Newspaper Page Text
Many good and strong things were said in be
half of
A I T S I < > X S
During the Session of the
Southern Baptist Convention.
Subscribe to and read the Christian Index,
if you would keep informed.
ESTABLISHED 1821.
©he (Christian Lttdex
Published Every Thursday at 57 S. Broad
Street, Atlanta, Ga.
j. c. McMichael, proprietor.
Organ of the Baptist Denomination in
Georgia.
Subscription Price :
Ono copy, one year $ 2.00
Ono copy, six months 1.00
One copy, three months 50
Obituaries.—Ono hundred words free of
charge. For each extra word, one cent per
word, cash with copy.
To CouitF.spoNDKNTS.—Do not use abrevia
tions;be extra careful in writingproper names;
write with ink, on one side of paper; Do not
write copy intended for the editor and busi
ness items on same sheet. Leave off personal
ities; condense.
I': sin RM. Write all names, and post offices
distinctly. In ordering a change give the old
as oil as the new address. The date of label
indicates tlie time your subscription expires.
If you do not wish it continued, order it stop
ped a week before. Wn consider each sub
scriber permanent, until he orders his paper
discontinued. When you order it stopped pay
up to date.
Remittances by check preferred; or regis
tered letter, money order, posttal note.
SPECIAL EFFORT:
As February is one of the best months
of the year for newspaper circulation,
wo 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 pa
per- 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 spaee 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 cir
culation 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? Wo
will appreciate anything done for us in
response to this appeal, by pastors, dea
cons, superintendents of Sabbath-schools
or laymen,
HE VIEW OF THE WEEK.
Death of Polygamy.— The proclama
tion of the President declaring full am
nesty and pardon for all past offenders
against Federal laws prohibiting bigamy,
<Src., has been accepted as an official no
tification of the death of Morman polyg.
ainy. The proclamation recalls the fact
tliat some two -<ms ago the Morinwu
Church, through its president, issued a
manifesto declaring a purpose to aban
don polygamous marriages. Taken to
gether the two proclamations may be
considered an official notification to the
world that polygamy has heen stamped
out by the Mormons themselves, who
have so revised their religious creeds as
to conform to the laws of the United
.States.
Accepting this as the true import of
the President’s recent proclamation, the
most formidable obstacle to the admis
sion of Utah as a State in the I nion lias
been removed. But once clothed with
the sovereignty of statehood, would not
the Mormons recant their recantation
and return to the polygamous practices?
And if so, where is the clause in the Con
stitution of the United States which
gives to tlie Federal government author
ity to interfere? By our laws, marriage
is regarded as a civil contract merely
and coat rails are to be adjudicated by
tlie laws of tlie State wherein they are
made and executed. Moreover, it has
been repeatedly decided by the tribun
als that a marriage which is legal in the
Slate wherein it is contracted or cele.
brated, is legal in all the other States of
the Vhion and all over the Christian
world.
Legal Tender.—Occasionally we meet
with some rather novel specimens of le
gal opinion connected with the current
discussion of the silver question. Here
is a sample : Smith loans Brown SIOO,
of the present, legal tender of the United
States,for say two years, at a given rate
of interest. Smith, who distrusts the 72
cents silver dollar so far in the future,
stipulates that the principal and interest
shall be paid in tlie gold coin of the
United Slates. Brown agrees to tills,
and hence gold payment becomes au es
sential part of Hie contract. Meantime,
(say sometime next winter) the Congress
of the United States, in the plentitude
of its constitutional authority, passes an
act declaring something else than tlie
100 cents gold dollar a legal tender. The
question is, Can Smith collect from
Brown his one hundred gold dollars, or
can Brown take advantage of the act and
force Smith to accept the new legal ten
der in full satisfaction of the debt? It
would seein that whilst this class of le
gal puzzles might bo amusing to lawyers,
they do not fail to excite earnest discus
sion among newspaper editors who have
a special faculty for discovering two
sides to every question.
Moroco in Waiting.— Whilst Moroco
is an insignificant country, it has devel
oped a faculty for getting into trouble
with its neighbors, and now seems likely
to become a factor in European interna
tional politics. If England has made
preparation to carry out a threat made
some weeks ago, she has a squadron on
its way to Tangier by this tlmo to com
pel satisfaction for the murder of a Brit"
ish subject by the natives. In anticipa.
tion of this, Hie Spanish Cabinet have de
cided to send n fleet to the same place to
watch .Johnny Bull's movements so near
her colonial possessions. It is probable
1 r_ . k » r. ■ < 1 . > » V •
that a solution of the present difficulty
will bo found in the payment by Mo
roco of a large indemnity for the life of
the dead Briton, But all the same the
time is not very remote when this fertile
and productive country, so long mis
goverened by a mongrel race of semi
barbarians will have to change masters,
or else radically reform its ‘ methods.
Hitherto Moroccos immunity has been
done only to the jealgusy of European
powers. No one of mem has been wil
ling to see any other grasp so rich a
prize. But now the conditions are un
dergoing a change. In the general par.
tition of Africa, there is a reasonable
probability of some arrangement where."
by Moroco can bo sezied by one of the
European powers. Egypt is already
little else than a British possession; the
Italians are obtaining a. foothold on the
south coasts of the Jleditterranean;
while Germany has a covetous eye upon
the flurial highways and fertile vallies of
the interior of Africa. In the general
rush by the Northern nations for more
territory, little Moroco can hardly hope
to long escape. Spain is her nearest
neighbor, and is, for obvious reasons,
the least likely to excite European jeal
ousy. Neither of tlie great maritime
or military powers would be willing to
see Moroco become an outpost or prom
ise one of the others; but they might not
object to see the country fall to the lot
of the Spaniards.
Restriction of Emigration— The
measures now before Congress looking to
the restriction of emigration, recalls at
tention to our defective laws of natural
ization. Under our existing legislation
a foreigner in order to become a citizen,
must have a previous continuous resi.
deuce here of “not less than live years,”
and ho must have made his preliminary
declaration of intention two years before
applying for a certificate of citizenship.
He must abjure all former allegiance
swe.y to support the Constitution of the
United States, and renounce any title of
nobility ho may have. Ho must prove
by “two citizens,” that his resilience
here has been five continuous years, and
that he lias resided at least one year in
the particular State where the court ad
mitting him is held. He must, in addi
tion to this, satisfy the court that he has
during such residence, behaved himself
as “a man of good moral character;”
that ho is attached to tlie principles of
our fundamental laws and is “well dis
posed to the good order of the Govern
ment.” Finally it must appear that
tiie country of his former allegiance is
at peace with Mio United States, because
the subject or citizen ot a belligerent
cannot transfer his allegiance. '
In place of five years the period of
probation might very properly lie ex.
tended to seven, as formerly. But even
as it stands, the short probationary
period would not bo so objectionable if
the law could lie honestly administered.
This however is now impossible. With,
in the last forty-live years, and there
fore, since tlie law was enacted, nearly
all the States have stripped their judi
ciary of its ancient independence. They
have either made thejudges elective for
short terms by universal suffrage, or
else indirectly placed all judicial tenure,
at tlie mercy of local machine politics.
But as these local tribunals still have
the power, under the old law of Congress
to admit foreignres to citizenship, natu
ralization frauds have become the rule
rather than the exception. It is too
plain for argument tliat the judge who
is elothsd with this authority should bo
wholly independent of word politics.
He should hold his office by life tenure
or during good behavior, and thus be
placed beyond tlie influence of local po
litical “bosses.” Moreove, since tlie
whole subject of nat utilization is, by our
federal Constitution, vested in the na
tional legislature exclusively the power
o grant certificates of naturalization
should be as exclusively witli the fed"
oral or national trilmnals. This, when
we come to reflect upon it, is of infin
itely more importance than an extension
of the probationary term of residence
however desirable tliat they be; because
it is of little consequence whether that
term be long or short if its provisions are
habitually and systematically disregar.
ded by the trilmnals having tlie power
to admit foreigners to citizenship.
The Silver Dollar.— There is one
feature of the so-called “silver ques
tion” now before congress, w Itich
seems to have been strangely over
looked. In 1891 the worlds produc
tion of silver was 14'1,thin,000 ounces.
The market value of silver is now 84
cents per ounce. The average cost
of producing an ounce of silver is
less than 86 cents. This gives the
silver bullion owners a dear profit of
49 cents an ouftce. And yet their
advocates in congress are impatient
because, under the present law, they
cannot raise the price of silverby“freo
coinage” to 81,29 an ounce. The so
called Sherman act, whereby the
government of the United States
endeavored to raise the price, has
benefitted no one except those who
have silver to sell or who have it in
storage as has the government.
Hence the repeal of that law would
be a simple act of justice to tho rest
of the community. Since 1878, the
government has bought 416,165,950
ounces of silver at a cost of 8420,689-
435, in gold coin. At the present
market price, this is worth only $343-
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. JANUARY 26,1893.
336,908, —thus showing a loss to the
government of 85,349,527 ounces,
and a corresponding gain to the Na
vada silver kings. Is is not time to
stop this favoritism? The neat little
sum of 8226,000,000, or thereabouts,
of the peoples money, has already
been spent in trying to bolster up the
price of silver bullion. All further
attemps should be abandoned.
The government ought to let sil
ver take care of itself, like gold and
iron and cotton and wheat and
eggs and bacon. Leave its price to
be regulated by the natural law of
supply and demand. Let the gov
ernment buy it at this market price
and utilize it for coinage, in so far as
additional silver coinage may be
necessary or desirable ; but let the
silver dollar thus coined be an hon
est dollar, representing an intrinsic
value of 100 cents, instead of about
72 cents as it now does. When
this is done the vexed silver question
will readily adjust itself. All busi
ness will rest upon a secure basis;
men who have money to . loan at a
reasonable rate of interest will not
be afraid to let it out; and nobody
will suffer except a little cotere of
politicians who have become person
ally interested in the silver mines of
the West.
Crisis in Germany.— There is a
curious state of affairs in Germany.
Many years ago, we heard a good
deal about what was then known as
the “reptile fund.” Bismark found
the South German States unfavor
able to the idea of German unity
under Prussian ascendency. The
fund set apart for solving the honor
of the Hanoverians for the loss of
their nationality, afforded opportuni
ties to secure subservient aid from
the press and from influential indi
viduals, and the Chancellor used it
freely. It is now hinted that a lead
er of the Socialist Democrats has ob
tained some traces of this “reptile
fund,’’and threatens exposure. Among
its beneficiares are said to be some
dozen or so high officials of the Em
pire. Eight generals, three judges,
eleven journalists and some twenty
live members of the Reichstag all
got largo slices. The “Iron Chan
cellor” seems to have dealt out the
boodle with a'liberal hand.
This is past, and perhaps too long
past to make official investigation
practicable. A quarter of a century
is a wide gap in the lives of men.
and most of the participants are now
dead. But there is another feature
in (ierman politics which still lingers.
Autocracy in its worst forms has
vanished from the face of Europe ;
but the skeleton remains in Ger
many, where it is illy conceded by
constitutional forms. Tho mediaeval
idea of absoluteism seems deeply root
ed in the mind of the young Emper
or. Educated under the eye of the
wily Bismarck,he has grown up head
strong and erratic, and has thus far
been a thorn in the side of liberaliz
ed Europe. Freedom of speech
such as we understand it, has no ex
istence in Germany. Thu press is
closely throttled by government in
terference. The severest espionage
is exercised over the populace by
secret spies and police. Any indi
vidual expression unfavorable to the
Emperor, or any criticism of his
policy, is made a penal offence; and
the offender, under tho charge of
libel as a show of justice, is lined or
imprisoned. Ostensibly, tho Ger
man citizen possesses personal liber
ty, but it is so restricted and hedged
about that any adverse criticism of
tho government is considered as
libelous and followed by a heavy
fine. There is scarcely a prominent
newspaper or periodical of the oppo
sition, that has not at least one mem
ber of its editorial staff in prison for
some obnoxious article “infringing
tho dignity of the government.”
This thing cannot last of course.
'Die Germans, of all nations of Eu
rope, are perhaps the most generally
and best educated. They are a na
tion of thinkers, and sooner or later,
there will bo an explosion. The
Autocracy of tho middle ages will
have to give place before the force
of an enlightened public sentiment.
Our Island Neighbors.— lt is a
question of time only when there
will bo an inter-oceanic ship canal
across the American isthmus. Tho
necosities of modern commerce will
demand it. It could hardly fail at
whatever cost of construction, to pay
a handsome dividend to tho stock
holders were it now opened; and
year by year the stock would become
more and more valuable. In this
enterprising ago, capitalists arc not
likely to let such opportunities for
permanent and profitable investment
lie dormant. Somebody is going to
to take hold of the enterprise and
push it to completion. Then the
government of tho United States
will either have to recede from its
position of 1822, generally known as
tho “Monroe Doctrine,” or bo pre
pared to maintain and defend that
position. It cannot do tho first with
out a complete abandonment of a tra
ditional foreign policy coeval with
tho foundation of tho government.
It cannot very well do tho last with
out some naval out post contiguous
to tho canal. In anticipation of this
dilemma,some of our ablest statesmen
are considering seriously what per
manent relations our Government
shall bear to the neighboring islands,
which have by irresistible gravitation
become its commercial dependencies,
Cuba, only six hours sail from the
southern extremity of Florida, is
among these commercial dependen
cies; and no one acquainted with pub
lic sentiment among the islanders can
doubt the favor with which annexa
tion is regarded by all classes of the
population, save only the tew officials
and their dependents sent out to ex
act tho largest possible amount of
revenue by whatever means, however
questionable. This sentiment is in
marked contrast with that which pre
vailed there a quarter of a century
ago. The change in economic con
ditions has completely transferred
the market of the island from Europe
to America; and there is a deep
conviction in the minds of Cubans
that the only relief from misgovern
ment and financial ruin is to be found
in a political alliance t>f some kind
with the United States. Whether
the inter-oceanic canal shall cross
the Isthmus in Nicaragua or Colom
bia, the strategical position of Cuba
will be of commanding importance to
it and the island one of the keys that
should never be allowed to fall into
the hands of some great maritime
power of Europe. In the financial
embarassments of Spain, there is im
minent danger that some lease of the
revenues of tho island may be made
to the banking syndicates of London
or Paris. Indeed, the matter has
been moted already with respect to
certain monied corporations in Lon
don. Os course such a lease would
mean the practical government of
Cuba from London ; and possibly its
ultimate reversion,like that of Egypt,
to the British government. Our
formidable commercial rival would
then have a line of marine fortresses
reaching from Halifax to Bermuda
and then co to Jamaica and Cuba;
whilst our nearest base of supplies
would be at Key West or New Or
leans, and without a single naval
station in West India waters. It is
well to look a little ahead and get
ready for possible emergencies. If we
wait to acquire properties capable of
impregnable defence until tho emer
gency arises, wo may wait too long ;
ami it is a serious question whether
the time has not come for some de
cisive action in the matter.
The Panama CaiuJ Scandal. —
About 16 years ago, t’; Ul appeared
at tho Columbian Capital . little red
faced bald-headed man of some fifty
summers, who spoke all tho Euro
pean languages equally well, but
spoke none very correctly. He was
a sort of cosmopolitan, a “citizen of
the world,” who had claimed by
turns to be a Frenchman, an English
man and a Venezuelan. Nobody
seemed to know' whore he originated,
or where he belonged; but ho was a
man of talents, and had an extensive
acquaintance on both continents.
This person represented himself as
tho agent of an European Syndicate
formed in Paris for the exploration
of the Isthmus of Panama and for
the further object of opening an
inter oceanic ship canal across it. By
a series of adroit manoeuvers, he
finally succeeded in obtaining a very
liberal concession from the Colom
bian government. Ho carried this
concession to Paris and sold it to a
hastily formed “provisional” Com
pany, organized under tho auspices
of tho Paris Geographic il Society,’
of which Count Ferdinand de Les
seps was then President. The orig
inal concessionoro died a few years
ago in extreme poverty, and his
aged widow is now a raving maniac.
His concession, however, became
the basis of the celebrated “Salgor-
Wyse Contract,” of 1878, under
which M. de Lesseps and his asso
ciates began and operated the mod
ern “South Sea Bubble” known as
tho Panama Canal Scheme, which is
now the subject of judicial investiga
tion at Paris- The two do Lessops;
father and son—The one well advan
ced in the eighties, the other nearly
sixty—and also a number of the
Directors of the Company, are on
trial for what, in plain English
would be called cheating and swind
ling, aggravated by bribery.
The revelations made at this trial,
now in progress, are of tho most
startling character. Bribery and
corruption seems to have been the
rule rather than the exception in the
management of the Company’s af
fairs, Cabinet ministers have been
implicated in the wholcsa’o frauds
and one of them (since resigned),
has been arrested. The charge
against him is that, ns Minister of
Public Works, and for a monied
campensation, ho deliberately falsi
fied an official report in order to
deceive tho stockholders and bolster
up tho rotten enterprise in tho inter
ests of the two <le Lesseps and their
Directors. Contracts were signed
for machinery and supplies with
French firms whose bids were more
than $5,000,000 (28.000.000 Francs,)
higher than tho bids of English and
Dutch firms. ’ Ono man, a Paris
banker, confesses that ho received
1.620.000 Francs (about 8324.000)
for promoting the Lottery swindle of
1886, whereby the desperate fortunes
of the Company were temporarily
bolstered up. Thu editor of one
Paris newspaper (the little Gualois)
received 100.000 Francs, or say
820.000, for “writing up” the rotten
concern and misleading and deceiv
ing tho stockholders. Some two
and a half million dollars of the
boodle seems to have been expended
in tho United States. It is said that
a prominent American politician, got
a large slice of it in the way of salary
for services rendered and to bo ren
dered. Count do Lesseps spent
some of tho remainder, when ho was
here in 1877; but there is still some
82.000.000 unaccounted for. Per
haps all the facts may come out yet
before the investigation closes.
Even M. Carnot, the present Presi
dent of tho French Republic, has
boon implicated. That is probably
untrue, as is much of the sensational
scandal now afloat concerning this
dirty business. At the same time
enough has been disclosed to raise
serious apprehensions of a “revolu
tion” in the French republic. The
stockholders, for the most part, are
French citizens of small means who
staked their little savings on the
fortunes of tho enterprise through
personal confidence in M. do Lesseps.
It is said that nearly every small
artizan, farmer and country trades
man in France became a shareholder
under the promise of phenomenal
dividends when the Canal should be
completed in 1888. Os course they
have lost every dollar of their hard
earnings, and now that some high
officials of tho Republic have been
implicated in the plot, popular dis
content is very great. Taking ad
vantage of this, the old Bourbon
party leaders are now scheming for
tho overthrow of tho Republic and
tho re-establishment of the Empire.
They will hardly succeed in this;
but in the present temper of the
people, there is no telling what may
happen.
Obiiiiiiry.-The death of Rutherford
B. Hayes, which occurred on the 17th
instant, leaves but one Ex-President
of the United States; and that one
will cease to be Ex-President, by be
coming President again on the 4th of
March next. Then the present in
cumbent, Mr. Harrison, will be the
only Ex-President living, should he
he survive the expiration of his offi
cial term which : s nearing its close.
Perhaps one of the most dramat
ic figures in American politics since
the time of Aaron Burr, was Gen
Benjamin F. Butler, who died the
other day at the age es 75 Not
that Butler , like Burr, was in any
sense disloyal to his country; on the
contrary, his love of country was
perhaps the greatest among his many
traits. But as a lawcr and public
man, ho had all the shrewdness and
audacity of Burr; and was perhaps
very little less scrupulous in tho
management of cases. Ho seemed
to have but one object in view, and
that was success, which he seldom
failed to attain. As a member of
Congress, he was active, aggressive,
adroit, persistent and able. In politics
he was sort of a frelance.
He was educated for a Baptist
preacher, but never preached. In
fact, one can hardly conceive of such
a thing as “Ben Butler” as he was
called, being prepared for holy or
ders ; yet this is said to have H?en
the one fond dream of his brainy
mother, who was by the way a de
voted Baptist.
Mrs. Martha J. Lamb, editor of
tho Magazine of American History,
died in New York city a few days
ago, in the 63rd year of her age.
She was a native of Plainfield, Mass
achusetts. She was highly educa
ted and began writing at an early
age. But it was her great work,
“The History of the city of New
York,” published in two volumes in
1880, which made her famous. For
accuracy, clearness and precision, it
has few equals and perhaps no supe
rior in historical writing. She also
wrote “The Homes of America,”
“Wall Street in History,” several en
tertaining and instructive books for
children, besids numerous historical
essays for the Magazines and Re
views. In the spring of 1883, she
became the editor of tho Magazine of
American History and by her geni
us and industry, soon placed it in
tho very front rank of periodical lit
erature. She was an honored and
influential member of some fifteen
historical and other literary societies
in this country and Europe.
The death of Col. L. P. Grant, of
Atlanta, removes one of tho pioneer
figures of this new and wonderful
city. In fact, Col. Grant may bo
said to have been one of its founders.
He built her first Railway but one,
and was always foremost among
those who sought to make tho city
what it is. Some ten years ago, ho
donated to it tho beautiful suburban
Park which boars his name, and of
which all Atlantans are so justly
proud.
lie was a man of extraordinary bus
iness, energy and talent, and withal
a relined and cultivated gentleman.
Tho places of such mon are not easi
ly supplied.
S. S., “China,” Dec. 23rd, 1892.
Dear Index.- —We are now ap
proaching Yokohama, Japan. Wo
have had a pleasant voyage almost
all the way, and a superb call at tho
Sandwich Islands. Asia comes in
sight and all tho tromondous respon-
sibility to the missionary. Tomor
row wo shall see something of
interesting Japan. Then Christmas
day sail again for China. God bless
the lovers of Christinas and of China
in Georgia. Affectionately,
C. W. Pruitt.
“THE TRUE BASIS OF MISSIONS.”
The authority of the Lord Jesus
Christ is the “Basis of Missions.” “All
power is given unto mo both in
heaven and in earth; go ye therefore
and preach tho Gospel to every crea
ture.” In this utterance it is clearly
implied that only creatures who hear
will be saved. Paul carries out the
inference into plain Scripture state
ment. “How can they believe on
him of whom they have not heard
and how can they hear without a
preacher.” Neither philosophy about
the nature of God nor Theory about
the heathen can avail in the face of
plain statement. If human speech
can bo made plain tho impression is
made by the Lord and his Apostle
that the heathen without tho Gospel
is lost. A great many of them as a
great many of our own will be lost
with the Gospel, to be sure, but that
does not argue that some of them
-will bo saved without the Gospel. It
does not avail to argue thatjthe Holy
Spirit may carry to them a knowl
edge of the atoning work of Christ.
If that is one of the Lord’s means of
carrying out his great purpose, he
has been careful not to reveal it to
us. With this figment of a may be,
put tho well-defined revealed will of
the Master and see the difference.
The authority of tho Son of God is
the basis of missions and that author
ity has been coined into the current
and unmistakable “Go ye.”
The love of fallen men might well
afford an incentive to the greatest
sacrifices, but it is not the suffering
or danger of the heathen that should
prompt Christian missions. Philan
thropist might make appeal to the
love of humanity but tho redeemed
of God hear their risen Lord saying,
“go.”
We often appeal to sordid avarice
from this motive and that motive,
but there is just one great soul lift
ing motive, “The love of Jesus Christ
His son constrainoth us.”
It is conceded by every one famil
iar with the Bible that the Holy
Spirit is a sovereign in the quicken
ing application of the Gospel. No
one would claim that the only pos
sible plan of salvation provides for
human instrumentality. Speaking
of what could have been the Divine
plan allows suggestions along nu
merous lines of thought, but when
you come to write what the revealed,
authenticated plan really is, then all
of us have tlie same source of infor
mation and there is no room for
divergence of opinion on the subject.
God could have provided any
number of means by which men born
in sin should know of their Savior
but he has revealed to us that it is
His plan to have some other sinner
go and tell tho lost one that Jesus
will save him and urge him to be
lieve it, offering as proof of the truth
of what he tells him, lives changed
by grace.
I should now bo satisfied to end
this paper were it not that while I
am writing on this subject I may
speak a word to certain honored and
beloved brethren who have labored
under the difficulty of reconciling
missions with the doctrine of elec
tion. It appears to mo perfectly
agreeable that God whose own tho
elect are, should provide to reach
them with the Gospel of their salva
tion.
And is it any wonder that Ho
should send one of His own after
another the world around until all
are found ? He that foreordained
tho salvation of a man who now
lives in the heart of China also fore
ordained each successive step that
should be taken to reach that elect
one. It is said by some, “that it is
strange that God has only lately put
into operation these ordained meas
ures to roach His elect among the
Heathen.” In answer to this, lets
inquire how much wo know about
tho processes of tho Almighty. Why
did Ho wait four thousand years
after His first promise before Ho
sent a Savior? How much do wo
know about the elect? Except the
fact that there is such a class we
know little. It may bo true that
certain members of tho family, that
certain families of a neighborhood
or, certain nations aro selected as
Brother Minister,
Working Layman,
Zealous Sister
We are striving to make
"Tlie Index
the best of its kind. Help us by securing a
new subscriber.
VOL. 7ONO. 4.
the objects of saving grace. There
is some intimation that one nation
may bo the object of electing love
at one time and another nation at
another time. It may be that there
is some one period of time when all
living shall be elected to grace and
glory. Election Therefore, is not a
Subject that should affect our duty.
Election is a great truth that we are
expected to believe; To preach the
Gospel to every creature, is a great 9
duty we are expected to perform.
After all is said ’that can be said,
there is no reason to suppose a con
flict between tho doctrine of election
and tho doctrine of missions.
Really election is one of the fun
damental assurances that undergird
mission effort. Were it not for my
firm belief of that sacred doctrine, I
-should despair of results, but believ
ing in the eternal purpose of an
omnipotent God to carry farward
the glorious work till the last little
one of His is reached makes success
certain and failure impossblo. When,
missions fail God will have failed.
And when missions contradict elec
tion the infinite wisdom of choice
will have ceased to bo tho infiite
wisdom of means. If there were no
election there would be no missions.
When missions cease you may be
assured there are no more elect.
“For whom ho did foreknow, he
also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his son, that h 0
might be the firstborn among many
' brethren. Moreover whom he did
predestinate, them he also called;
and whom he called, them he also
justified; and whom lie justified, them
he also glorified.” This is the chain
with the golden links.
F. C. McConnell.
PURPOSE VERSUS PURPOSES.
It is a fact worthy of note,
in the New Testament the word pur
pose when used in reference to God
is always used in tho singular and.
never in the plural: and we are
quite inclined to the opinion that
God never intended to introduce
( Himself to the world as a God. of
. purposes.
; He would carefully lead us up to
the idea that in the creation of the
. material universe—the establish*
r ment of the laws for its government;
. the creation of man and the estab
> lishment of the laws civil and moral
for his government: the introduc-
- tion of sin into the world the fall of
j man ahd the scheme of redemption
. were all in pursuance of one purpose
. only.
, That God is a God of purpose ;
that He is a God of one plan are
[ clearly deducable as well from the re
velation of himself in nature as in
grace. He is the God of hosts—He
is the God of means. He has one
purpose in view and one plan deter
mined on for the accomplishment of
that purpose, but employs a
i wonderful vareity of means and agen.
cies upon the plan adopted and for
the purpose determined on, quite in
, contrast with his creatures—men and
women : whose purposes are as mul
tiplied and plans as numerous as are
men and women themselves. We
have one purpose in view in early
life, another in middle age and still
another in the evening of life. We
devise one plan and inuke experi
ments and if we fail of success,
; other plans aro adopted—and thus
human life is made up from the cra
dle to tho grave of adopting one
i purpose after another—of taking up
one plan—abandoning it and trying
another. God has never abandoned
his first purpose—nor changed his
i first and only plan. Tho fall of
man was net a change of purpose in
volving a necessity for a new plan.
The plan of redemption was agreed
on, not < nly before tho fall of man,
but before his creation.
“To make all men see what is fel
lowship of the mystery, which from
the begining of the world hath been
hid in God who craated all things
by Jesus Christ; to the intent that
now unto the principalities and pow
ers in heavenly places might be
known by tho church tho manifold
wisdom; according to the eternal
purpose which he purposed in Christ
Jesus our Lord Eph. 8: 9-11.
The glory of God was the oxclu.
sive purpose of tho creation.
Thou art worthy O, Lord to mine
glory and honor and power for thou
hast created all things and for thy
pleasure they aro and were created.
Rev. 4-11, J. G. McCall,