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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 Indkx. if you would keep informed. ESTABLISHED 1821. ®he ffilivistuut Jndi’x Published Every Thursday at S7ss 8. Broad Street. Atlanta. Ga. j. c. McMichael, proprietor. Organ of the Baptist Denomination in Georgia. Subscription Pricb : One copy, one year $ 2.00 One copy, six months 100 One copy, three months BO Obituap.irs.—One hundred words free of charge. For each extra word, one cent per word, cash with copy. „ To Correspondents.—Do not use abrevia tions ;be extra careful in writingproper names; write with ink, on one side of paper; Do not write copy intended for the editor andbitsi ttrss items on same sheet. Leave oil 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 stoo ped a week before. We 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. FROM OUR NORTH CHINA MISSION. The principle business of the first year of one’s life as a foreign mis sionary is, of necessity, the study of the language current where he is. Occasional trips into the country in company with older missionaries are of course profitable in various ways and so are indulged in. It is always delightful to get out amoug the people and put to a test what you think you know of the lan guage. A truer feeling for the na ture of the people is thus acquired, as well as are new expressions pick ed up. Situated as I am in the home of Dr. Crawford, I find it pleasant to accompany him of an af ternoon as he goes out “Street preaching” here in the city. Yield ing to his years he does not feel . equal to the trials of a country trip, but confines himself to preaching on the streets here and to meeting and i talking with the many who drop in to his study which opens upon the street., The ease with which a crowd is attracted is something remarkable. It is largely due to unrestricted cu riosity. We will go out together walking carelessly down the street until a good place is found where a crowd will not interfere with the business, or business with the crowd. Here we stop and begin conversing together. It is not many minutes before some one, passing by, will come up, and, putting his head be tween our’s, will try to make out what we are saying. Dr. Crawford will engage him in conversation, and then one, two, three, four, more will come up to hear what the foreigner says. The larger the crowd grows the faster it grows, so that, almost before you know it, there is a great crowd of men and boys about. The Doctor almost always keeps up a conversation with the man with whom he began, but raises his voice as the crowd increases, and controls the drift of thought to suit his pur pose. The reason for this is that these people will always listen bet ter to what is said to some one else, than to what is addressed directly to them. Others often join in, both by asking questions and by taking is sue with him. I am much impressed with the similarity in character of such a crowd here, to what some would ex pect to meet in such a crowd at home. Frequently they are atten tive, listen respectfully, and ask questions which seems to show in terest. Again they will be in a light mood so that, rather than lis ten to serious talk they will ask all manner of questions about what wo wear in America, or whether we have any lice, flees and mosquitoes. That is a hard crowd to deal with and there is little chance of teach ing them any sober truths. Then there will be the crowd in a jocular mood, and woe unto the missionary when once the crowd gets the laugh on him. If he cannot turn it quick ly, ho had better move on and try again with others. But Dr. Craw ford is fortunate in being good at repartee. More than once have I seen some insolent fellow post him self in front of him and make some jeenng remark which set the crowd into roars of laughter, and then have I seen him go slinking off like a whipped cur after Doctor’s reply and the crowd’s laughter at him. One such victory will win the ears of all as long as you please to claim them. But what about the value of such preaching as a means of bringing salvation to these people ? Every She <I) list inn Jnta. day, when the weather will permit, finds Dr. Crawford out on these streets talking to these people and preaching eternal truths. The “Great Street” he calls his long pul pit ; and there is hardly a spot on any principle street in the city but which has many times been one of his preaching places. Men from all the country round about, visiting the city for business or other purpo ses, hear him preach and some of them many times. But with what results ? I have asked Dr. Craw ford if he knew of any person who was led to accept Christ through this preaching. He did not know of a single one. I then asked him if any were ever enough interested to follow him home, or call at other times, and ask for more information. He only knew of a few, though there might have been more. Looking no deeper, one is tempt ed to estimate these days and years of labor as spent almost in vain. But this is not all. Only fragments of the truths can be told at one time : and those who listen most in tently frequently get only an imper perfect idea of that much ; but all hear something, and often enough to awaken thought. They do not come to the foreigner with these thoughts, but they entertain them and talk about them in their homes and with their friends. Even the little that I know of the language, and the few times that I have been out iu the country, has enabled me to see and understand something of how “the honorable seer, who teach es like Confucius” has introduced a leaven into all this country which is working. Men have imperfect and often erroneous ideas of what Dr. Crawford has tried to teach them. They have not gotten hold of enough to awaken active interest in seeking more truth ; but they have gotten hold of enough to set many of them to thinking and to make them ready to hear more. Not only are the members of our mission able to per ceive this, but our Presbyterian friends frequently speak of the al tered attitude of many minds to ward Christianity which has been largely brought about by this means. Our ladies visiting the interior of homes frequently find the way pre pared for their teaching by the words heard on the street. The need now is for men who can take advantage of this altered atti tude of the people, who can be con stantly on the go visiting the villages round about and teaching them no tions of salvation as it is in Jesus Christ; and who, when ho cannot do that, can keep up this same street preaching. Men are needed to go about cultivating the seeds which are sown and to sow other seed- Brethren this field is ready for act ive, earnest work. But we need men. The few who are here are so few and so far apart that their ef forts can avail but little. The cry is for men—for inen to sow the seed of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord- Wir. D. King. Tung Chow, China, (P. O. Cnee foo) Sept. 1, 1892. NORTHWEST GEORGIA. The construction of rail roads iu Walker County and the opening of coal and iron ore mines and the establishing of other industries along the lines of railroad have multiplied much more rapidly, than our means of reaching this new population with the Gospel. The Bronco-iron mines employ 200 men, making a popula tion of several hundred souls, who rarely hear the glad tidings of the Gospel. At the Dug Gap and West burg mines, there are many others in the same condition. At the Flin Store Tannery, there is a largo vil lage of five or six hundred people to whom the Gospel is rarely preach ed. The Mimosa TerraCotta works employ a large number of people who are in the same deplorable con dition. I think it is safe to say that the most effectual way to reach these people is, to give them a good, labori ous preacher, who w?ll devote his time to them. They must have their own minister, and places of meeting, and the preacher must spend a large portion of his time with them. Our Dade County Mission is in more prosperous condition than it has been since the war. I think it proba ble that the work in that section will hereafter be self-sustaining. Bro. S. F. Sikes’ labors arc abundantly blessed. J. Y. Sugar Valley. ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. OCTOBER 13, 1892 WHAT THE BAPTISTS OF NORTH GEORGIA NEED AND HOW TO SUPPLY THEM. By North Georgia reference in this article, is made to that section of county contiguous to the line of rail road, running between Marietta! Georgia and Knoxville, Tennes see. In this section there is a great host of Baptists and not a few Bap tist preachers. I have not the stat istics at hand, yet I question if there is so great a number of Baptists and Baptist preachers to be found any where on the same area of territory. Churches dot this section from one end of it to the other and from one side of it to the other. Still it is doubtful if there is any portion of the state that needs the assistance of our Mission Boards more than this, or one that would yield greater and more gratifying results, judiciously worked. Here is a large, undiscip lined army, ineffective because un disciplined. And just as in the ear ly days of the gospel, the apostles followed up pioneer preachers, “who went everywhere preaching the word,” gathering up the results of individual labor, confirming and es tablishing, and directing them to en larged and well-ordered usefulness, so our Mission Boards, compact or ganizations, the servants of the great Baptist Brotherhood of this state ought to enter this field to assist in training and directing this mighty host to that degree of usefulness and efficiency hitherto unknown to them. I THE NEED OF OUR PASTORS AND PREACHERS. These are men for the most part of exceedingly limited education. Many of them are unable to read in telligibly, and who are yet to a great extent, under the influence of an old and wide-spread prejudice against an educated ministry. A large propor tion of them read no religious paper or book except the Bible ; and from much of their exposition of Its teach ing, it is quite evident that they read that book none too carefully or prayerfully. Some of the more influential of them are taking decidedly more in terest in politics, and have been, for a number of years, than they mani fest in the cause of Christ. Indeed) several of them are now, for the sec ond, third or fourth time, candidate for political offices, stumping county and district, and by long continued practice have become champions on the hustings of considerable notorie ty. Yet many of them, although il literate are deeply pious, consecrated men. These are the men from whom we may expect most and who mostly need help. We thank God for these men and their work. And for this very reason, we are actuated to help to put them whore they can give themselves to reading to exhor tation, to doctrine, where they may not neglect the gift that is them, where they meditate upon the digni ty, duties, and fearful responsibility of their calling, where they may give themselves wholly to it, that their profiting shall be apparent to all. II THE NEED OF THE CHURCHES. Since pastors are the recognized leaders of the people, a result natural and inevitable is, that our churches in this up-country are not in sympa thy with the great bulk of their Baptist brethren and their work, knowing, as they do, nothing of them or of it. They contribute well-nigh nothing for the spread of the gospel. In fact, not few of them are opposed to mission work, claiming at the same time to be Missionary Baptists from the fact that they believe in preach ing repentence and faith to the un converted, who attend their meetings. Baptists in their view, are divided into two classes: Missionaries and Antinomians, Antinomians being those who hold the doctrines of pre destination and election. And so when a brother professes to boa missionary, he means, in many in stances, that ho does not hold these doctrines. Again that accursed thing, called whiskey, is making sad havoc of some of our churches. Alas! alas!! too many. When preachers and deacons of suflicient prominenco to be put forward for legislative honors, are allowed to manufacture, retail. and persistently to drink, and occa sionally to drunkenness, this accursed stuff, and still be held iu the fellow ship of the churches, one of two things is true: Either the morals of such churches aro at a lamentably low ebb, or else the saints left in the churches have become so dispirited as to have no moral backbone. Some of the churches have retained in their fellowship men who were guil ty of manufacturing liquor without a license from the government, and who were thus criminals in the eyes of the law. In most of our churches, no such thig as a Sunday-schaol is known. The truth is, some of our preachers and churches oppose Sunday-schools out-right, as being not only unscrip tural, but anti-scriptural. From the foregoing remarks, which in my opinion, are true to facts, it is very easy to sec what the Baptists of North Georgia need. How to supply that need is not so potent. * 111 HOW TO SUPPLY THE NEED OF THE PREACHERS. That we need a better informed and more consecrated ministry, none will doubt, who are acquainted with the situation. Shall we try to in duce these brethren to seek at least a rudimentary knowledge of books in the schools? That is impractica ble, if not impossible. For the most part they are poor men, and hence unable to make up their literary de ficiencies in the schools. Many of them too, are men of large families, and even if they had the means fur nished them to pay board and tui tion, their cares and responsibilities at home would prevent an absence long enough for them to be benefit ed. How then shall we reach them to do them good in this respect? A lack of school training can he very largely supplied by Minister’s Insti tutes held in this section, similar to that conducted by Bro. McConnell in Gainesville. In these institutes jc\an or> more each day ,be black- board exercises in thu ktudy Jff fcie mentary English grammar. Let the Bible and some such book as I’endle ton’s Christian doctrines be well aud thoroughly studied. To conduct these Institutes let able and pious men bo selected, men who are dignified, yet approachable, stern before error, yet patient with the weak, men who will inspire our brethren to magnify their office as did Paul, men who will thus do much toward winning them away from the love of political preferment. To conduct these institutes let our best> wisest and most thoroughly conse crated preachers be selected. Os course 4 jhis much needed work can not be done without with out cost; and these preachers. are not able, and ought not to be ex pected to defray their own expenses or to do the work gratis. There are Baptists all over Georgia with means and grace enough to take such a work in hand, and make the most that can be made of it. Doubtless, it might be some little time, yet not long, before our breth ren in this up-country would take much interest in these institutes. And when once they come in close contact with such brethren as have peen referred to, they would lose that prejudice against an educated ministry, and would find thettiselves growing in the knowledge and love of the scriptures, and increasing in zeal and efficiency. Apt and eager as many of thorn are to learn, won derful progress would soon be wit nessed. These institutes ought to be held semi-annually, if possi ble. IV HOW TO SUPPLY THE NEED OF THE CHURCHES. Successful work done in these In stitutes, would do much towards banishing from the churches that monster evil that grows out of the use of whisky. Such an impetus of moral force would go out from these institutes as would be felt throughout the length and breadth of this sec tion. Did all our pastors present a solid aud uncompromising front against this foe, ho would not be long in making a hasty retreat. Al ready there are consecrated preach ers and men and women in not a few of the churches, who are fighting with relentless opposition this enemy of home, of life and of liberty. As supplying the need iu the way of Sunday-schools, let the State Board instruct the State Sunday school Evangelist, Rev. T. C. Boykin to spend a larger proportion of his time in this section. Jf that be im practicable, let a live, active warm hearted, competent man be put in this field to aid pastors and churches in organizing and maintaining Sun day-schools. Such a man will soon win his way to the hearts and homes of the people. V THE NEED OF THE FUUURE GENERA TIONS. It is not expected that this section will long need the assistance of our Mission Boards, that these institutes shall be help adinfinitum. Already the Mountaintown, Jasper, Hightower and Noonday associations have under advisement the estab lishment of a literary High School to be located somewhere in this section. If this school shall be built, as we confidently hope that it will bo a great and growing demand of our children and young ministers will be provided for. But this enterprise needs help; and will not brethren everywhere who shall read this quar terly, forward at once their contribu tion to the board for this purpose? But the necessity that is now upon us, is to help our preachers who are already on the field to a better understanding of the scrip tures, and a more efficient work in the ministry. Let us, therefore, give time, and prayerful thought and a part of the Lord’s money to the Min isters Institutes. At the request of an honored brother, a brother whose praise is in all the churches I have written this article. And having written it in the interest of the Master’s cause, I have not allowed the thought of of fending any sensitive brother or church, to prevent my writing what I believe to be the truth. For the brethren and the churches I cherish only good wilt “And this I pray that their love may abound yet more and more, la kuotf h/Jg*. ami ail dis-' cernment; in ordeif that th;st they may approve the things that are ex cellent, that they may bo pure and without offense to the day of Christ; being filled with the fruit of right eousness, which is through Jesus Christ, to the glory aud praise of God.” A. B. Vaughan, Jr. SUNDAY SUHOOL WORK. During this Centennial year when so much has been said and will be said about that grand and noble Bap tist, William Carey, to stir and thrill our hearts, it is well for us to call to mind the work of another Baptist? less known and less honored, but whose name should be held in grate ful remembrance. While the mind and heart of William Carey were filled with anxious desires to send the Gospel to the heathen, the soul of William Fox was stirred with an earnest desire to give the knowledge of God’s word to the poor ignorant children in his midst. “At the Bap tist monthly meeting held at the King’s Head Tavern in the Ponetry, in May 1785, he introduced the sub ject, and submitted for their consid eration, the question whether there might be some plan adopted by which all the children of the poor might receive a Scriptural education by being taught to read the Bible.” Upon introducing the subject he made such an earnest and forcible address that, “The Church adopted Mr. Fox’s preposition, and proceed ed immediately to arrange for the holding of a public meeting, at the same place, King’s Head Tavern in the Ponetry, on the 16th of the fol lowing August, in order to perfec the plan proposed by him.” In the meantime Mr. Fox had seen some account of Mr. Raike’s work in organizing and conducting Sunday Schools in Gloucester, and had some correspondence with him, the result of which was the organiza tion of the, “First Sunday School So. ciety in the world,” September 7th 1785. It was called “The Society for promoting Sunday Schools throughout the British Dominions.” It should also bo remembered to the credit of Baptists, that Rev. Jo seph Hughes, a Baptist minister, was the organizer and projector of the the first Bible Society in the world, “The British and Foreign Bible So ciety,” organized in 1804. It may bo mentioned, in this con nection., that a Baptist, B, F, Jacobo. of Chicago, inaugurated the Inter national Series of Sunday School les sons now in use all over the world. It will thus be seen that God has highly honored the Baptists in mak ing them the orignators and leaders, in the organization of the grand work of propagating his gospel and of teaching his truth. We certainly should highly appreciate the honor conferred and gladly assume the ob ligations imposed upon us. THE GROWTH OF SUNDAY SCHOOL WORK. In 1784 and 1785 it assumed its organized form at the hands of Raikee and Fox. Then it was like a grain of mustard seed, the least of all seed : now it has grown into a great tree that has spread its branches over all Christendom. Re cent statistics show that there are in the world, 235,516 Sunday Schools, with 2,755,965 officers and teachers 5 24,722,318 pupils, making a grand total of 27,478,283 engaged in the work. At first, it was regarded merely as a work of philanthropy or benevolence in the interest of poor and ignorant children. Now, it is recognized as a grand religious and denominational work, aiming to reach all classes and conditions of society, having for its object the con version of the unconverted, and the consecration of the converted. Ex perience has demonstrated that it is a denominational necessity, the church's best auxilliary, the pastor’s best helper, and the parent’s best coadjutor. It is now conceded that, next to the preaching of the gospel which is the highest and holiest of all work, it is the most valuable agency employed by the churches in the evangelization of the world. So ful ly is this recognized that all the lead ing and influential denominations have their Sunday School depart ments, publish their own literature, and otherwise promote the work along their own lines. Never could the Sunday School have reached its present state of usefulness and effi ciency, unless it had k been recognized as church wqflfj And it ing to know that this recognition is becoming almost universal, especial ly is this true of the Baptists of Georgia. When I entered upon my work as Sunday School evangelist) there were but few churches in the State, so far as I know, that recog nized their true relation to their Sun day Schools, now there are but few that do not. Our whole denomina tion, as a rule, has grasped the idea and act accordingly. Our State Con vention, State Board, and Associa tions, aa well as our Southern Bap tist Convention act in conformity with this idea. And if Sunday School work is denominational and church work, there should be no so called Union Sunday Schools in Baptist Churches, whatever may be done in those neighborhoods where there are no churches. There are now in Georgia forty-three Associa tional Sunday School Conventions, organized by the authority of the Associations and working in harmo ny with them. Less than twenty years ago, hardly one third of our churches had Sunday Schools, now at least two thirds have them. Then J comparatively few Sunday Schools continued all the year, now, a ma jority of them do. Every year shows an increase in members, in in terest and in efficiency. WHAT WE NEED. 1. Moro enthusiasm and energy in the work, and more prayer for the work. Our hearts should bo all aglow with love for God’s Word and for the souls of men, women aud children. We should meditate up on the nature and importance of the work until we have a consuming de sire to engage in it, and a holy am bition to make a success of it. We should put our consciences, as well as our hands and onr heads hi the Work. Wo should feel that it is not only a duty, but a privilege aud a pleasure. Wo should pray for it regularly and earnestly, knowing that whore our prayers go, our la bors will follow. 2. Improvements in our plans and methods. We should not be satisfied “to go in the same old way,” if there is a better way, we should find it and follow it. Not long ago, a brother said to me, “Our Superin tendent is a good man, but there is such a sameness in his manner of conducting the school that the mo notony is becoming painful." That Superintendent is a counterpart Brother Minister, Working Layman, Zealons Sister, We are striving to make TClie Index the best of its kind. Help us by securing a new subscriber. VOL. 69—NO. 41. many others. He makes no im provement and consequently no progress, and his school is suffering from his neglect. The probability is that he does not “Study to show himself approved unto God, a work man that needeth not to be asham ed.” He ought to be ashamed if he does not use all practicable efforts to improve his school. He ought' not to be satisfied unless he sees con stant signs of improvement aud progress. He ought to imform him self about the work done by the best Superintendents in the best schools, and imitate their methods. Very|like ly he does not take any Supday School periodical, and knows noth ing of the improvements made in other schools. He should have a Sunday School Institute as sOon as possible, and learn something, , about how to conduct his school, and how to teach his teachers. It is almost certain that he does not hold ly teachers’ meeting, when the les son can be studied, and new plans and methods can be considered. He ought eithor to change his meth ods or resign. 3. More sympathy and coopera tion on the part of all concerned. We beg pastors to help us by their' pres ence and prayers and words of en couragement, especially in our con ventions. They can greatly aid us in seeing to it that their churches are represented in these meetings, and by attending these whenever practicable. We beg parents to come to the Sunday School with their children when possible, and if they cannot do this, to aid them in the preparation of their lessons, and encourage their regular and prompt attendance. We beg all our breth ren and sisters to consider prayer fully the claims of the Sunday School upon them, and by words and acts do all they can to promote its usefulness and increase its efficiency. 4. More Bibles in our Sunday Schools. If there is any one thing that I have tried harder to accom plish and have had less success in do .ing.it, tluuvwy other, it td in <Tu ce Teach er sand pupils To bring their Bibles to the Sunday School. I am glad to report some improve ment, in this matter, but my advice remains unheeded in many schools. How long will it remain so ? Let parents, pastors, Superintendents and teachers answer. 5. More missionary spirit and work in our Sunday Schools. If ever our Baptist host becomes thor oughly missionary in spirit and in practice, it will be when they have been properly taught and trained in childhood. It is true, that parents should begin this work at home, but it must be continued in the Sunday School, and it will then be completed in the church. Every school should take up regular mis. sionary collections. lam pleased to say that several of our eighty-five Conventions have adopted resolu tions recommending this plan- Will not all our Superintedents try it ? I hope that many of our schools will have Centennial exercises on the 2nd of October. The Sunday Schools of Georgia ought to contribute not less than 8 5000,00 to our missionary fund. How much does your school contribute ? 6. We need, above all else, more spirituality in our Sunday Schools. We need to keep in mind the grand aims of all our work, the conversion of unbelievers, and the spiritual growth of believers. The motto of any teacher ahould be, “All my class for Jesus.” For this every teacher should most earnestly pray, and most faithfully labor. tendonts and teachers should ly consider the solemn ilies resting upon them, ;i!!„W ,i sessi m 'he s UlH'i'l;\e; l -i e e tn < tn the < nne'od ' i>e <' cotlseei ..ted. < •■ir- IS a e, ' ' ' tin i-.h, pertcrim d. let the »"ik our prayers u ; 1 ' WrjjrUVU lire, mir labors without nur means without stint. M||||||| imi, rest satisfied until there is ■MH prosperous Sunday School in BMI church and in every iieighb<«%%g| in Georgia, so that, all the Lord,‘'from the least oImHkB unto the greatest of them. B||||||| 1 am trying very hard to ■