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any go od and strong things were said in be
half of
IONS
During the Session of the
Southern Baptist Convention.
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ESTABLISHED 1821.
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SPECIAL EFFORT-
As February is one of the best months
of the year for newspaper circulation,
we have decided to beg every Baptist
pastor and working layman and conse
crated sister, of our denomination in
Georgia to make some special effort to
increase the circulation of the Christian
Index during that month. It is the
paper of our church, the servant of our
denomination and the medium of com
munication between the great Baptist
family of the empire State of the South.
It is unnecessary to take space to show
the need of such effort and the good
that the success of the effort would
bring. Every one knows too well how
infinitely more good the Index would
do, if it had two or three times the circu
lation it now has. Brother pastor, will
you during the month of February bring
the Index properly before your people
and urge them to take it? We will appre'
date anything done for us in response to
this appeal, by pastors, deacons, super
intendents of Sabbath-schools or lay
men.
‘•The Review of Reviews” thinks that
“Autobiographla, or, the Story of a Life,
will be a permanent addition to the Whit,
man literature,” How can that be when
the Whitman literature itself is not per
manent? What builds on a quagmire
sinks and must sink.
It is stated that a test has been made
by United States authorities which re.
suited in ascertaining that the granite
near Lexington, Ga., will sustain greater
pressure than any in the United States.
Georgia therefore comes to the front on
the granite question.
“To help the lame dog over the stile,’’
as the saying is, may seem a small thing
to do; but we should despise nothing if
it only trains us in habits of kindness.
To stoop in benefaction to the low, is
but taking, while w e aim notatit, a high
er position in excellence to ourselves.
The secular press are spending much
time and space uselessly predicting the
Cabinet that Mr. Cleveland will form.
The time for announcing his Cabinet is
yet two months off. Mr. Cleveland
knows as well as any man living, the
prominent men of < the country. He will
therefore use his own judgment in
choosing his Cabinet.
When editors will not do without quar
relling, then papers ought to do without
the editors. When papers cannot or will
not do without quarrelling editors, then
people ought to do without the papers.
No sacrifice in either line can be too
costly, if it saves us in any measure
from the risk of becoming ourselves a
quarrelling people. For a quarrelling
people is on the way toward being a peo
ple no longer.
California has done well in beginning
two important political reforms, by a
vote 187,958 against 13,342. She has de
clared that the election of United States
Senators shall be by direct vote of the
people. At the same time, by a vote of
161,320 against 41,038 she declared in
favor of an educational qualification for
voters. Both of these measures are of
vital importance to a proper discharge
of governmental affairs.
Ex-United States Consul, Alexander
Russell Webb is said to be raising funds
in India for the purpose of converting
America to Islamism. He has raised al
ready 50,000 rupees, and is said to be
receiving considerable encouragement
from the Mohamedans of Bombay and
Calcutta. His idea is to use the most of
(he money raised to establish Islamite
newspapers and lecture courses in our
principal cities.
The editor of the Teacher is timely in
suggesting that we begin right
In order to do this there will have to
be some consideration of the aim we
have In mind. If the aim is high the
flight will be much higher than if there
is no definite point of effort By study,
observation, careful thought, wise plan
ning, and thorough attention to details,
the end sought will be likely to be
reachod. But the best time to begin is
the present And if each day is regarded
the same as the first day, and fresh be
ginnings are made, with earnest impul
ses, there need not be any fear as to the
result
Wljc (£ljridian
Dr. J. M. Frost called to see us fasv
week as he passed through to the Flori
da Convention. Though his eall to the
pastorate of the First Church at Nash
ville, and his act eptancc removes him
from the Secretaryship of the Sunday
school Board, ho has been elected Prcsi
dent of the Board and will continue to
edit the Convention Teacher. The
Board contemplate electing a popular
manos Dr. Frost's successor. A good
brother writing ns from Nashville, says
the prospects of the Board are fine and
its business is to bo more vigorously
pushed.
• One of our exchanges credits Congre.
gationalists with having ordained five
women to preach the gospel, and assures
us that their success in the pastoral of
fice has amounted to nothing, their se
verest critics being the women of tlio
churches they serve. The experiment
has not been restricted to that people,
however; whether with greater success or
with less, it must have been tried in oth
er quarters, since on a single Sabbath re
ccntly in Denver, Col., thirty-five pulpits
were occupied by as many women or.
dained as regular ministers. Among
the triers of the experiment, there must
have been, of course, a Wesloylan contin
gent, longing, as Mrs. Hugh Price
Hughes expresses it, to “restore the or
iginalglory of Methodism and add to it;”
this glory consisting in the fact that “be
fore it settled into a dignified and re
spectable church, great freedom was al
lowed to women, who were made class
leaders, and encouraged to pray In pub
lic, and also to preach.” So we gather
from hints dropped hero an J. there that
the custom Is spreading more widely
than one might infer from the current of
events In our own quiet section. And
let us thank Mrs, Hughes for reminding
us, no matter how it grows, that it is
the treading of a stop backward, toward
a disorder tried onco before and found
wanting and put away.
The mission of Mgr. Satolli to
this country and tho apparent eager
ness of tho pope to reconcile Dr-
McGlynn show that tho situation in
Catholic circles in this country is
very grave. Tho crisis cannot long
bo delayed in any event. Tho dis
trust ft Americanism in the Vatican
is shown in many ways. The rup
tures between the spirit of ecclesias
tical medievalism and that of Amer
ican freedom cannot bo more than
temporarily healed. Nothing but
tho constant stream of foreign catho
lics who have been sent to this country
has kept up the catholic church in
America, The effort td engraft its
gilded paganism upon a free and en
lightened country must ultimately
fail. The spectacle of a man who
has secluded himself In a self-hn
posed imprisonment in Romo, lord
ing it over free American citizens in
the matter which concerns them
selves more than any others, would
bo ridiculous if it were not so seri
ous, And if Dr, McGlynn has been
persuaded to ground the arms of Ills
rebellion against the pope’s claim of
authority, some mightier braver spir
it (some native American) will take
up the eause from which the sub
dued priest has ingloriously retreat
ed, and do for America what Luther
did for Germany. He will do more.
For while Luther had to blaze his
own way through a trackless wilder
ness, the American apostle of reform
whoever he may be, will work in
the concentrated light of the twen
tieth century and be cheered by the
sympathies and prayers of thousands
of earnest and liberty-loving people
everywhere,
GOD GROSSED HIS HANDS.
“Old blind Jacob crossed his hands
that tho greater blessing might fall
on Ephraim. Joseph said “your rlg|,t
hand is on the younger,” Jacob said,
“J know it, my son, I know it.”
Joseph thought his blind father was
about to make a great blunder. It
bad been the custom to bestow the
Patriarchal blessing and on the eldest
first a double portion, Tho blind
Patrljich was guided by the divine
hand and though he did not see, yet
well knew which was appointed of
God to tho greater blessing,
While this curious Incident might
well illustrate other great facts in tho
Divine disposition of tho affairs of
His government, it strikingly illus
trates the gracious provision God
has made for us in tho bestownient
upon us of blessing and favor while
on our Elder brother tho heavy hand
of suffering was laid.
Christ our Elder brother, and we
stand before the Patriarch of tho
universe. He is entitled to all con
sideration, wo to nothing, but God
verily crossed his hands to lay on our
unworthy heads blessings both gra
cious and providential, while on him
was laid tho iniquity of us all. If a
Joseph should stand by, bo might
well interupt tho solemn prooeoduro
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. JANUARY 12,1893.
of blind providence and grace, and
say “Father your hands are crossed.”
But God would answer “I know it,
my son, I know it.” Oh, the un
fathomable love of God! Poor
worthless, helpless, sinful sinners are
made the object of eternal blessings.
And all because Jesus has made us
his brethren, and by Divine agree
ment the hand of blessing is crossed
over to us, while the hand of wrath
was laid on Him. Blessed Saviour,
thou art worthy of honor, and praise
dominion and power forever and
ever.
Such views of Him make service
easy and suffering sweet, if by it His
name may be glorified.
MY WORD SHALL NOT RETURN
UNTO ME VOID.
Our hearts have been so cheered
recently by the evidences of God’s
blessing upon his word here that I
thought a short history of the prog
ress of the work at Saling might
cheer some heart on the other side of
the waters.
You have all heard about Pingtu
in North China and perhaps will re
member that Saling is a little village
eight or ten miles from the city
Some seven or eight years ago, a
sect called the “Laotien men” was
quite nourishing there. The members
had felt their lost condition and
were stirring to find salvation by a
life of morality.
Nothing better had presented it
self and tney were trying to do the
best they could.
About that time one of their lea
ders “Dan Kung Bang” was in
Mentsen, a town three or four miles
from Saling, and hearing that a for
eigner (Mr. Pruitt) was there and
had a strange new doctrine to preach,
he finished his marketing, and has
tened to find him, but when ha ar
rived at the inn, Mr. Pruitt had left
the town.*' Later, he heard the for
eigners were in the city and he went
there to enquire into the new doc
trine but was not permitted to see
anyone. Mr. Holcomb being ill with
smallpox and Mr. Pruitt caring for
him.
Some months passed, and Mr.
Dan’s younger brother was passing
through Hwang Hien and stopped
to see Air. Pruitt and told him how
anxious his older brother was to
search into this new doctrine and
asked him to go to Saling. Afr.
Pruitt accordingly at his next visit
called at Saling but Air. Dan was
not at home. Sometime passed and
Mr. Dan heard that Alias Afoon was
in the city and he determined to
make one more effort to see a for
eigner. When he arrived at Miss
Aloon’s quarters, her servant did not
feel inclined to let him in and ex
plained that Alias Moon was a single
woman alone in the city, Mr. Dan
persisted and finally the servant
told Alias Moon and she invited him
in. He remained with her several
hours but it was all so new and
strange to him he could get very
little idea of the plan of salvation*
He wanted her to go to Saling ana
she appointed a time and he came
for her. The people seemed anxious
to learn the truth, but up to her
third visit were still in the dark. In
the fall Miss Aloon and Afrs. Craw
ford visited Saling and remained
sometimes trying to give the people
a knowledge of the gospel. About
that time Air. Dan joyfully accepted
the Saviour and soon others follow
ed and in the fall of 1889 a little
church was organized.
In Jan. 1890, some serious perse
cutions arose. The people from Afr.
Dan’s native village, about a mile
away, came for him to go with them
to the yearly worship of their ances
tors. Tliis, he refused to do saying
he could not worship dead men.
They told him if he would not go
they would carry him. He
still refused and they tied his hands
and feet and carried him on a pole.
They bumped him on the frozen
ground and children spit in his face
and reviled him but he said he con
tinued to feel happy as he thought :
“Did not the One who was nailed to
calvary’s cross suffer this I ”
After they arrived at the village
they beat him most cruelly and ask
ed him if be was ready to “knock
heads” to the ancestral tablets. He
repliod, “I can still talk, but if you
continue to beat me in this way I
won’t be able to much longer, but as
long as my lips can move, I have
this to say to you, I oannot bow to
that piece of paper.”
After beating him until he could
scarcely move and finding him firm
they allowed him to go. Miss Moon
on hearing of Bro. Dan’s troubles
went immediately to Saling and sent
a messenger to Hwang Hien. Mr.
Pruitt, Mr. Bostick and Mr. League
left for Saling the following week.
After prayerful consideration it
was decided that no attempt be made
by the foreigner to carry the matter
to the mandarin and have the offen
ders punished.
That plan had been tried again
and again by the foreigners (Presby
terians) near us ahd while open per.
secution sometimes ceased, it always
resulted in arousing enmity towards
foreigners and native Christians and
in retarding the progress of the gos
pel of “peace and good will.”
Bro. Dan and ethers were not
pleased with the decision and thought
the missionaries treated them un
fairly. Every effort to explain was
made, but they could not under
stand.
Bro. Dan made a visit to Tung
Chow and had long talks with the
Presbyterians, both foreign and na
tive. Some of their native evango.
lists promised him if he would join
them his case would bo carried
through and the offenders punished.
It was a time of anxiety for the mis
sionaries, but feeling that the plan
pursued was in accordance with the
Lord’s will wo could only pray that
he was sufficiently grounded in the
Baptist faith to stand firm and en
duro patiently whatever the Master
saw fit to send him. He seemed to
waver for a while but the reason
given him why the foreigner should
not interfere in such oases got hold
of his mind and he began to see that
it was exactly in the lino with what
the Saviour had foretold.
More than all the Lord seems to
have led him to see that fie must not
trust in man’s help. Realizing thia
ho has gone bravely to work and
has lived down his persecution and
gained the respect of th >jo who for
merly persecuted him. They have
qomo to see that it Gr.cc
lion with the foreigner that has pro
ditoed this change in him and this la
much, He devotes a great deal of
time to preaching and his testimony
is good, To-day almost every man
in the surrounding villages knows ot
Dan Kung Bang. In a recent con.
versatlon with him ho spoke of his
former trials and said : “I was but
u child then ; it was.better so.”
Other members of the church are
following his example and preach
wherever they go. No one is hired;
they till give what time they can
and as they go about their dally
work they preach and it would be
interesting to note how much time
they find they can give, They seem
to feel that the work is theirs, laid
on them by the Lord, and they must
all do their part in giving the
gospel to their fellow country
men, The taunt “you are doing it
for money” cannot be hurled at them
because all the people know each
one works for his living raid have
no worldly thing to gain by their
profession of faith in this new doo
trine.
Borne of the young women have
endured much for the Alaster and
are striving boldly to tell others of
their Saviour, They have married
in heathen families and some dis
tsnee from home, but seem to be
shining brightly In the darkness
around them.
I cannot tell of the personal life
of each one but the Holy Spirit
seems to be in their mllst and love
and peace prevails, They are but
babes in this new life and there are
so many things they cannot under
stand, but they seem to be trying to
live up to the light which they al
ready have. Alias Alcon and Miss
Knight have spent many hours in
their midst trying to explain the
scriptures. During the pust your
Mr. League has made regular trips
to Saling and has tried to make
plain to them many Bible truths,
which every Sunday-school eoholur
at homo is familiar with from his
earliest childhood.
At present tho people worship nt
the home of Bro. Dan but are slow
ly collecting material to build them
a small native building for oh uroh
purposes. It would bo compara
tively easy to build ono for them but
wo all feel they will be better for
the energy thus put forth. Towards
tho last the missionaries directly
connected with the work there, in
tend to give a little personally, but
only in the same proportion as the
natives.
There is already the harvest from
seed sowing by them. The natural
growth is already beginning and
with the blessing of God, we look
forward to much more.
About two weeks ago, Mr. League
baptized an old man eighty-three
and his wife over sixty years old, at
llerrva Herrva Tun, a village about
five miles from Saling. They had
never seen a foreigner until they
came to ask for baptism but had
been led to accept the one true God
entirely through the testimony of
the native Christians and reading
the New Testament. The old man’s
son had been to Saling and Miss
Moon had given him a Testament
-Ile took it home and read it and be
lieved but fearing persecution he
turned it over to his father. The
old man read it and although he
could not understand very much he
found there was a God who would
forgive sins. His daughter who
lives at Saling and is a Christian
had talked with him a little. He
and his wife both accepted the Sav
iour and at the last New Year were
put out in the snow because they
refused to offer food to idols. In
October they came to Saling to ask
for baptism and the church after
hearing their experience accepted
them. They both desired that they
might he baptized in a stream near
their native village so that the villa
gers might see them witness for
Christ. Accordingly some of the
brethren and sisters from Saling
went there and not only assisted at
the baptism but gave their own tes
timpny of God’s great love to man
to the crowds that assembled to
witness. Everything passed off well
and we have every reason to believe
these two old people will not be the
only ones in that village to accept
the gospel.
Is this not an evidence that God
will care fqr all our efforts to spread
Mp truth jn'ffife worid? X&is our>
to tell of God’s plan’s to save men.
We have his promise that he will
bless the Word.
Reports from Tung Chow and
Hwang Hien are encouraging. Mr.
King at Hwang Hien is alone but
hoping for reinforcements. He feels
that with a good working force, the
work will go forward there. At Tung
Chow, Mrs. Crawford thinks that
during all her life in that region,
there was never more cause for en
couragement.
Bro. Vingreu of the Swedish Bap
tist Mission is with us now. He has
just returned from a trip to Kiao
Cheo about forty-five miles south of
Pingtu where he is hoping to begin
work' soon. He says there is a vast
population in that region who have
never heard the gospel.
Send us help soon. There are so
many pebple in darkness and so few
to show them the light. God seems
to be ready to bless the work here
abundantly if each one will only do
his part. Let us trust God more
and work and pray for the spread of
His word in North China.
Florence Nightingale League.
I’. O. Chefoo, N. China. Nov. 5, ’92.
THE BIGHT BASIS OF MISSIONS.
Its is the aim of this {taper to
show that, the scriptures touching
the case of the Heathen have not
been quoted with discrimination,and
that our appeal to the people to sup
port Missions to the Heathen has
not been rightly based.
Its is affirmed in this paper that
under any dispensation some are
saved and some are lost.
It is denied in this paper that any
are saved by their goodness, or their
works, but it is most emphatically
declared that, every one who is sav
ed,or may be saved,is saved through
the atonement of Christs—saved as
helpless sinners.
It is just as true of the people
of America that they are lost without
the Gospel as it is true of the people
of India or China, or Africa. Out
of Christ one man is as truly con
demned as another.
Every man by nature, that is by
conception, generation,birth, growth
is a child of wrath. All men with
out repentance and faith, without
the Spirit of faith and purpose of
righteousness, are exposed to the
wrath of God and liable to eternal
death. The expression, “The heath
en lost without the gospel” is an ob
jectionable one. Because its implies
that every heathen is eternally lost
if he should not happen to hoar the
Gospel. 1 doubt that any one has a
right to say that all are lost who
have not heard the Gospel, that no
I ono is saved who has not known
Christ by name.
To say that every one who has
not heard the Plan of Salvation in
so many words, is necessarily eter
nally lost, is a hazardous thing to
venture, unless perhaps by some
one who may lay claim to om
science and omnipresence. For if
he does not know all men, that man
whom he does know may be a saved
man. If he has not been every
where, a saved man may lurk in the
place where he has not been.
It is true no man can be saved, save
in the name of Chirst, but it does
not follow that one must be eternal
ly lost, simply because he has not
heard of the historical Christ. That
for lack of opportunity to trust in
the Christ as He is set forth in the
gospel, he must perish in his sins.
That God has no provision for bring
ing a sinner to repentance save in a
Gospel that is preached in so many
words as we of America have it. Men
whosay this forget that salvation is
not by knowledge that is, complete
knowledge such as we have, but by
faith. Also that nature and Provi
dence furnish sufficient knowledge
tho’ dim, upon which to found faith,
and through which, a purpose of
righeousuess may be generated by
the Spirit of God and for Christ’s
sake.
One my have formed within him a
right disposition towards God, even
when he may know very little of his
personal existence, or attributes, and
when he may very ignorantly wor
ship him. Romans x. 2, 3 does not
contradict this nor can it be argued
that this chapter proves that sincere
zeal in the worshipper, nevertheless
exposes him to wrath. For the Jew
in this chapter is going about to “es
tablish his righteousness, ( , and has
not submitted himself to the right
eousness of God”. Whereas the
heathen whom I maintain is saved,
does not seek to establish his right
eousness as a claim upon the divine
favor, but has submitted to the right
eousness of God. as far as he knows
how.
There is no other name given un
der heaven and among men where
by we must be saved, save the name
Christ Jesus, but the mistake some
make is, is supposing that any heath
en must have as clear and full a
knowledge of Christ as we have or
he cannot be saved.
It wculd be a daring thing for any
one to say that the Spirit does not
work ui’is Spirit of faith am. purpose
of righteousness in many who never
heard the name of Christ. Job was
a Gentile who never mentioned
Christ, and who, perhaps, never
heard of a plan of salvation, and yet
he declares “I know that my God
liveth etc.,” and that “without iny
flesh I shall see God.” Would any
say that Cornelius was not a saved
man before he heard Peter preach,
and the way of life explained? He
may have heard other preachers be
fore Peter, but we have no evidence
of this.
Tho angel testified to him “Thy
prayer is heard and thine alms are
had in rememberance in the sight of
God, before ho heard Peter. Os
course, if his prayer was heard he
must have been saved. Nor does
Acts XI: 14, conflict with this view
of tho case, for this scripture, “who
shall tell thee words whereby thou
and all thy house shall be saved,”
does not imply that Cornelius was
not already saved, or that salvation
was not already begun in him. Os
course salvation was in Peter’s words
as truly as in the answer to his pray
er. Tho one does not exclude the
other. Peter's words would enable
Cornelius more fully to realize his
salvation. Peter added a very com
forting thought, viz: “I porcive that
in every nation he that feareth God,
and worketh righteousness is accept
ed of him;” and that, we may believe
to be true, whether one has heard of
Christ, or the Gospel. Only one
question might arise; whether, when
the Gospel of Christ has not been
preached, any ever do fear God and
work righteousness. He would be a
bold man to deny that any ever do-
Epictetus, a deformed slave of
a miserable tyrant, was supposed by
his contemporaries, on account of his
righteous life, to have reached the
acme of human goodness.
It seems to mo that Socrates, bar
ring some sins and infirmities,
wrought righteousness and had the
witness of the Spirit in him. He died
ordering a Cock to be sacreficed to
xEsculapius, the God of health, in to
ken of his belief in eternal life, in
salvation, which means wholeness
health, and on his death-couch de
clared that he was going to the “sure
felicities of the blessed.*’ Certainly
a heathen who could stand a basin of
slops thrown on him by his wife and
not get mad over it, quite equals in
his morality and self control, any
Christian of to day who might fret
and swear for a much smaller offence.
It is true that Socrates neglected at
times to keep tho meal in the tub for
bis wife, Zanthippe, for ho was a
school master who taught without a
fee; yet when she quarreled at him,
and threw the slops on him, his only
answer was “I thought there would
bo some rain after so much thunder
ami lightning.”
It is a mistake to suppose that, be
cause tho heutbous are spiritually
Brother Minister,
Working Layman,
Zealous Siste r
We arc str! vs ng to make
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the best of its kini Help us by securing a
new subscriber.
VOL. 70—NO. 2
lead, they are therefore eternally, if
they do not hear the gospel.
As the mind, the Spirit breaths
where he pleases, so many may be
born again whose names are not re
corded in our plans of salvation.
God’s word, nor work is not limited
to human speech. “The heavens de
clare the Glory of God. And the ex
panse shows his handiwork. Day
unto day uttereth speech and night
unto night showeth knowledge.
There is no speeca nor language.
There voice cannot be beard.” Yet,
“their line is gone out through all the
earth, and their words to the end of
the world.” Surely the Holy Spirit
can work by these words to save men,
as well as by human speech. Is it
not true that He does use them to
this purpose?
Paul declares in Rom. 1. that, men
corrupted the knowledge of God,
even his power and divinity, clearly
seen, being perceived through the
things that are made. But this state
ment must be, especially and chiefly,
applied to those who took upon
themselves the assumption of the
philosophic character, the ancient
philosophers, both Greeks and Rom
ans. The being and perfections of
God were taught to them in the con
stitution and operations of the Uni
verse. Ver. 18 limits the discussion
to them, since it states that the
wrath of God is revealed from heav
en against all ungodliness and un-,
righteousness of men who hold down
the truth in unrighteousness. This
qualifying clause implies that, among
even the heathen there were some
who did not hold down the truth in
unrighteousness. The Philosophers,
though having a knowledge of the
perfections of God, did not set forth
to the people what they knew of
God, but in the place of the incor
ruptible God, set up an image made
like to corruptible man. But, not
even then, were all the people lost,
no more than now is every Catholic
lost, because the Pope is put in the
place of God, or, because the Mass
is put in the place of Christ. The
spirit of faith and purpose of right
eousness may be in the man even
who bows down to an idol. Perhaps,
no man has yet determined how
little knowledge is consistent with
salvation, yet we are sure by the
words of Jesus that faith as small as
the mustard seed, saves as efficiently
as great faith. May not many hea
then have this faith as small as a
mnst;’”d seed, consequent upon 1,1 it.
’knowiuug.-, of God's mercy dimly
seen in nature and in providence?
Does not the Holy Spirit produce
this faith in many heathen?
Lo: the poor Indian, whoso untutored mind
Sees God in cloud or hears him in the wind.
His soul proud science never taught to stray.
Far as the solar walk or milky way.
Yet God to his huinble hope has given
Behind the cloud topped hill an humbler
heaven,
Some far oif land in depths of woods embra
ced
Some happier Island in the watery wasto
Ami thinks admitted t‘> that equal sky
His faithful dog shall bear him company.
There is some truth in poetry—
even in the poetry of the Twicken
ham Bard. Let us not deny even
to the “Poor Indians,” a hope in the
happy hunting grounds of the future.
Now may not one have the in
spiration of the Holy Spirit which
prompts right dispositions, even
when he may have no revelation by
that Spirit, of the name of Christ?
It is not necessary to know the doc
'trine of regeneration in order to be
regenerated. And one may repent
and show the spirit of faith prior to
his knowledge of tbe conditions of
salvation. One may speak grammar,
although not having learned gram
mar. And one may speak the lan
guage of salvation although not
having learned the Grammar of it
in the schools.
Knowledge is valuable, and insti
tutions have their place and are use
ful, but God does prefer before, all
institutions, before all temples, the
upright heart and pure.
Calvin burnt Michael Servetus.
His intention was right. His con
ception of the propositions of the
case was wrong. The error of Cal
vin in burning Servetus proves the
genuineness of his belief, the strength
of bis convictions. He lielieved
that a denial of the doctrine of the
Trinity would work harm to the
souls of men. That it were better
for Servetus to die than that souls
should bo lost. He believed, more
over, that a Civil Magistrate had the
right to put to death for.
With a better light, John Calvin
would have acted in a better way.
His case illustrates tho truth that
many may be right at heart, whose
acts on many points are wrong. It
is not allirmed, nor believed
by mo that all the heathen
without having hoard the gospel are
saved, still wo may believe that,
since no one is is saved by his good
ness, by his perfect works, many
heathen do trust as far as they know
to the mercy of the All Father and
are saved for Christ’s sake. If men
walk according to the light given,
whether caudle light, starlight, moon
light or sunlight, trustingly, they are
saved through the atonement of
Christ.
it
Now, if these things be true, have
we not obscured a part of the truth
when we have declared that all the
heathen are lost who have not heard
tho Gospel as we have heard it? In
our appeal to the people to support