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4 Christian index Published Every Thursday at 67’,4 S. Broad Street. Atlanta. Go. OHUROH GROWTH THOUGH PEACE' It is the design of the gospel to renovate and reform mankind ; and those who become the subjects of its influence it “purges from their old sins.” It transforms by the renewal of the mind in the divine image, and conducts the feet, no longer reluc tant to follow Christ, into all the paths of a sincere and impartial rigliti ousness. It purifies the affections, softens the disposition, controls the temper, gives a tractable will, renders the deportment affectionate and gen tle, inspires benevolence and truth fulness, in fine, adorns the life with every form of social virtue, as truly as it adorns the heart with every form of spiritual grace. Clothe men with these beauties of the soul, and send them forth to walk up and down in the midst of a ‘‘croked and perverse generation”— a fallen race. Let their graces be contrasted, in the light of every day life, with the selfishness, pride? malice, impatience, envy, suspicion, falsehood and treachery of the na tural mind—the mind subject to the sway of man’s depraverty. Will not their superiority be manifest even to blind prejudice ? Will it not be im possible to conceal the excellencies of a character raised to such a height above all the attainments of a nature destitute of regeneration ? They may fall short of the ideal of perfec tion, when held up before the mirror of divine law in its infinite holiness ? but when placed side by side with outbreaking corruptions of human society they will be accounted (in apostolic phrase) “blameless and harmless.” And, despite their ex posure now and then to the hatred with which sin always regards holi ness, they must pass the ordeal of general public sentiment “without rebuke.” In fact, so clear is their title to confidence and to honor that the apostle docs what would bo de cided in us “the extravagance of poetry” or “the wildness of fanati cism,” be exhorts them to shine among men “as the heavenly lights,” to be, each in his own measure and in his own sphere, as the sun which floods the day with his dazzling glo ry, or as the moon which shades her milder lovelier lustre in the night. It is obvious what influence these moral and spiritual excellencies must put forth on those who take know ledge of them. Qualities so diverse from the tendencies and operations of our apostate nature, must excite inquiry after the unique and wonder ful cause which gives them being. Traced back to that cause, as pure streams to their purer fountain, they are found to flow out of the gospel; and the admiration K which they had awakened is transferred to it. Thus, by the moral power of example they prepare the way and make straight the paths for the intellectual power of truth and the spiritual power of gracious influence. With this three fold cord of persuasion what multi tudes may not bo drawn unto the kingdom of Christ I This is the door through which most of us enter it —the door opened by those who arc in Christ before us, and who win us by what they are to the hopo that we may be like them as they arc like their Lord. Hence, it is by their character and life, their purity and union, their love and peace, that Christians are represented, not only as holding, fast, but as “holding forth the word of life.” And this is their shining as the heavenly lights—this shining of Christ’s truth and Christ’s spirit in them. In the light of these statements, is apparent how the right arm of their power may bo palsied and hang helplessly by their side. Let their moral and spiritual excellencies bo sacrificed ; let but this be done, and though they hold in their grasp firm ly every other clement of prosperity, the time will surely and swiftly come when we shall need to write upon their doorposts,“lchabod,”— the glory the true, the whole glory is depart ed 1 The works of Christian piety and Christian reputation block the stream of Christian progress, and changes it to a stagnant marsh breed ing disaster, decay and disease. But of the excellencies, what char, actcristic occupies a more distinguish ed position in the regard of man kind, or wields a more potent in fluence over the welfare of mankind, than the love of Christians for each other and their consequent peace with each other ? This is first. The whole world concurs in the expecta tion that good men by virtue of their goodness will agree; and where that is not the case there is a distinct and distasteful disappointment the shock [of missing something which w as reasonably looked for and wrong fully and shamefully kept back. So, in popular opinion there can be no darker blot on the piety of a people than the spirit of murmuring and disputing ; for want of peace is want of love, and want of love is want of power with both God and man. There is nothing which in the judg ment of those around us more cer tainly and more swiftly drags us down to their own level, and chains us there, like Prometheus to his rock, while the vultures of contempt and scorn prey on the vital of our Christian name, vitals, alas, not ever growing, like his, when rent and torn by beak and talon. If a church un fortunately declines into this low (we had almost written lost) estate, the days of her usefulness is numbered; she has lost the confidence of men and can never regain it—never un til she recovers from so fearful an apostasy—never until a long repent ance and a new wealth of charity washes so vile a stain away. If she would be new again to our souls, this Achan must be led forth from the camp, and stoned with the whole household of its kindred wrongs, and burned with every part and par ticle of its belongings and gaining s. She must seek the peace which can come only through love, because growth come on through peace, that peace. ”THE CENTENARY OF MISSIONS.” In this year of grace 1892, we are professedly celebrating the “Cente nary of Missions.” The basis for the celebration is that in 1792 Wil liam Carey and his co-laborers or ganized the “Baptist Society for Propagating the Gospel amongst the Heathen.” All the world has heard the story of that gathering in Ket rering, England ; or if it has not, it is not bcause we Baptists have not beasted of it loudly enough. How many of our missionary orators at these “centennial celebrities” have proudly proclaimed that we Baptists originated the grand mod ern foreign missionary enterprise ! Wo should reverently praise God for what humble part he has per mitted our denomination to have in this enterprise, but the time has come to call a halt to the boasting. The facts of history do not bear it out. Evon among English Christians we cannot claim to be the pioneers in mission work. In 1701 the En glish Church organized the “Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts,” and ever since, that society has been more or less actively prosecuting its mission. It has been said that this society con templated only the preaching of the Gospel to English colonists in for eign parts ; but careful study will show that neither in design nor work was its purpose so circumscrib ed. On the contrary frequently it endeavored to reach the Indians and other heathen with whom the colo nists came in contact. Then, too, it is unquestionable that the Pur itans who camo to New England made efforts to convert the Indians. The charter granted by Charles I. to the Massachusetts Company in 1628 expressed the hope that “the colony would win the natives of the coun try to the knowledge and obedience of the true God and Savior of man kind.” The colonial seal bore the impression of an Indian with a label in his mouth bearing the words, ‘Come over and help us.” Every body has heard of Eliot’s Indian Bi ble, perhaps the first attempt of En glish speaking Christians to trans late the Bible into a heathen tongue. This pious man in 1640 devoted bis life to missionary labor among the Indians. Among German Christians the name of Count Zinzendorf is justly honored for his missionary zeal. He began his great work in 1731, and by his efforts many men were sent forth to labor for the salvation of the heathen in Greenland, the West Indies and other parts, Some of these missionaries were sent to Af rica, where they preached to the na tives in Guinea and other sections of the dark continent. His biographer says that “the salvation of the hea then lay, day and night, upon the heart of Zinzendorf.” Thus began that most consecrated of all mission ary bodies, the Moravians. In 1882, not the “centenary,” but the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Moravian missions was celebrated appropriately at Herunhut, and in the Moravian churches of Germany and the United States, The charter of the East India Company, as grunted by William in 1698, and renewed by Anne in 1702? THE CHRISTIAN INDEX: THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 10. 1892. stipulated that there should be a minister at every military station and factory, and “that he should learn the native language, and de vote some oi his time to the instruc tion of the natives in the Christian religion.” True this was not mis sionary w’ork distinctively, but it shows that the idea of saving the heathen by the preaching of the Gos pel, had taken hold of English Chris* tian hearts before William Carey. The Roman Catholics certainly have been pressing then- missionary work among the heathen for several centenaries. In the sixteenth centu ry their priests had penetrated to the interior of China and Japan and elsewhere, where they established churches of their faith which have continued to this day. These are some of the historic facts which dispute our boast of hav ing inaugurated foreign missions. This much may be justly claimed for Carey and his Kettering col leagues : they unquestionably quick ened the slumbering conscience of English-speaking Christians in re gard to the importance of the work, and the solemnity of their responsi bility in the matter. God has great ly blessed our denomination in this department of work for the Master and llis kingdom. His smile has rested upon our efforts, and no de nomination has more cause for grate fully saying, “hitheito hath the Lord helped us.” In the Baptist Year Book for 1892, is a table giving the statistics of “foreign missions of American evangelical churches, ex clusive of Protestant Europe.” From that table we gather these figures : The Baptist Missionary Union (the Boston Board) has 744 churches, 1390 stations, 378 American mission aries, and 90,225 communicants in its mission churches, of whom 9,752 were baptized last year. The South ern Baptist Convention has 74 churches, 209 stations, 97 American missionaries, and 4,577 members in its mission churches. Baptized last year 501. From the same table we learn that the Northern Methodists have 35,207 and the Southern Meth odists 5,033 members among the heathen. The Presbyterian (North) have 28,494, and the Presbyterian (South) 2,072 members. Altogeth er the American denominations re port in their mission churches 255,075 members. Os this number the Baptists of all sorts have 96,778. These various American denomina tions gave to foreign mission •work last year the sum of $4,584,179, of which amount the several Baptist boards received $625,737. Shall onr centenary celebrations pass without realizing our hope ? The Southern Baptist Convention purposed to raise this year for mis sions a half million dollars. Is the aim too high ? Surely not if our brethren will pray and then give as God has prospered them. The 350,000 English Baptists have al- ) ready raised their half million. ’ Shall the 1,250,000 Southern white Baptists do less ? In the November of the Baptist Teacher, issued by the American Baptist Publication Society, we find the following editorial paragraphs. Certainly we who have our home in this dear Southland appreciate senti ments concerning our noble people so true and so just. “Our brethren of the South have a race problem on their hands of the greatest gravity. Our brethren of the North have a dozen race prob lems instead of one, with which to grapple; our brethren of the South have this immense advantage, which none of us perhaps now fully realize. They all believe in the old flag and loyally rally ardund it. “One of the most thrilling inci dents of the mighty meeting of the Young People's Baptist Union of America at Detroit, was when on the occasion of the presentation of banners by the several states, the State of Georgia, having none of its j own on account of its being yet un- 1 organized for the work, was most worthily represented by Rev. Dr. Lansing Burrows, who, with dram atic effect, caught up a United States flag, and with fervid eloquence presented it in the name of Georgia. Never was there a liner exhibition of the combined beauty and strength of piety and patriotism.” » O God, to be always begging and never thanking, and yet to call this prayer, what a gross offence it must needs be in thy sight! Lift thou us to the higher plane, where wo shall thank as well as beg and thank more than we beg. Will not thanking serve better to reach thy heart and open thy hand than the mere beg ging over did or could ? And let us thank thee for the privilege of thanking, the privilege of angels and of the spirits of just men made per feet brought down from heaven to earth. The editors of the Homiletic Re view are “acquainted with not a few ministers of the gospel who absolute ly refuse to repeat an old sermon, even on a strange pulpit,” because “they hold that a sermon once preach ed has accomplished its mission for ever.” This is absurd, to a painful degree. On the contrary, we main tain that a sermon preached but once is a sermon arrested in the making. A man has never the best opportuni ty to make a sermon, without the privilege of preaching it several times to help him. ■ The class of ser mons most likely to have no missions to be accomplished, or to have at least no accomplished mission, is this class of unrepeated sermons. A ser mon really cannot die with one preaching; its very vitality will make it say itself over again, and in a fresher, more natural way, if occa sion offers. Not that this repetition is easy; if it were easier there would be more of it; there is often less difficulty in making a new sermon than in putting preaching life into an old one; and, many times, there fore it is the sloth of man which throws the old aside for the new. This means less thorough prepara tion ; means less theological precis ion, mean less unction, means less pulpit power ; means, more and more sermons less fit to be preached even once; means fewer and still fewer thoughtful people, year by year, car ing to hear the ministers of whom these editors speak. A question here, by the by. Can a Harmony of the Gospel be con structed which will not show that Christ repeated his discourses? And is it even safe not to follow in his steps? Do mortals love to pose as pro phets of evil to their fellows? It would seem so. A few years ago we were told in all the scentific journals that mankind were rapidly growing bald, and that by and by only gener ations without hair would walk the earth. Next there came a host of seers who in the injury wrought on the eyes of the young by our public schools recognized by the sure token of a time when blindness should b e the rule and vision the exception among men and women. And now a prominent dental authority, Sir James Crichton Browne, paints a pic ture of toothlessness as laid up in store for the coming sons and daugh ters of England. Why do not these gloomy forboders strike hands and take their stand together on the position that it is the destiny of man to civilize himself out of existence, and that the path of culture is the world’s appointed path to a solitude without inhabitant? If they hesi tate to assume ground of such gross and palpable absurdity, perhaps they will suffer us to retain enough of the old-fashioned trust in Providence, to believe that God, who preserves the senses and organs of the body to the lower animal tribes without the cul ture and the civilization, will in some way make our hold upon them cer tain in spite of these things—even if these things are as fraught with mis chief as they are ever and anon said to be. A correspondent of the Presbyter ian Observer gives the experience of Rev. Dr. Cooper, Detroit, .Michigan, with a burglar a few days ago. “A young man called at his door with a request to see the doctor alone. He was shown into his study and closing the door behind him, and bracing himself against it, he coolly pointed a pistol within two feet of the doctor’s head, who had risen from the desk to receive the caller. The burglar warned him not to make an alarm under peril of his life, and demanded his money and his valuables. With great pres ence of mind, seizing a favorable moment, when the man’s attention seemed to be diverted by some noise outside the house, the doctor, who is a strong, athletic man, sprang upon his assailant and pinioned him to the floor, and called for help. His brother-in-law in the adjoining room rushed to his assistance, and in the grasp of the two the man was held securely until the police came and marched him off to the lock-up, where he now remains awaiting his trial.” The young man has been identi fied as a member of a very respecta ble family, living not far from Dr. Cooper’s residence. Coolness and courage, in emergen cies, are rare qualities, but backed by physical ability, would put many a scopndrel where that “respectable young man” now is,—behind the bars. Here is what may prove an open door to a new form of ill-beseeming rivalry between churches and minis ters. We have long been accustomed to certificates in favor of patent med- ’cines from divines of every denomi nation and of every degree. But it is a quite recent thing that one of the Western churches confronts the pub lic with a certificate of its own in that line. Is this thing to grow, un til, for example, rival remedies for dyspepsia shall dispute the patron age of afflicted stomachs, the one with the certificate of a popular Methodist Doctor of Divinity, and the other with the certificate of a wealthy and influential Presbyterian Church ? We hope not. Let the churches keep out of the business, and let ministers get out of it. Toward the close of the year 1800? Carey said, “Yesterday was a day of great joy. I had the happiness to desecrate the Ganges by baptizing the first Hindoo! His name is Krishna-Pal. I also baptized my son Felix.” This was the beginning. Behold the amazing progress of the work in the bands of a self-denying consecra ted Christian, who has a fixed pur pose, a definite plan, and who steadily pursues it in the face, of what seemed to many, insuperable physical obstacles, and the discour aging comments of unbelieving co temporaries. “The Bible was translated into over thirty dialects, rendering it accessible to one third of the human race, and as a result of his preaching he saw, before his death, twenty-six gospel churches planted in India, within an area of about 800 miles, and about forty laboring brethren raised upon the spot amid them. As he lay dying, he spoke of God’s great goodness to him in his work, and said, “I have not a wish left unsatis fied.” This was the man who when he asked if “the churches of Christ had done -all they ought to have done for the salvation of the heathen nations,’’ was sternly rebuked by an older minister who said, “Sit down young man. When God wishes to convert the heathen world He will do so without your help or mine.” Nothing daunted, he held firmly on his way, until he waked up the sleeping churches of England by his. memorable sermon preached at Not tingham, in the year 1792, in which he uttered the tw’o thoughts, “Ex pect great things of God; attempt great things for God.” These were the key notes to which his whole life was turned, llis attempts were great, because his expectations were great. Os God, and for God, constituted the inspiration, amd purpose of his life. He died saying, “I have not a wish left unsatisfied.” God was faithful who had promised. The leading members of the fac ulty of the Chicago University are said to appear in “black gowns.” The titles “Prof, and Dr.,” are drop ped, and all the members of the faculty from the Pres, down are ad dressed as Mr. Mr. Stagg, instructor in “physical culture” has informed the young men that they must all take part in foot ball. Dropping the titles may be well enough, but putting on the black gowns is a piece of ostentatious pro fessional foolishness. Perhaps, as a contrast, and to give light as well as shade to the mourn ful picture, it may be well for those members of the faculty who follow to put on white gowns. But gowns, or no gowns, titles, or no titles, we notice, according to Mr. Stagg, that the culture extends from head to foot. It is said there is in England a woman’s tombstone, on which the epitaph is written in shorthand. If she was a good woman, “a mother in Israel,” “a daughter of the King,” we are not surprised that recourse was had to shorthand in setting forth her excellencies, since no ordinary tombstone is of sufficient size to contain all these excellencies if re corded without abbreviations or symbols, in words of full length. But by the time that Macaulay’s New Zealander stands musing and moralizing amid the ruins of London what a puzzle that inscription will prove to astute antiquaries. The Baptist and Reflector has a well deserved word of ridicule for the prevailing “society craze:” The alphabet craze has well nigh exhausted the twenty-six letters. The ,B. Y. P. U. A., and the Y’. M. C. A., the W. C. T. U., and Y. P. S. C. E. have been before the public for some time. Now a new claimant for recognition appears in the O. P. 8. R. J. C. P., w hich being interpre ted is: “The Old People’s Society for the Regulation of Juvenile Chris tian Precocity.” THE BAPTIST ORPHAN'S HOME. “The friends of the Baptist Or phanage in Virginia are gratified to observe the general interest which our Sunday Schools are taking in the orphanage work. More than a year ago, the Grace Street Sunday School of Richmond decided to give one month of its collections to this good object.”—The Baptist Balti more. Is there not a hint in this para graph which the Sunday Schools of Atlanta, and of the whole state, might take ? The Baptist Orphan’s Home in Atlanta is sustained almost entirely by voluntary contributions. A portion of the money contributed by our Sunday Schools to charitable purposes, could not be more worthily I bestowed, or do more good, than to {be given to the Orphans’ Home. If given regularly, at stated intervals, say once a month, it would put the support of the institution on a sure basis. Will not superintendents, teachers and pastors take this hint, and act on it ? “The great forces of civilization are all working in favor of combina tion, co-operation, organization, cen tralization. The churches could not resist this powerful tendency' of the times, even if they tried. The very stars in their course are fighting against existing sectarianism and de nominational competition. Carlyle somewhere describes the insight of genius as a “co-operation with the real tendency of the world.” Those who are seeking to bring the frag ments of the dismembered Church of Christ into closer relations, and finally into -organic union, may be said to possess this insight, and may see their triumph from afar.—Dr Jo siah Strong. “Finally into organic union.” “See their triumph from afar.” If Dr. Strong means the organic union of churches of “the same faith and order,” those who are seeking it within that sphere may “see their . triumph from afar,” yes, from very far. But if he means “organic union” of denominations differing in faith and order, the triumph will be so far off that an ecclesiastical telescope equal in power to that of the Lick Observatory sweeping the field will prove it to be beyond the range of vision. A touching incident occurred at the* annual meeting of the Pastors, College, London. Just at the con clusion of one of the addresses, Mr. Spurgeon, father of the late C. 11. Spurgeon, and who is eighty-two years of age, entered the lecture hall, accompanied by one of bis daughters and Mrs. James Spurgeon. As the aged man walked up the hall the whole assembly rose, and in subdued tones sang, “Abfde with me, fast falls the eventide.” The prayer of the father of the great preacher, mingled as it was with flowing tears, touched every heart as he prayed : “We mourn his loss for thou didst make him of great use in this world- Bless the widow and the sons. Sanc tify our bereavements. Soon we must follow. We know thou wilt never leave those who put their trust in thee.”—N. Y. Observer. Thomas Cooper, the Chartist poet, died a short time since, at the age of eighty-seven. It is supposed that he suggested to Kingsley the charac ter of “Alton Locke,” in the great novel of that name. Cooper, when a boy, was apprenticed to a cobbler, and rose at three or four o’clock every morning in order to study. At twenty-three he knew Greek, Latin, Hebrew, French, and mathe matics, and had besides a fine gener al knowledge. At what a cost all this was acquired, however, the fol lowing note left by him shows: “I not unfrequently swooned away and fell along the floor when I tried to take my cup of oatmeal gruel at the end of the day’s labor. Next morn ing, of course, I was not able to rise at an early hour; and then the next day's study had to be stinted. I needed better food than we could afford to buy, and often had to con tend with the sense of faintness while I still plodded on with my double task of mind and body.” Rev. Wm. Brenton Greene, Jr., D. D. has been elected Professor of Apologetics in Princeton Theolog. ical Seminary. He has been pastor of the Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia for several years. He is regarded as “sound in the faith,” and well qualified for the position to which he has been called. Rev. Thos. Spurgeon has set out on his return to New Zealand. He had become very popular with the Tabernacle congregation, and the farewell was marked by much affec tion. A telegram to the Baptist Courier, Greenville, S. C., says that the Wai. nut St. Church, Louisville, Ky. raised over S7OOO for the Centennial Fund on Sunday, Oct. 30th. Well done! The spirit of liberality is catching and spreading. News like the above is inspiring. We believe that May, 1893 will find the plans and expec tations of Southern Baptists glo riously realized. Then there will be thanksgiving, and rejoicing. The Foreign Mission Journal ack nowledges receipts from September 15th to October 15th as follows: From South Carolina, $1,445.32; previously reported $2,200.75; total this year $3,646.07. Received from all the States $13,855.70; previously reported S2O, 402.98; total this year, $34,258.68. Georgia, Kentucky, and Virginia only reported larger sums than South Carolina. Rev. Jos. Hiden, son of Dr. J. C. Hiden, has been forced to give up his work in Ala. He is, at present, with his father, in Richmond, Va, He is represented as an earnest, con. scientious, hard working preacher and pastor. MUSIC AT OHUROH. A lady who had been instrumen tal in getting up musical services in a church in the north of Scotland was very anxious that an old nurse of the family—a Presbyterian of the old school—should have an opportu nity of hearing them. Accordingly she very kindly took her down to church in her carriage, and on re turning asked her what she thought of the music. “Ou, it’s varra bonny, varra bonny. But, oh, my leddie, its an awfti’ way o’ spendin’ the Sab bath”—Scottish American Just so. Much of the music heard at church on Sabbath, is better suit ed to the Concert Hall or Opera House than to the House of God. Calvary Church, Kansas city. Mo. has already contributed SI2OO to the Centennial Fund, and will in crease it. Liberty, Mo., gave SIOOO, and the students added S4OO more. Princeton, W. Va., has raised SBSO for the same fund. Walnut St. Church, Louisville, Ky., has raised S7OOO, and it is be lieved that Broadway Church, will do as much. McFerran Memorial, and Twenty-second and Walnut Churches have each given $l,lOO. It is not improbable that the Louis ville churches, will go to $20,000. Rev. Charles Ferguson who was rector of St. James Episcopal church, Syracuse, N. Yk., has resigned and will go to Boston and engage in work with Rev. Mr. Bliss, of the Brotherhood of the Carpenter. He proposes to support himself by work ing at the bench, and to continue to preach the gospel. He says the ministry “has capitu lated to the world for the sake of supplies.” There goes another min isterial crank. Recent reports from China indi cate immense dammage to life and property by the overflow of the Yel low River. The district overflowed is 150 miles long by 30 wide. A number of towns along the banks of the river are said to have been washed away. Fifty thousand lives are reported lost. It ' Clifford. Hlackman A Boston Boy’s Eyesight Saved-Perhaps His Life By Hood’s Sarsaparilla—Blood I’oU ooned by Canker. Bead the following from a grateful motheri “ My little boy had Scarlet Fever when 4 years old, nnd it lo.'thlm very weak and With blood peiaoned wish ranker. His eyes became so Inflamed that his suCerlngs were Intense, and tor seven weeks he Could Not Open His Eyes. I took him twice during that time to the Eye and Ear Infirmary on Charles street, but their remedies failed to do him the faintest shadow of good. I commenced giving him Hood's Snr-aparlila and it soon cured him. I have never doubted that it wired hi* aright,even tL’m.H * rrT ,lfe ' You may use this tM ,n JOU choose. lam always ready to sound the praise of Hood's Sarsaparilla because nt the wonderful good It did my son." Anntit F. Blackman. 2888 Washington St, Boston, Mass. Get HOOD'S. HOOD'S PILLB are hand made, and are por feet In composition, proportion and appearance* Ast h m a riOlllllllCl Atrira, Is Nature* sure Cure tor Artbiua. Cure lOi.r.mrnl or No • *>spon lUH nruadway. New York £"[ '-“EV T r, “’ by Won. a<l<l<’«s SOLA IMPOMIIHa CO.. Lil Vla.Sl.,Cla<Uß*all.OUC,