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4 ©he ©hritian index Published Every Thursday at 57’,4 S. Broad Street. Atlanta. Ga. WITNESS FOE CHRIST. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the crowned King—Head of the church. His last commission constituted his disciples the guardians and witnesses of his truth. On the Galilean moun tain, after his victory over tho con quered tomb, he said to them : “All authority bath been given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore, and make disciples of ail the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things whatso ever I commanded you ; and 10, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” When the forty days of post-resurrection intercourse and instruction in tho things con cerning the kingdom were ended, he led them by loved Bethany to Oli vet and said : “Repentance and re mission of sins shall be preached in my name unto all tho nations. And ye shall be my witnesses in Jerusa lem, and in all .1 udea, and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of tho earth.” While he yet spake the im patient chariot came and bore him to his throne ! The church is still tho “pillar and ground of the truth.” What was her mission then and immediately thereafter, is, her mission to-day, to disciple the nations by speaking the truth in love ; teaching all things that Jesus commanded. No later commission, repealing or altering that first commission, has been heard from the King. The insignia of tho ancient Waldcnses was an outstretch ed hand holding a lighted lamp, sur rounding which shone tho words “lux lucet in tenebris”—-the light shineth in the darkness. Even so now is the church by her divine charter the light of the world. She must hold forth the lamp of life to guide the nations into the truth. The church of the living God is the true “Liberty enlightening the world.” Every believer, every church of Jesus Christ, should grate fully recognize the honor thus con ferred. It is no mean glory to be privileged to appear before men as ambassadors for tho “King of kings and Lord of lords.” Tho church needs to awake to her grand mis sion, never yet fully appreciated, of witnessing for her Lord and his truth. Her heralds should fill tho wide world with the blessed procla mation of his redemptive lovo and saving grace. In accomplishing this exalted mis sion it is ours to bo honestly loyal to Christ's truth. Not all the outcry against positive truth comes from the camps of professed infidelity. Alas, many enrolled as soldiers of the King are mutinous against his truth. There is a persistent cry against what is stigmatized as “dog matism.” It is said that “tho age demands practical preaching, the moral duties of life rather than the dry bones of theological abstraction.” Doctrine is derided, as if the clear statements of truth found in the New Testament were of no more import ance than a last year’s almanac. It js boldly argued that “the pulpit must reconstruct its methods and readjust its standards ; it must draw its inspiration and efficacy from the moral and social relationships of man to man, rather than from the old dogmas of human accountability to the eternal Lawgiver, and tho old theories concerning our spiritual be ing and destiny revealed in the word.” But wo may bo quite sure that the cry is but the vaporing of rest less unbelief, chafing under tho sov ereignty of a God of positive truth and purpose. Tho faithful preach ing of the truth, God’s whole truth, is yet the ordained and efficient means of saving men. As Baptists we have special obligations to dis charge in this loyal proclamation of Christ’s truth. As a denomination we are peculiarly “set for tho de fence of the gospel.” Our charac acteristic doctrines are vitally impor tant to the preservation and perpet uation of pure Christianity’. We hold that God is soverigu in grace as well as in nature, and that man is under the law of that sovereign. We hold that the sovereign has the right to issue his decrees prescrib ing both doctrine and duty. In our creed man and God have not yet changed places in this respect, as “Arminianism gone to seed” would fondly dream. If tho teachings and ordinances underlying our denomi national organization arc of God’s word, they must be honestly, faith fully, earnestly, lovingly proclaimed. We cannot be innocent if we hold them back. We must speak, and defend, and urge them, not as “mere non-essentials,” but as integral parts of the gospel, as revealed and or dained doctrine and order. For every truth, every ordinance of Christ, is essential to the purpose for which it was given by him who made man, and who knew just what truth man needed for his edifica tion. Otherwise there can be no apology for our ecclesiastical exist ence. Baptists have a distinct mis sion for the truth’s sake, or our’s is a “fool’s errand.” Let us not prove unworthy of tno trust, which, by the grace of the King, has been commit ted to us. Let us faithfully declare the truth, the whole counsel of God ; never seeking controversy for its own sake, nor as an end, but only as it may be a necessary means for the defence and “furtherance of the gos pel.” GIVING TO GOD. Not long since, a poor peasant in the Austrian province of Carniola died, and tidings came to the impe rial court that ho had left his sover eign his heir. The emperor accept ed the bequest, not for its own value, since it amounted to only one dollar and eighty cents, but out of regard for the spirit of loyalty to which it gave what expression lay within the power of a hand so nearly empty ; and we make no question that many a larger sum will pass from the mon arch’s possession more lightly than this. A heart was in it, and that clothed it with worth; that made the paltry, tho precious. So God deals with us, when we give to any cause which is His, and for tho rea son that giving to it is giving to Him. He accepts our offerings, not for what they are in themselves, for to Him they are as nothingness, but be cause wo put our hearts’ love, put our hearts, into them, and lay tho two on His altar together, that no longer we but He may have them. Oh, the thought, that something which is realty and truly our’s may pass from our hands to God’s and become by our will really and truly His ; that this exchange of ownership may take place between us and Him, He acknowledging our title as before His and accepting His as from us! What a wonder is this, what a joy ous wonder! Who need be with out it, who lias so much as two mites to give and a heart with which to give them ? Fasliionabio church music has one of its strongholds among our Episco pal friends. It is largely under the wing of their approval and patron age that the airs of the opera crept into the choir, and what was meant for the entertainment of men takes precedence in the worship of God. This renders more noteworthy the fact that Bishop Nelson, in his ad dress to the Convention of the Dio cese of Georgia, set his face resolute ly against this tendency. Here are his cutting words, which we quote because not a few of our own people need to feel their edge : It w ould be grotesque, were it not pitiable, to hear the efforts which are made to sing a “line piece” whenev er there is any probability of a large audience being on hand. Tho florid music of the late Italian school is unwittingly laid under heavy contri bution in the compositions of Mil lard, Danks, et id oinne genus. In this country wo do not w ant, least of all in a missionary diocese like Georgia, either the straining after or the production of the “effects” of that school. In the opera, the con cert hall and the parlors let the charm be felt, not in the church of God. Tho samples of this school usually presented are bad enough in La Madeleine and S. Koch’s, Paris, and S. Michael's Munich ; they are intolerable here. I have no ques tion that however much people may be pleased with Sunday concerts the people sincerely desire plain music which they can sing, and barring an occasional anthem, the chants and hymn tunes employed should be sung so as to afford an opportunity to tho people to join in the singing. By all means let congregational sing ing be encouraged. Broken Vows.—A vow was a purpose framed into speech to do in the service of tho Lord something over and above what was impera tively demanded. Tho “utterance of tho lips" may have been “rash,” but shall it “logon tho soul,” Numb. 30 :8, R. V. So sacred is a promise made to God, that it must bo kept oven where otherwise wo are free to neglect the thing wrapped up in it. How much more, then, must guilt cleave to the soul when we promise that which is obligatory and do not keep the promise ? Do we not thus put a double sin into our failures adding to the sin of disobeying com.’ inandment tho siu of violating cove nant ? THE CHRISTIAN INDEX: THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 3. 1892. CALVINIST MORALITY. One of the wise men among our Methodist brethren has been saying his say against his caricature of “Calvinism.” He “says” to the ex tent of two wide columns of the Wesleyan Christian Advocate, our neighbor. He dramatically pro founds this question and answers it: “Do the Catholic and Calvinistic creeds meet the moral and religious wants of humanity? They do not.” The good brother had already in sisted upon the practical identity of the two creeds named, in their teach ing concerning human depravity. If we are not greatly mistaken the Methodist “articles of faith” teach the same “awful doctrine.” But lis ten once more: “Take those systems and place them side by side with the Ten Com mandments and Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, and the reason, consci ence and volitions of the soul, and they will not touch at one single point. It is impossible, by teaching a false humanity and a false Chris tianity, to develop a pure humanity or a true morality.” What the dear man means by a “pure humanity,” we are at a loss to conjecture. Ono would suppose from the general tenor of his article that it is a humanity independent of the grace of God—able to save itself without any “second causes;” a sort of omnipotent humanity lifting itself up by its own boot straps ! But the climax is reached when his “meta physical theologian” gravely tells his readers this: “My long observation and exper ience furnish clearly, to my mind, the fact that the Calvinistic human ity and Calvinistic Gospel preached in Christian nations is the great un derlying cause of the immorality in Christendom. When you have re duced their humanity and Christian ity to its last analysis there is not only no morality in the whole sys tem, but it is in essence opposed to personal morality. The stream cannot rise above the fountain.” This takes our breath ! Our de nominational modesty impels the omission of Baptists from tho com parison, but we respectfully suggest that, perhaps this is the reason that Methodist preaching has everywhere produced a typo of Christian moral ity so much superior to that found in Presbyterian congregations! True one would hardly discern tho finer texture among the easy-going Meth odist people about us. Some might even bo so bold as to affirm, that, for solid religious worth and char acter, tho deluded Presbyterian de votees of Calvinism are at least the equals of their more noisy Arminian brethren! Then, there may be others who have been guilty of reading history, and who might rashly point to the great sanctity of the pious Arminian “Cavaliers,” who so religiously fought their immoral Calvinistic Puritan opponents in the good old days of merry Charles! Seriously, it has been a long time since we have read so successful an attempt at bur lesque as the article from which we quote. The Episcopal diocese, of Massa, chusetts, asked permission of the Episcopal Convention, now in session in Baltimore. Md., to use the Revis ed Version of tho Bible in connec tion w ith tho King James version. The Convention refused to grant the request. It is said that tho Massachusetts diocese, represented by Dr. Phillips Brooks, belongs to tho low church wing, and (hat it is looked upon with suspicion by the high church party. It seems a strange proceeding in a free country. Tho Massachusetts diocese is without a “vine or figtree” of its own. It can sit under no oth er than that provided by the Conven tion. The refusal to allow the Re vised Version to be used is a high handed, tyranical act. King James’ Version is itself a revised version, made “by his majesty’s special com mand.” ‘ It was appointed to be read in the churches,” that, is the churches of tho English establishment. These statements appear on tho title page of King James’ version. Is the King's command binding upon American freemen ? Is the appoint ment of tho Church of England, en dorsed by tho Episcopal Convention at Baltimore, to blind-fold tho eyes, stifle tho consciences, and forbid American citizens to read nny ver sion of the scriptures their judgment may commend? Could a popish bull strike any more dangerous blow at religious liberty than this? That people is in a pitiable condition, tru ly, that have to ask permission to ' read the Bible. It is a condition still inorc (pitiable to submit when permission to do so is refused. A very large majority of those who prepared the late revision werepedo baptists, and no change was made without the concurence of two-thirds of the committee having in charge any given portion. The real trouble lies in the fact that the New Version is a transla tion, and not merely a transferring of Greek words with slight terminal alterations, as the case in King Jame’s version. The interdependence in human be ings is prominently set forth in many ways. It is one of the com mon observations of life. No man can draw himself in from the fellow ship of men and long maintain him self in that even temperement which is necessary to w r ell-being and hap piness. Experience teaches that men are dependent upon one anoth er, if not for physical support, cer tainly for the elements of thought and feeling that are essential to every soul having being. We both borrow and loan the common prod uct of life daily or else we are soon beyond the power of so appropria ting that product as to make it serve our own purpose of life. When we then find it stated in Ho ly Scripture, “that none of us liveth to himself,” we are not surprised but recognize at once the inspired state ment of a well established truth. We may not hitherto have extended this law into the domain of spiritual life, but the transition is made very easy by our ample acquaintance with its operations in all the tempo ral relations with which we have been associated. The Scripture setting which con tains this inspired truism conveys at the same time two very necessary rules of life. The one reminds us of the independence of individuals and the personal responsibility of each to his Divine Master. Therefore we are warned against making war on another’s conscience. Remind ing us of tho danger of intermed dling with the affairs of others be yond our privilege. The other law of life insists upon the duty of each to assist the other in tho performances that devolve up on him. Helpfulness is the law of well-regulated living. Still every effort at helpfulness should be guard ed against tho constant danger of destroying individuality as well as individual responsibility. ‘ We ought to help each other recognize his re sponsibilities as well as to do his re spective duties. Carrying this just a step farther we shall find a field of action wide as our capabilities ; in the pos sible help we may render to them who either have not recognized their religious responsibilities or to those who have failed to discharge those obligations where they have known them. In this sphere of activity the Divine Lawgiver has appointed the labors of His people and made their active prosecution of it tho test of their fidelity to Him. Indeed His example to tho world of true living points with unerring certainty to this as the law of spirit ual accomplishment. Thus the brother of little mental capacity is made possessor of the powers of mind of his more talented brother and enriched by the gifts bestowed not on him to be sure, but bestowed on another for him. If this is true in any prime sense, how certainly will every child of God find it with in his law of life to bring to every other fellow man, so far as he may be able the things that make for his peace. We are charged, my fellow Christians with not only bringing the knowledge of salvation to men, but with rendering every possible help to them in perfecting Christian character. The weak brother is in troduced in Rom. 14 :1, whoso re ception is insisted upon as a du ty we owe him, that by our brother ly help wo may free him from his habits of vice and superstition and deliver him from the thraldom of associations that arc destructive to godliness. In the sixth chapter of Galatians the apostle illustrates the Christian idea of life beautifully, “Bear ye one another’s burdens,” ... .. . “for every man must bear his own burden.” All help of every kind should tend to strengthen, not weaken, tho helped. Every charity that fosters laziness, is a positive in jury and in its result is not helpful but hurtful. It is equally true in mental and spiritual help ; men who are helped beyond absolute need are injured. How difficult to be help ful ! In our day charity has ruu wild. Ido not mean charity, either, be cause charity never goes wild. Char ity is the proper help to tho needy. But we have fallen on times that do not discriminate. It seems to me quite as wrong to help where it will prove hurtful as it would be to fail to help where it is needed. Possi bly there is this difference, the help ing does the helper good and if he made an honest mistake still he would get the good. I . would not say a word that would lessen the charities of a single one. I would be glad, however, if Christians might be brought to direct their help in such way as to deserve the name it bears. There are those in every town who manage to absorb all they can of the charity that is dispensed from both the churches and the town authorities, while other more de serving ones suffer on in want with out the little help that would enable them to support themselves. While the Episcopal church in Canada was holding its late Provin cial Synod in Montreal, the Presby terians were holding their Interna tional Council in Toronto. A motion was made by an Episco pal clergyman to send a message of good will to the Presbyterian Coun cil, but it met with violent opposi tion on that to do so would be [recognizing the Presbyterian church. That was a step, (in the wrong direction) towards Christian Union which Episcopalians profess to desire so much. They simply mean to say to other churches, “come, unite with us, ac cept Apostolic succession,” the “His torical Episcopate,” and give up whatever else makes you differ from us. We will ask no questions about New Testament teaching in regard to church membership, ordinances, or government. Just do this and we shall have Union.” Such union would result in speedy disunion. The corning together would be like a forced contract of incompatible elements that would re sult in violent explosion, and a mul tiplication of fragments. Rev. Washington Gladden, D. D.> in the October number of Yhe Re view of Reviews, suggests what he terms “The Municipal church,” or Town church, as the means of effect ing Christian Union. He cites the churches at Jerusalem, Antioch Corinth, Ephesus, and others named in the New Testament, as samples of churches.” The sugges tions and the samples show into what gross errors men of reputed learning may fall, what absurd and impracti cable theories they may advocate, ami how strangely ignorant they are of human nature. The churches named were located in towns and cities, it is true, but they were very far from being muni cipal churches of the kind Mr. Glad den describes. They were construct ed strictly on the New Testament plan. The membership did not con sist of heterogenous elements gath ered from denominations holding to diverse doctrines and practices. They were of “one mind,” of “one spirit,” acknowledge “one Lord,” adopting “one faith,” and accepting “one baptism.” They were homo geneous. The New Testament alone fur nishes the basis of true Christian Union. Union Theological Seminary. New York, entered into an agree ment with the Northern Presbyte rian General Assembly, in 1870, that its Board of Directors should appoint all its professors, subject to the approval of a majority vote of the assembly. A similar agreement was entered into by all the Seminaries of the reunited Presbyterian Church. At the time this contract was made, Union Seminary had an en dowment of half million dollars. Afterwards, a half million more was secured from the reunited church. When the appointment of Prof. Briggs, whose news in reference to the authority of the Scriptures are well known, to the chair of Biblical Theology w’as reported to the Gen eral Assembly, that body refused to confirm it. A few days ago the Board of Directors of the Seminary adopted resolutions to the effect that the memorial of tho Seminary to the General Assembly in 1870, “Be, and the same is rescinded.” The report of the Executive Com. includes the legal opinion of James C. Carter that the present Board is not bound by the action of the Board in 1870. Now the question arises, what is to be done with the half million dol lars obtained under the contract of 1870? Shall it be returned to the donors, if tho contract proves to be illegal ? UNKNOWN MINISTERS. Here are words of encouragement, fifty spoken, that should inspire the hearts, increase the zeal, and bring contentment to humble, faithful workers. It was the man who took the lowest seat at the feast who was invited by the Master to take a high er one. The place you occupy, may be out of sight of the curious world, there may be no daily papers to tell of your wonderful, eloquent ser mons, no mention may be made of the throngs that crowd the church to overflowing, no report of great revivals, and of multitudes added to the church, as the result of your preaching, but if there are souls around you to be saved and you are earnestly, faithfully, and humbly striving to lead them to Christ, your labor of love is not unnoticed, and will not be forgotton. God’s eye is upon you. The reward is with Jesus. He will bestow it at the right time, and fill your soul with joy when he speaks the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” “There are ministers in humble places where they are scarcely heard of from year to year. Yet in lowly homes and simple churches they meet the people and do a work with out which the earth would be poor indeed. They w ill not be spoken of as. having achieved notable success. They will not be pointed out as men of commanding influence. They will be unheralded and not widely known. But what would the world and the church be without these earnest, faithful heroes, who W'ork for Christ and for eternity ? In the light of‘that great day for which all other days were made,’ when every secret thing shall be brought to light, it will be seen that no place was humble where there was the opportunity to lead a single soul to Christ. To be unheralded here does not mean that one shall be unknown forever. Usefulness is greatness, and to do one’s duty in love to God and man, in one’s own place, is to make life a success, so that at last, in the presence of angels and men, all shall see that it was successful and beautiful.”—Pres. Banner, Pitts, burg. The antiquarian who presides over the news columns of the Western Recorder does not take to modern ideas. It does not like the way the world wags its tail. Just now it is troubled over Mr. Gladstone and his foreign policy as the Premier of England. The “jingo” policy of Lord Salisbury was much more to its taste. Then, too, the people of Brazil did not ask its consent to es tablish a republic, and it mourns the overthrow of the throne of “good kind, old Dom Pedro,” the scion of Portuguese royalty, w’hose father his own people drove away. Verily the antiquarian was born too late. Activity.—You have been “as busy as a bee.” But in what way in “stinging” with evil, or in “mak ing honey” by works of good ? Not mere activity suffices, but right ac tivity, holy activity. Never boast simply how much you do, but heed rather the quality of the doing. Perhaps, Satan flies as swiftly and performs as many works as Gabriel ; but shall not his condemnation be only the greater for that reason ? Gon and Light.—“ Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was,” Ex. 20 :21. What mat ters it to the soul full of faith when seasons of thick darkness overtake it on its path through this world, if God, its own God, be there ? God is light to it, heaven’s light ever here. An Indian wife in Sftka, on the death of her husband, testifies her widowhood and woe by coloring the upper half of her face a deep black. We presume, however, that she does not work in fast colors, and that she retains the art of removing the unwonted hue where it does not wear off rapidly enough. At a meeting of the World’s Fair Commission in Chicago, Oct. 18th, a resolution offered by Commissioner Jos. Eiboeck requesting Congress to rescind its action in regard to closing the Exposition on Sunday, was laid on the table. From this it appears that the Commission will accept the appropriation of I 2.500,000, with the condition annexed. Dr. Clark. Editor Ark. Baptist, has severed his connection with the Boards, and will devote all bis time to his paper. Rev. Dr. J. M. Robertson is hav. ing success at Jonesboro, Ark. His church proposes to build a ten thous and dollar house of worship. Rev. Dr. Matt. Hilisman died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. J. R Dance, near Frenton, Tenn., Satur-’ day, Oct. 22, of pneumonia. He had been an active minister of the gospel for forty seven years, having had charge of a number of important pastorates in Tenn. He was an able preacher, a sound and fearless Baptist and has left the im press of useful, consistent life, upon his day and generation. He was personally, well known to the writer of this paragraph, having been with him frequently, while living in Tenn. We append hereto, with our hearty endorsement, the following testimo nial from the Western Recorder “No man has been more intimately associated with the history of the Baptists of Tennessee or has made more of that history than he. Born near Knoxville, he spent his whole life in his native state except two years he lived in Talladega, Ala. He was the first pastor of our church in Chattanooga, and he has been pastor, editor and college president in dif ferent parts of the state, and always successful. He was a born gentle man, a profound theologian, a pow erful preacher, a model father, a wise counsellor and a lovely Chris tian. For forty-seven years he was a minister of the Gospel and the fruits of his ministry are widespread and rich. He fell asleep at the ripe age of seventy-eight. We tender our condolence to the bereaved family.” Dr. Arthur Peter has just com pleted fifty years continued service as a Baptist deacon. The Walnut Street Church, Louisville, Ky., of which he is a member, held a special service in recognition of his faithful work, on Sunday morning, Oct., 23. We take the following brief sketch of his life from the Western Recorder. “He was born in Corn wall, England, of Methodist parent age. When he was two years old the family removed to Pittsburg, Pa., and when he was twelve he came to Louisville. In Oct., 1842, he be came a deacon of the Green-street Baptist Church of which the Rev< T. S. Malcolm was pastor. And from the beginning, Dr. Peter has been always in his place wherever he belonged, always promp’t, always ready and always faithful.” The report of the Committee was handsomely engrossed and presented ed to Dr. Peter. On accepting it he modestly expressed his apprecia. tion of the honor done him, and add ed that Mrs. Peter deserved all the credit. It is announced in the Prcsby* terian Banner, Pittsburg, that a num ber of persons who had made dona tions to Union Theological Seminary are dissatisfied with the action of the Board of Directors, severing its connection with the General Assem bly because it did not approve the appointment of Dr. Briggs. Among the dissatisfied donors are the follow ing. Bussell Sage, who gave $5000; Marcellus Hartley, who gave $ 5000; trustee of the Fayerwcather estate, $ 50,000 ; heir of the estate of ex- Governor Morgan, $ 400,000. It may not be so easy for the Seminary to get away from the As sembly, after all- Miss Annie Maberry, sister of Mrs. W. D. Powell, died at Toluca Mexico, Oct. 16th. She was born and raised near Murfreesboro, Tenn., and had been, for some years, an efficient missionary in Mexico. The Wesleyan Christian Advo cate, Atlanta, Ga., says that there are six hundred and thirty-six local preachers of the Methodist Church in Georgia, and 9,366 in the South ern connection. Mr. Chat. N. Hauer Os Frederick, Md., suffered terribly for over ten years with abscesses and running sores oa his left leg. He wasted away, grew weak and thin, and was obliged to use a canc and crutch. Everything which could be thought of was dona without good result, until ho began taking Hood’s Sarsaparilla which effected a perfect cure. Mr. Hauer Is now in ths best of health. Full particulars at his case will be sent nil who address C. I. Hood & Co., Lowell, Mass. HOOD’S PILL 3 are the tM?,t after-dinner Fills, assist digestion, curs headache and biliousness. Ast h ma notlllliu A f t<l la Nat,,,,, Blire < Ur>. lor Artbuia. (are bus ran teed or No Fay. Export Office, mH Broads nr, Sew York. £2£ Trleu <'MS«. rKl'.r. I>y Mall. address KOLA IMFOBIIkS <lO.. ill Vlasav.ClasTkutl.OASS.