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Many good and strong tilings were said in be
half of
M I » I O ZX
During the Session of the
Southern Baptist Convention.
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It is said Miss Hattie Judson, a
relative of the famous Adoniram
Judson,will go to India as a mission
ary to succeed Miss Robinson, of
Louisville, Ky., who recently died in
that country.
The millennium will be near at
hand,” Oliver Wendell Holmes once
said, “when lawyers take what they
would give and doctors give what
they would take.” It will be nearer
still when there is no longer any
thing to he taken from doctors, and
no longer anything to be given to
lawyers. Or, must we wait for that
until the millennium has already
come and made an end of the two
professions—as it will, of course?
In his thanksgiving sermon in
Richmond, Dr. Hiden was bold
enough to say this :
' Ido not belong to the class of
people who go into paroxysms of
fright at what “Biblical Criticism”
has done, or may do. Shelley, I be
lieve it was, who said, “I don’t be
lieve in ghosts; I’ve seen too many
of them ; ” and the people who are
so frightened at this ghost of Bibli
cal Criticism are not usually the
people who have really seen much
of It-, I Jbx. c l-tast doubt
that, upon the whole, tho modern
tests to which the Bible—and espe
cially the life of Christ—have been
subjected, have been helpful to the
faith of candid and intelligent
students of the Scriptures.
We tremble for you, dear doctor.
The heresy-hunters will now surely’
enroll you among the army of the
unsanctified. Don’t you know that one
essential test of “orthodoxy” is to
denounce the aforesaid “criticism”
whether ignorant or not.
In a very just article on “the
mighty Poindexter,” in the Religious
Herald, Rev. Dr. Andrew Broaddus>
speaks after this manner:
At the first meeting of the Gener
al Association that the writer ever
attended, the logical, eloquent and
impassioned Poindexter, the many
sided, wise Jeter, the lovely and
loved, but decided and energetic
Taylor, the conservative candid and
judicious Ryland, and the modest,
courteous and scholarly Shaver—all
then in the prime of matured man
hood—were the leaders of the Bap
tist hosts in Virginia. “There were
giants in the land in those days.”
We know all of these worthies and
can heartily in Dr. Broaddus’
appreciative words. Poindexter,
Jeter and Taylor have gone to be
with their Lord in glory. The ven
erable Ryland still abides with the
saints on earth. So does Dr. Shav
er, and the columns of the Index
are made brighter by his facile pen.
But in our opinion there are yet
giants in the" Old Dominion Baptist
ministry, and will be as long as it
can boast such men as Hatcher, Hi
den, Wharton, Owen, Gwin, Dickin
son, Cooper, Tupper, Felix and many
other able and consecrated men of
God. In the same article Dr. Broad
dus has this paragraph:
“Poindexter was not less decided
in his conviction of the correctness of
distinctive Baptist principles than he
was in holding tne doctrines of
Grace. Unlike the Professor of
Systematic Theology in Crozer Sem
inary, he did not believe that Bap
tists ought to find little difficulty in
givingup their distinctive views (ex
cept their opposition to infant bap
tism) in order to enjoy the privilege
and honor of being received into
tho bosom of the Episcopal church.
Can it bo possible that the “Pro
fessor of Systematic Theology in
Crozer” ever said what is hero at.
tributed to him? We have read
much from this distinguished brother
and cannot recall any such utter
ance. Will Dr. Broaddus please let
-- ~ 1
ifJjmttan
NORTH CAROLINA BAPTIST
CONVENTION.
This Convention m« with the Tab"
ernacle Church in Raleigh—the Cap-,
ital city of the State—on Thursday
evening, Dec. Bth, at 8 oclodk.
Raleigh is a beautiful little city
with about fifteen thousand popula
tion—it is a decidedly' Baptistic city,
having four Baptist churches, which
are more than any other denomina
tion can boast of. The pastor of the
church with which the convention
met, is J. J. Hall, a handsome Eng
lishman—large in heart, gracious in
manners and the very man to pastor
a convention—his meeting-house is
the most unique and strangely con
structed I ever saw, it is at once the
very place for a convention to meet
This is doubtless the largest State
Conventionthe Baptists ofNorth Caro
lina have ever had—by Friday morn
ing there were three hundred mes
sengers present. There was a throng
of distinguished visitors present too
numerous to mention—think of it
Dr. Dickenson, of the Religious Her
rald, of Richmond, Va., stated in a
speech that there were thirteen baptist
news paper men present. The hours
of meeting and adjourning were pe
culiarly well suited to city life—the
body met at 9 30, a. m„ and held for
thirty minutes an old fashioned
prayer meeting, -business began at
10 a. in., and continued until 2 p. m.,
adjourned to meet at 7 30. p. m., with
the evenings adjournment at the will
of the body. The first thing in order
after the assembling on Thursday
evening, was the preaching of the
convention sermon, by J. S. Harda
way, of Oxford; text Isaih, 52: Ist
verse “Zion awake, awake, etc.” Brief
outline. Zion means the churches of
Christ, —(a), the necessity of a creed
in the churches, — (b), the creed must
be pure as the Bible, —(c) a consecra
ted ministry,—(d), a converted (or)
saved membership, and (e), an hum
ble reliance on God for help. The
sermon was a fine one, pure and bap
tistic to the core—was well received,
and made a fine pupressson. Aftefc
the sermon the body was called to or
der by the former president, Dr. R.
11. Marsh, of Oxford—who, by ac
clamation was unanimously elected
president of this session. Then fol
lowed the election of a fine corps of
assisting officers—vice presidents
secretaries etc. Friday morning the
address of welcome was delivered in a
felicitous style by J. J. Hall pastor of
the church, and was happily respond
ed to by E. K. Proctor, of Lumber
ton. After tho adoption of an or
der of buisness, and the appointment
of the usual committees—the anual
report of the board of missions was
read by Dr. Columbus Durham, Cor.
Sec., of all missions for the state—
and what a report it was. After at
tending many conventions of both
state and southern baptists, for twen
ty-four years, I say without any hesi
tation, it was the best I ever heard
read, and the best read. A marked
feature of the report was that it cov
ered all missions, State, Homo and
Foreign, ah in the hands of the
State Secretary. I like it. An
other feature of the report, showed
that the weak and small associations
are combining, and thns making few
er in number, but stronger, wealthier
and healthier bodies for greater use
fulness. The report showed further
that there had been a grand forward
movement along all lines of work, this
hard financial year—more than twen
ty thousand dollars were raised than
last. Under this report, Dr. J. M.
Frost, of Nashville, Tenn., presented
the claims of the S. S. Board of the
Southern Baptist Convention in the
most masterful effort I have ever
heard him make, and I have heard
him several times. Ho emphasized
especially tho missionary feature of
thesouthernpublications as conducing
in a large measure to the raising up
of a great army of missionaries among
the children aud youth of our couth
land. Under tho same report came
up the enlargement and extension of
the work of Foreign Missions. This
department of tho work was ably dis
cussed by Dr. H. A. Tupper of Rich
mond, Va.—W. B. Bagby, missionary
at home from Brazil, W. I). Powell,
of Mexico, and D. W. Herring return
ed missioriary from China. Bro Bagby
showed in a clear and forcible man
ner, that in South America, where
the Roman Catholics have been the
prevailing religionists for ages, that,
that propaganda has become so
corrupt that not a soul is led to em
brace Giinfil fey and heuQQ tfeat
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. DECEMBER 22, 1892.
continent is in just as deep dark
ness and moral corruption sa China,
or any other part of heathendom,
and therefore, must have the gospel,
and is ripe for it now. His state
ments were corroborated by Powell,
of Mexico—as to Mexico.
FRIDAY evening session.
Report on ministerial education
read by J. L. Gwaltney, pastor at
Wako Forest. The report showed
that there were 37 ministerial stu
dents in Wake Forest College re
ceiving help, and 45 more knocking
at the door for admittance.
Dr. W. E. Hatcher, of Richmond,
Va., delivered a very fine address on
ministerial education—taking for his
theme, the Human co-operation in
the divine call to the ministry, after
which he lifted a collection of five
hundred and thirty dollars to help
educate the young preachers at Wake
Forest. The claims of the seminary
it Louisville, Ky., were then pre
sented by Prof. A. T. Robertson, of
that institution—there are seventeen
young preachers from North Carolina
at the seminary—which fact called
for another collection on the same
evening, from the same crowd, and
five hundred dollars more were rais
ed for this cause.
SATURDAY MORNING.
The prayer-meeting talk made by
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F. M.. Ellis, of Baltimore, Maryland, <
on religion and Christianity as deduc
ed from Paul, at Athens, and Corinth i
will never be forgotten by those
present—it was both sublime and .
scriptural, and hence very baptistic*
Tho convention began its morning
session by taking up state missions.
The leading address (and it was a
good one too) was delivered by Dr.
Charles E. Taylor, who was followed
by F. M. Jordan, an aged preacher
of the old North State* He has Jteen
preaching for forty-three years, and
has, perhaps, baptized more people
than any living man in the State.
The reminiscences that be gave of his
long and useful life, wore so rich and
ludicrous that the whole assembly
was alternately convulsed with
laughter and bathed in tears— it will
never be forgotten. The centennial
of missions was then taken up, Dr-
F. M. Ellis, of Baltimore, and W. D.
Powell, of Mexico, were the speakers,
the former taking tho lead. The con
vention was kept spellbound by the
eloquence, tho logic and tho scriptur
al truths pourd out into their souls
by this groat preacher, to the end of
tho address—it was the speach of
the convention. Thon came W. D.
Powell, in a unique, profound and
spicy speach—closing with a collec
tion amounting to about eight thou-
SATURDAY EVENING’S SESSION
The report on the Baptist Orphan
age at Thomasville was read and dis
cusesd by W. A. Esq.,
J. 11. Mills, Superintendent, and A. E.
Dickinson, of Va. At the close of
those addresses, which were all good,
a cash collection was taken amount
ing to two hundred and twenty-live
dollars-.
SABBATH MORNING;
The day was beautiful and bright,
the pulpits of the city, white and col
ored, were ocupied by the ministers
of tho convention, to the satisfaction
and praise of all the * rople.
Monday, the last of the con
vention, there was a general rushing
the buisness to get through that night,
the report on Wako Forest College,
read by C. Durham,,, wade a fine
showing for that iljstijution. Presi
dent Chrales E. Taylor, addressed
the body on education,-a splindcd ad
dress it was. Prof. Thomas Hume,
of tho State University made some
objection to both, the report and ad
dress of Dr. Taylor, which resulted
in a fine interlocutory discussion that
was very entertaining, it all ended
well and the report with
out change. The Baptists of North
Carolina seem determined to give
their daughters the same educational
chance of their sons, hence, a report
on the proposed Female University,
was read and warmly discussed by
several of tho strongest minds in tho
body. Tho university has been locat
ed at Raleigh, a lott purchased etc.
Colored Institutes were held in dif
ferent parts of the State, with grati
fying results, as the report on this
line of work showed. The work of
the Home mission board Southern
Baptist Convention was ably repre
sented by J. S. Dill, of Ala., Dr. I.
T. Tichenor being in Cuba. The
central committee of woman’s work
made a fine presentation of tho work
in their report. Dr. F. M. Ellis, of
Baltimore, mado a touching address
on woman’s work. Tho usual miscel
laneous buisness was transacted and
at a late hour in tho night tho conven
tion closed with many kind words
spoken and earnest prayers breathed
Tho convention goes to Elizabeth
City next year, with W. B. Oliver to
preach the convention sermon.
Hon. J. C. Scarborough, president
of tho Board of missions, Columbus
Durham, Cor. Sec. Dr. Thomas Hume
of tho State University, and J. C*
Caddell, of the Biblical Recorder,
were appointed correspondents to tho
Georgia Baptist Convention next
April at Dawson.
Dr: C. C. Bitting, of tho Bible de
partment of the American Baptist
was at the convention, but went away
without addressing the body.
The hospitality of the good people
of Raleigh, was well nigh without a
paralell, the Index was quartered at
at the Yarborough house, the special
guest of two Hebrew merchants)
Merrs. D. and S. Berwanger.
E.
AGOLOGY
OR THE REASON FOR GOING.
Dear Index: If 1 could I would
write a clear, sensible, scriptural ar.
tide on missions. Bro. McConnell
is getting close to the “roots”' of the
subject. The editorials arc also able
expositions of certain theological and
moral arguments for missions. I be
lieve this Centennial work will be
productive of permanent good in
stimulating investigation, making
converts and deepening the convic
tions of those already made.
The doctrine, the reason, the phi
losophy of missions must get to the
heart by the way of the head. “Teach”
the dispiples, is a part of the consti
tution of Christianity. Why 80,000
a missionary Baptists in Georgia?
They have not been taught the doc
trine,the theology and philosophy of
missions, they have erroneous, un
scriptural views on the subject,—no
convictions, hence no work—they arc
not “rooted and grounded.”
I have been looking for tho “cam
paign document,” suggested by Bro.
McConnell, but have not found it,
and, I confess, I do not know where
to find it. I had hoped that our
Boards or Centennial Committee
would produce such a document, L t
not yet do wo sec it. Maybe they
will.
Carey did not begin his work by
appeals for funds, but by a scriptural
and philosophical discussion of the
principles of missions, that carried
deep conviction and produced abun
dant fruit.
Paul, in his letter to the Romans,
which, by the way, is tho missionary
book of the Bible, does not content
himself with a mere repetition of the
commission, but digs until he shows
us the basal reasons for the legal and
righteous condemnation of all na
tions. I say reasons because there
are many, two of which I will men
tion:
1, Tho universal condemnation of
men for their sins, under the law of
God and the consequent necessity of
salvation by grace. This is tho lega)
basis of missions.
2. The universal offer of mercy
and life through Christ, resulting
from God’s love, and the obligation,
laid upon those who have received
by tbo bttviur’s; tqjiftrry
the gospel to the whole world. This
is the moral basis of missions.
These taken together may be for
mulated thus: We stand between
God and man, with the only means
of salvation revealed to us, under
tho double obligation of Gbd’s com
mand on the divine and. moral side,
and the world’s necessities on tho
human and legal side, to carry the
gospel to the world. What are our
privileges and responsibilities ?
The legal basis of missions is in
t he fall and total depravity of man,
the moral basis is in the love of God
and gift of salvation through Christ.
Faith receives Christ, then carries
him to fibers, so ho is revealed in
the gospel scheme “from faitlF to
faith.” God has an eternal purpose
of’('race, and mission work is but a
part of tho moans for securk|g a
chosen end, so that instead of mis
sions being contrary to election it is
the result of election. “The gospel
shall be preached in all the world,”,
said Jesus, so it is not left to our
choice but is God’s immutable pur
pose. If we do not do it others will.
God can accomplish his purpose
without us, but we cannot afford to
be left out of God’s plans. If the
whole scheme of redemption is the
result of election, and it is, then all
the parts of it are results of election.
Preaching is a part of the scheme,
for, “it pleased God, by the foolish
ness of preaching, to save them that
believe;” therefore preaching, or mis.
gions, is the result of election. With
the power and purpose of God to
command us, and the necessities of
lost millions to invite us, surely we
should go, and if we intelligently
comprehend the tremendous import—
the consequences, to ourselves and
others, of either acceptance or re
fusal—of the command of God, we
will go, if God permits us.
We have excellent literature on
the moral basis of missions, but very
little on the legal. Here the ignor
ant and unbelieving meet us with
numerous assumptions which they
behexe perfectly unanswerable, such
as:
1. “The heathen do not know
good from evil, for they are without
God’s law. The Bible says, ‘Where
there is no law there is no trans
gression,” and, “sin is not imputed
where there is no’law,” therefore it
could be both unjust and contradic
tory in God to condemn them. For
this reason I do not believe the hea
then are lost or will be lost; that
there is any legal necessity for mis
sions; that it will do the heathen any
good, but, on the contrary, much
harm to send the gospel to them
hence I am opposed to missions.”
The above is a very common ob
jection. It is used and believed
with telling effect by the Anti-mis
sion preachers and people, and by
many members of our churches. It
is a logical argument based on a false
premise. Tho assumption that the
heathen do not know good from evil;
are without God’s law; that being
without God’s law they are conse
quently ignorant; and, that being
ignorant God is consequently bound,
in order to be just, to save them, is a
stupendous stack of falsehood, un
scriptural and unreasonable.
Let me answer it, in short:
1. The heathen do know good
from evil:
“And the Lord God said, Behold,
the man is become as one of us to
know good and evil.”—Gen. 3:22.
See also v. 5, same Chapter Rom. 1 •
18-28, and context. There is only
one way around this answer and that
is to deny the doctrine of hereditary
depravity, sin and death, and to do
that is to repudiate the Bible. “As
in Adam all die,” etc., with context.
No intelligent man, who denies the
doctrine of hereditary, total and help
less depravity, can give a scriptural
legal or moral reason for missions,
nor does he believe in salvation by
grace.
2. Tho heathen are not without
God’s law, for “the work of the law
is written in their hearts.” Rom. 2:
15 and context.
3. The heathen are not ignorant
of God. Read Paul’s sermon, preach
ed at Athens (Acts 17), in which ho
proves by Greek art (a monument)
and literature (a poem by Aratus)
that tho Greeks knew of the one true
God. Thon see his argument in
Rom. 1: 19, 20,21,25. Psa. 19: 1-6;
context and moral codes of nations.
4. Tho heathen aro not innocent*
Read Rom. Chapters 1 -to 5 with 0.
Brother Minister,
Working Layman,
Zealous Sister
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5. Lastly, ignorance doos not save,
even if the heathen were ignorant.
If it did then Christianity, its Head,
its doctrines—in a word—the -whole
Christian system would be a stupen
dous, inexplicable and indefensible
fraud.
To intelligently believe the Bible
will make a missionary of any man.
Intelligent opposition to missions'
proceeds only from an unbelieving
heart. Christianity and missions
stand or fall together. Biblical faith
takes hold of God with one hand
this is the moral basis of missions,—
upon lost men with the other—this
is the legal basis of missions,-—and,
with all the power of both its arms
consecrated to the glory of God and
the good of man, it endeavors 4to
bring the world its redeeming Sav
ior and tho Savior his redeemed
world. 'When they meet its joy is
is complete. This is Christianity,—
this is our mission.
Now, will somebody put tho whole '
truth—the moral and legal basis of
missions in a small compact book and
let us make it a “campaign docu
ment.” \Ve need Agology.
J. A. SCARBOBO.
Eastman, Ga.
THE PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION,
Ask the average man why he sends
his son to college and his reply will
be, “To prepare him for tho duties
of life. Ask him what he means by
“the duties of life,” and you get a
vague and ambiguous answer.
You readily perceive, however
that whilst ho does not say so in so
many words, he considers the inak
ieg of a living by easy methods the
chief end and aim of life. He w-ants
his son to have an easier campaign
in the battle of life than he has had
to be able get more more money and
to occupy a higher social position.
That is very commendable but does .
it not reveal a very imperfect con
ception of the chief end of human
existence?
Try to account for human origin '
as wc| may, we find ourselves face to
fuco with the fact that l>4k has two '
natures. We call one of these na
tures spiritual, the other physical.
Or we sometimes vary the phraseol
ogy by saying the one is a regal
soul; and the other a subject body.
We say of the first that it is endow
ed with capacity to know, to will to
enjoy ; of the second, that is the
soul’s medium of contact with the '
physical world, the agent, helper and
nourisher of the soul, for we know
that the soul’s activity and perfec
tions are limited and aided by phy
sical conditions and needs. It is
well then to pay due attention to
the physical side of life, sometimes
spoken of as “material civiliza
tion.”
But are we not in imminent dan
ger of over-doing this? Our watch
word is utility; utility in the sense
of practical application to industrial
pursuits. Our minds seem to have
become dazed by tho brilliancy
of our unprecedented material prog
ress. Its tangible, sensuous and inr*
pressible character has bewildered usj
and itiwould indeed bestrange if there
not were some resultant confusion of
thought respecting the object of hu
man life. If we were in a position to
view the trendof this habit of thought
from an outside point of view, we
should, in all probability, be amazed
and terrified at tho prospect. Let
us concede that, in the order of time
physical wants must have the pre
cedence. The boy must have food
and clothing, and the means of heal
thy physical development before he
can bo trained to think. In the
widest sense of the word, his edu
cution is what he experiences from
the cradle to the grave; and if these
experiences be embitted by poverty
and want,there will be a correspond
ing dwarfage of tho soul. There
mnst be ample provision for tho ani
mal that is within us before the
thinking apparatus can be set in
motion. It is well therefore to pay
duo attention to tho material side of
our nature.
But is this the chief end and aim
of human life? If so, then human
life is but a higher sphere of animal
ity ; the soul myth,and immortality a
delusion. Do wo believe this? If
not, then our practice is strangely
inconsistent with our belief; for our
practice reveals tho fatal defect in
our philosophy of education which
regards man merely as a grand
physical organism reaching up to