close connec tion ? This emphatic use of the personal pronoun “us” is, at least suggestive. He must have meant to identify himself with all Israel as having a common interest in that particular child whose coming in the distant future, it was his function to foretell. Nay, we may go farther than this. May we not say, that the use of this word indentilied the speaker, not with the Jews only, but with the whole human race, and thus makes the prediction moan, that the promised child should be a gift to the race ? How strikingly these ideas are realized in Jesus ! When he was born in Bethlehem, an angel announced his birth to the shepherds in the field and said : “I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people,”—mark, “to all people,”—then that child was, in an important sense, the child of the race. And in perfect harmony with this idea, the Saviour almost always speaks of himself as the Son of Alan: As such he is the representative of the race. Notice in the next place, the sec ond clause in tho text, “And the government shall bo upon his shoul ders.” These words indicate that the per son, to whom they refer should be a ruler, And the next verso de scribes his kingdom as an endless kingdom of which the throne of Da vid and his kingdom were types, and that it should be established with judgment and with justice for ever. Then the epithets used to describe this great king lifts his character far above all human great ness, —nay, they present him to us as the “mighty God.” Now this sublime description is realized, ac cording to the New Testament, in the Son of Alary and in him alone. Another allusion which the proph et makes to this mysterious person age is found in Ch. 42 :Ist, ami 4th verses inclusive. Tlgj passage is too long to quote, I hope the reader will turn to it and study it. He will find a description which fits exactly, as far as it goes, our blessed Savior. Passing by all other allusions, for want of space, let us turn to the 53rd chapter. Read the whole of it. I cannot discuss it in this paper, but next week, I will offer some thoughts suggested by its wonderful words. 73 Wheat St. Atlanta, Ga. Written for Tub Index. WHAT DO YE MORE THAN OTHERS ? The greatest proof of Christianity is Christianity lived out in its follow ers. That the gospel does what it claims to do is the best evidence of its own divine reality. Paul said : “by the grace of God I am what I am.” By this statement he meant to convey the idea, that all he was over his former life, and all he w" over men in a state of nature, hU is indebted to the sovereign grace of God. Ho declares that God had mercy upon him that he might be a pattern of the long suffering and mercy of God to the children of men. MOKE THAN ANOTHER. From this statement it logically follows that tho Christian is more than he was before he became one, and more than ono who is not a Christian. This is necessarily true from several considerations. In the first place he is all that other men are morally, or that he was prior to the tiino ho become a Christian. It is a sad mistake to think that ono in becoming a Christian is unfitted for any of the high places of true citi zenship. If he were fitted to boa leader in the world before, he is doubly so now for he has all the good qualities that ho ever had, with tho evil ones eliminated- There, ho is more than another. In tho second place God has done more for him than others. He has taken him from tho pit of sin and cleansed him from his sinfulness. “Tho blood of Jesus Christ his son deanseth from all sin.” A blood washed sinner stands upon a higher plane than ono who is not. He has also brought him into a closer rela tion with himself, and made him a partner in she world’s redemption. By the intimate relation he sustains with a holy father ho is enabled to live a purer life than others. If God has put us in trust with his bus iness, how earnest and faithful we ought to bo in the prosecution of that work. God looks to his people to carry on the work and shall he look in vain ? That the Christian is more than another is proven by the influence of tho Christian over the world. No one who is familiar with the world’s history, can deny for one moment the leavening power of the gospel. Take as an illustration the Sand wich Islands. Seventy-five years ago their inhabitants were cannibals. Now they are a law-abiding people, meeting in their churches on the Sabbaths for worship, and are act ually engaged in sending the gospel to others. AVhat has brought about this great change ? The gospel of our Lord. Where the gospel has not gone, the nations have remained unchanged for centuries. Jesus said, “ye are the light of the world” and “the salt of the earth.” If tho Christian is just like tho world, how can he be light and salt to tho world ? Can darkness be light to darkness ? No more can the Chris tian be light to tho world unless his life is different from tho world. The gospel is the only •, orld-wide brotherhood that exists. All others are narrow and selfish in their aims. Others seek to benefit a class, but the gospel extends its arms of love to the whole workl. If you only treat kindly those who bless you then ye do no more than others and hence are no more than others. MO HU EXPECTED- TH?.N O 2» OTHERS? If the Christian is more than an other, more will be expected of him and he is therefore under obligations to do more than others. The stand ard erected for this Christian is high er than for the worldly man. A bright light beats about his path and exposes to view his whole life. The eyes of the world are upon him, and if he turns to the right or to the left his life is criticized. Let a man of the world commit a crime against the law and it is scarcely noticed, but if he be a disciple of Jesus, and especially a minister, column after column is devoted to an exposure of this crime. AVhy is this so ? It is because the world has a higher standard by which to try the Chris tian than the man of the world. This is right. Let us be tried by this high standard and if we fall let us fall, but if we srand the test, our light will only shine the brighter, Be not afraid to pass under the gague. Any defection from this high standard brings shame and reproach on the cause of our dear Lord. When David sinned grievously against the Lord, Nathan told him that he had given the enemies great occasion against the cause. And David in his penitence pleads for giveness that sinners might be con verted to God. Nothing so hinders the progress of the Lord’s cause as the inconsistencies of liis people. Alen not only expect more of us ithan of others, but God also requires ,yoro of us. I’aul urges as a reason why we ought to present ourselves as a living sacrifice unto the Lord, the mercies of God to us. If God has done more for us then we ought to do more for him. Our labor of love and service of faith ought to be an expression of our gratitude for his groat gift to us. The world will measure the sincerity of our profes sion, by the zeal and devotion wo manifest in his cause. DOING, THE TESy OF PROFESSION. If the Christian is more than an other, and more is expected of him, then he must do more. Many live and act just like others, and this be ing the case what right have they to infer that they are different. I sus pect that tho Christ Spirit is more than tho mere joining of the church, or than announcing to tho world that one is a Christian. Fruit in tho Bi ble is made the test of discipleship. And if one boars evil fruit or no fruit they cannot be his disciple. When the Pharisees demanded bap tism at the hands of John, ho told Brother Minister, Working Layman, Zealous Sister, Wo are striving to mako Tlio Index the best of its kind. Help us by securing a now subscriber. VOL. 69—NO. 40 them to bring forth tho fruit of a new life, and that the axo was at the root of the trees and “every tree that brought not forth good fruit was hewn down and cast into the the-fire.” Jesus also told his disci ples that, “by their fruits shall yo know them.” If the tree bear not good fruit it has no placo in the vineyard of tho Lord. The gospel emphasizes the idea that the Lord’s people are a people zealous of good works, and that we wero created in Christ for this purpose. Dear brother, apply this test to yourself and see whether you are doing more than others. What have you given up in becoming a Chris tian ? AV hat have you denied your self of ? Jesus says “if any man will come after me, let him den himself and take up his cross ana follow me.” If you are living after the carnal man, have you not the carnal nature, and therefore none of his ? HIS REWARD GREATER. God’s whole government is based upon rewards. There is nothing that he asks ns to do but that ho promises a rich reward. There ia always the reward to the faithful on the oneFand and punishment to the disobedient on the other. If tho Christian is more than others, if more is expected of him than of oth ers, if he does more than others then his reward is greater than others. Take courage brother in the work you are doing for tho Alaster, for your reward is certain and sure, Jesus’ rewards are based upon our fidelity to him. In that great day we shall hear him say, “well done good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things, enter thou into the joys of thy Lord. F. P. Davidson. AVest Plains, Mo., Sept. 22,1892. ASSOCIATIONS were as well attended on the 2.1?-s ’ r ' > yis, fifty yoews gc as now. Crowds waited on the min istry, to hear distinguished strangers, or to meet unknown people, and ob serve novel proceedings. In everything but one, associations then were inferior to those we see now. They appointed the ablest men to preach the “introductory sermon,” and occupy the pulpit at 11 o’clock Sunday. As for the rest, they receiv ed reports by letter from the church es as now; heard and approved cular letter,” prepared by some one appointed a year before; counted the money sent up “for associational purposes,” that is, to print minutes; voted any surplus to superanuated preachers, or the widows of deceased ministers ; this and little more. Alis sions, for the most part, were a new idea, about which many doubted and which some opposed. Os course there were exceptional cases, a few town and city churches conspicuously such. AVonderful has been the change since those days, acceleratedly so of late years. Intelligent and educated ministers are becoming the rule, in stead of the exception. Long speeches are too common in our associations. It is great presump tion for a speaker to occupy more than twenty minutes, unless urged by a “go on.” Points are the things to be made; and a speaker is not worth hearing, unless ho has a point in his head and heart. There are usually many such on hand and brev ity ought to afford opportunity, to hear them. Apropos of points, our preachers would do well to avoid platitudes in this way. AVhat they leave on the memory of their hearers, is all of this character: an old man has his mind full of them—almost all else is for gotten. An apothegm generally puts a thought more fully than the ut most elaboration. Programming the business of the association is a vast improvement. A good programme and a moderator understanding parliamentary law, yet not too much addicted to red tape, is to the business of an associa tion what natural, common-sense, analysis is to a sermon. 'The scholarship and homilotics of our preachers, have improved more in fifty years than their unction and earnestness. Apparent concern for their reputation, detracts from the power of most men preaching set ser mons; at least, they often fall beloy their average sermons at home. What with tho unsympathetic curiosity of their hearers, the new surroundings, and the mechanical analysis, they do not often largely edify their hear ers. Precious opportunities there, thrown away. To call attention to things, will bo pardoned in ono now “old and gray-headed,” who secs them as you see the changes in a friend long absent, and marked by the finger of time. E. B. T,
