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©he ©hritain Qndex
Published Every Thursday at 57 South Bro a
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CHRISTIAN UNION.
Protestant Christianity is sadly
divided. There are not wanting
those who affect to see good in such
division. They rejoice in it. They
ring the changes on that old illustra.
tion about the “different require
ments of the one grand army of
Christ; and say “the army is more
efficient because it has its cavalry,
its infantry, its artillery,” etc. The
variant sects are made to do service
in one or the other of these depart
ments. Sometimes one more long,
ingly facetions than his fellows will
get off the old chestnut about the
Baptist denomination being the navy
of the king! In our opinion all
such illustrations are, to say the least,
very weak; not unfrequently they
are so stated and urged as to be pos
itively offensive to men with consci.
entious convictions, and who feel
they must loyally maintain those
convictions. Scarcely anything can
be more silly in the estimation of a
self-respecting Baptist than to hear
some pulpit clown talk about “the
Presbyterian artillery thundering
against the fort of sin; the Metho,
diet infantry rattling away with their
muskets, with the free and independ
ent cavalry giving it to them on the
flanks, while the old Baptist gunboat
comes up puffing and blowing to pour
in its hot shot.” Some persons may
laugh at the caricature, but thought
ful hearers must feel ashamed of
such nonsense.
The fact confronts us that Chris
tians are divided into many sects. Is
the fact one to cause grief or joy?
Did the Saviour intend his followers
thus to gather into rival, not to say
hostile camps ? We know he prayed
that they all might be one. Did that
prayer exhaust its meaning in the
unity of the common faith and
spiritual fellowship of which we are
conscious, notwithstanding sectarian
divisions ? Or did the petition reach
out and comprehend organic union ?
These questions are pushing to the
forefront of Christian thought. Ac
cording to the United States census
of 1890 there are 113 separate de
nominations of Christians in our
country. Os these are mentioned
thirteen kinds of Baptists, but when
we examine the list we find the num
ber is obtained only by an arbitrary
method of enumeration. For ex
ample we have the following divis
ions of Baptists:
1. Regular (North.)
2. Regular (South.)
3. Regular (Colored.)
4. Six Principle.
5. Seventh-Day.
6. Freewill.
7. Original Freewill.
8. General.
9. Scperate.
10. United.
11. Baptist Church of Christ.
12. Primitive.
13. Old Two Seed in the Spirit
Predestinarian.
Now, every one ought to know
that the first three are nearly one.
Because they are working in separate
missionary organizations they are
not separate “sects.” As well say
the Baptists of each State or country
constitutes a different denomination
The fourth named is practically ex-’
tinct. In 1890 there were not one
thousand members, the rest having
practically become Regular Baptists.
Numbers 6, 7,8 and 9 are merely
local names for what is practically
one. Altogether they do not num
ber 100,00 u members. The “United
Baptists” are Regular. Many of our
associations in Kentucky go by that
name, but they do not dream they are
put down as a separate “sect.” The
thirteen different sorts of Baptists,
then, should be reduced to only five.
Still, glancing over the various minor
divisions of the several denomina
tions, the view is sad even with the
best explanations that can be offered-
Leaving out those minor sects, of
w hose existence the average reader
would not even know but for their
periodical appearance in the census
reports, their are a dozen denomina
tions sufficiently largo and aggress
ive as to make the outlook some
times quite-serioiiH.
How frequently do wo see in a
■mall town where one church would
subserve all the noods of tho people,
four, five or six rival churches, each
struggling with the others for the
ground. Even the most casual ob
server can see tho waste of money,
men, energy, effectiveness and power
in this sectarian system. Still great
er and more lamentable is the loss of
spiritual power upon the world by
the confused teaching, antagonisms
and lack of fellowship continually
presented by the situation. In an
article on this subject, the Rev. Dr,
H. K. Carroll, who is the special
agent of the census bureau for the
collection of church statistics, s y :
“The consolodation of small con
gregations in towns and cities would
add to their efficiency; tho ministers
would be better paid, and the scan
dal of division would be, to a large
extent, avoided. A thousand bene
fits would go to make up the sum of
results.’,
But the serious difficulty confront
ing ug is that sometimes such con
solidation could be affected only at
the sacrifice of principle. For exam
ple, the conscientious and intelligent
Baptist could never consent to union
with any body maintaining and prac
ticing infant sprinkling. lie would
demand as the essential condition of
the proposed consolidation the accep
tance of the New Testament prac
tice as set forth in the Baptist faith
and order. The I’edobaptist would
have no valid reason for refusing to
unite in the proposed case. It does
seem inexcusable to maintain strug
gling churches in such a town when
they could so easily settle their dif
ferences! Could they, though? Ah,
in the very supposition we see the
insincerity of their charge that the
Baptists are tho barrier to Christian
union! Let the open communion
sprinkling churches set us the exam
ple of consolidating their rival and
struggling churches before ventur
ing to hurl their anathemas against
us.
But we must reserve further
thoughts on this subject for another
article.
“The time shall come,”
our brethren now and then
say, “when we shall not need a
written Bible, save only as it is writ
ten in the hearts of faithful disciples.
This idea shall bo realized in the
Now Heavens and tho New Earth
wherein dwelleth righteousness.’
Such language seems to imply that
the New Heavens and the New
Earth shall [be without a literature
for if they have a literature, surely
it might well inherit from,the old the
one book which alone is not a word
of man simply but a Word of God.
Tho idea that there shall be no lit
erature in tho New Heavens and the
New Earth comes to us unwelcome
ly. we feel as though the world,
even when a man had been born into
it, was only half a world until there
had been born into it a book also;
and after all the fascination of Isaac
Taylor’s “Physical Theory of An
other Life,” wo cannot help feeling
that the world to come without books
would be the poorer for it and the
darker. We know of nothing in the
Bible itself which demands or war
rants this idea excluding a literature
from the New Heavens and the New
Earth. For our part we shall not
be surprised if “the book of remem
brance (or memorial) written be
fore the Lord for those that feared
him and that thought on his name’
should prove to be something more
than a mere figure of speech, and
we should find ourselves searching
out on high the ways of the Lord in
these (True) Lives of (True) saints.
We shall not be surprised if there
proves to be something more than a
mere figure of speech in the Lamb’s
Book of Life,” and tho ransomed
read on the pages with swimming
eyes their own names written there
from of old, from everlasting. But
let all these things be as the Lord
wills. Nevertheless, we shall be
surprised should the written Bible
not be part of the heavenly inheri
tance, if for no other reason, because
of the old need ami of the way it
met that need, recalled even before
the Throne |with memory, gratitude
love, adoration. At any rate, tho
Lord has so ordered it that as long
as the old heavens and the old earth
endure, his people should not out
grow their need of this Bible. Alas
for those, if there be any of that
class among us, who feel as though
they wore outgrowing it! It comes
not from the enlarging of the soul,
as mon vainly flatter themselves, but
from the soul’s narrowing, like the
famed dungeon whose walls slowly
closing in at last crushed the hapless
inmate.
In a recent number of the Hom
iletic Review it is stated that there
are 82,000 families in the State of
Massachusetts, with only one child
each. In 1890 the population of
Massachusetts was only 2,328.000.
These figures seem to reveal a start,
ling fact, brought to light by a writer
in Christian Standard, viz:—the prev
alency of child murder- He charges
that it is more common in New Eng.
land than in the South, but that the
sin prevails to sr. alarming extent
everywhere, and that it is a rare
thing to see a large family of chil
dren of pure American blood. It ia
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX: THURSDAY MAY 11, 1893.
a dreadful crime, and its common
practice is fraught with direful re
sults to society and to the church.
The London “Nature” keepj f-illy
abreast with the scientific researches
and scientific assumptions of the day.
In a recent issue, it says, on the au
thority of a speech by Dr. Tylor at
a meeting of the Anthropological In
stitute, that “the Tasmanians, though
perhaps in art the rudest of savages,
were at most, only a stage below
other savages, and do not disclose
any depths of brutality. The usual
moral and social rules prevailed
among them; their language was suf
ficient and even copious; they had a
well-marked religion in which the
spirits of ancestors were looked to
for help in trouble, and the echo was
called the ‘Talking Shadow.’ ” The
paper then proceeds to state a most
important general conclusion: “Such
facts make it clear that neither an
tiquity nor savagery reaches to really
primitive stages of human life, which
belong to a remoter past, of which
no evidences have been yet unveiled.’
Let us turn that conclusion over in
our minds, and look at a side too apt
to be lost from view. If we accept
the theory of Evolution as to the
origin of man, there are certain
things which must have marked the
really primitive stages of his life,
such as defect and lack in moral and
social rules, in language, and in re
ligion. But no trace of these things
and of the life—stages marked by
them is furnished by researches into
modern savagery or pre-historic an
tiquity, our only sources of verifica
tion in the promises. These research
es, in fact, prove that life never
know these stages and that these
things never existed, unless it were
in some remoter past of human his
tory—a past concerning science which
so far,is absolutely without a scintilla
or shadow of evidence. We are not
contradicted by facts, then, and facts
so far as they go support us, if we
say that there has been no such past
and human life has had no such
stages. But to say these things is
only another way of saying that the
origin of man is not accounted for
by the theory of Evolution. And it
is this saying, precisely, which is not
contradicted by facts and which facts
so far as they go support.
The organist and musical director
of Dr. Parker’s “city Temple,” Lon
don, after contributing for seven
teen years, without salary, most ef
ficiently to the popularity of tho ser
vices, has been dismissed by the Dr.
Tho Dr’s, wife has for many years
been in tho habit of singing solos at
the public services, but latterly has
not been asked by tho musical di
rector to do this as often as she and
her husband wished;” the director
giving as his reason that “her voice
was not as good as it used to be.”
So “a serious split” and “a great
loss” conies to the Temple. There
arc two suggestions in these facts.
First. The direction of music should
bo in the hands of the church,
through a committee including the
pastor and tho organist, if tho latter
be a communicant; and whatever
conflict of wishes threatened to
brew mischief might bo adujsted in
calm, considerate privacy, without
tho excitements and acerbities which
spring up around a question when
tho winds of publicity blow on it.
Secondly. It is greatly wise on tho
part of the pastor to proas no claim
in behalf of his wife, as to her share
in public services; but unconsciously
biassed by tho partialities of the con
jugal relation, ho should bo impelled,
without reason and without need, to
injure her and himself and tho
church, by falling, as Dr. Parker fell
in this instance into unseemly, tem
per, and harsh, peremptory action,
and speech disgraceful enough to
call for retraction and apology. O
that the music of our choirs had in
herited more fully the power of the
music of David to expel evil spirits
from Saul, and our singers knew
always, not harmony of sounds
alone but tho higher harmony of
souls!
In tho battle of tho age, it is not
simply dogma that incurs assault, it
is tho decalogue as well. Tho ar.
rows of the enemy are aimed not at
theology Jalone, but beyond it, at
ethics. Tho creed of jchristianity
and the Christian lifo are both, and
equally, at stake. A new book,
which has tho name of “Tho Safe
Si<l»”, and professes to bo “a theistic
refutation of the divinity of Christ,’
may be instanced in proof. “Tho
writer goes far beyond the conserv
ative Unitarian position, |for ho at
tacks even the ethical teaching of
Jesus.” And so right must needs be
defended against Incarnate Holiness,
and we, poor sinners, must fight
back the hands of the God-man as
they forge and fasten fetters of false
morals on us! Ah: this popular
modern unbelief, in the last analysis,
is the insurrection of human sinful
ness against God as the “one Law
giver able to save and to destroy.’’
But the most conspicuous instance
is that of Nietzsche, whose views
show promise of becoming in Ger
many the fashionable philosophy of
the day. His leading philosophic
problem is, the negation of all moral
worthy denial of all moral distinc
tions. He alleges that Christianity
is the devil’s metaphysics” and that
it has been hitherto the greatest
misfortune of humanity.” As a
specimen of his licentious lawless
ness take his saying: “Even concu
binage has been corrupted—by mar
riage.” Remember, too, that he once
described himself as “Anti-Christ and
Immaralist,” the first as against the
creed of Christianity, the second as
against the Christian life. You will
then have in him an embodiment of
the real spirit of the infidelity of the
times, as finding its ultimate out'
come in the overthrow of law, the
abolition of duty, the repudiation of
virtue, the license of eyil, the reign
of sin, the hell on earth! Can we
do less than to urge ceaseless war
against it? Would it not be the
shame of shames to see this flood of
corruption rising around both the
temple of God and the home of man>
and do nothing toward stemming
the current, lest the home and the
temple perish together?
Prof- Whitsitt is quoted in the
Western Recorder” as saying: “We
often hear an educated man preach
and still feel that we have not been
to church.” So far as this is the
fault of the preacher, it is a grievous
fault. It recalls the case of Prof.
Nicholas Murray, as recorded in the
“Annals of the American Presbyte
rian Pulpit” by Dr. Sprague. In his
earlier ministry “he was so careful of
his reputation that he could not be
induced in any emergency to preach
without the most mature prepara
tion.” At that time his preaching
provoked the comment; “It is too
intellectual and ambitious; it lacks
heart and self consecration.” His
wiser brethren feared lest “he could
scarcely sacrifice a classic sentence
to save a soul.” His sermons, some
what in character like those of Bishop
Butler, were never heard without
admiration and surprise; and yet,
while always in form evangelical,
“over all this polished diction and
powerful logic there seemed to be an
icy coldness, even though he spoke
with great emphasis and animation.”
If we may credit the judgment of
the godly mon who knew him best,
this was not because he was then
himself unconverted; but alas, he had
fallen into the snare which Satan so
often sets with direful issues for the
Christian minister, the snare of being
too self-regardful,—of seeking as
well applause for the messenger as
acceptance for his message,—of more
or less unconsciously mingling the
alloy of personal vanities with zeal
for the glory of Christ and “a passion
for souls.” As time rolled on, this
snare was broken. Tho heart re
claimed the functions which had
been usurped by the brain; prayer
took more and more its place with
study in the task of preparation ; his
special sympathy with thinkers yield
ed to the larger sympathies inclusive
of the common people and never
appealing to them in vain; self
waned to less and less in the pulpit
and Christ waxed toward full-orbed
resplendence. It was increasingly
soul-work, work for God and in his
presence, work with eternity sus
pended on it. Oh that all our
younger educated men who have
known this temptation may know
also this victory over it.
Here is something timely from Rev
Jos. Parker, of London, and well
suited to tho condition of things on
this side of tho Atlantic as on the
other. Old England seems to have
caught on to the ways of Young
America. He says: “Christian insti
tutions aro now being dragged
through tho mire with a vengeance.
What with magic lanterns instead of
sermons,gymnasia instead of pulpits,
and alphabetic letters instead of plain
titles, 1 am simply bewildered. A
new lingo makes mo myself a stran
ger on tho earth and alien in the
church. The new lingo sounds to
me like this: The P. I. G. movement
is being sustained very aptly by tho
F. O. G. bands and they in their
turn are powerful rivals of the D. O.
G brigades, and if a G. A. S. club
could be set up in every hamlet we
should hoar less of the H. O. P.
•chemo and secure a larger circula
tion for the P. O. P. magazine.”
The American section of the world
wide organization of Theosophists>
includes seventy-seven societies’
nineteen of which were constituted
during the past year. What strange
channels the “surpluss energy” of
our people allows to be dug for it,
for this must be a case of surpluss
energy, of an energy which, unex
hausted, in the sphere of daily life
by the strain of its tolls, and the
greater strain of its pleasures; sets to
itself the pleasant little task of “as
piring to a cosmic consciousness” and
“swimming into identity with the
universe;” for sheer lack of something
else to do! To these Theosophists;
two days of the coming September
are set apart in “the Congress of All
Religions”at the World’s Fair, Chica
go,—if, indeed, they shall not before
that date reach the goal of cosmic
consciousness, and losing individual
consciousness in its depths, lose the
power of separating themselves from
the universe sufficiently to do such
individual acts as reading Theosophic
essays or delivering Theosophic lec
tures. Os course, whatever hopes
men might entertain of being privi
leged to hear these lectures and es
says are liable, from “the new point’’
of Theosophy itself, to come to
naught through a contengency of
that kind; and it is proper that we ut
ter this note of warning to our readers
lest they should prove over-sangu
ine and drain the cup of a disappoint
ment the bitterer because undreamt
of. But, while we thus play Mentor
in their behalf and clear our skirts
of any responsibility which might by
possibility attach to us, we have
faith to believe that the essays and
lectures aforesaid, will be forthcom
ing in due season, if only audiences
are found willing to bear the inflic
tion: a thing sure to happen, we may
say, because there are so many rea
sons why it should not, which is a
potent factor, you know, in all calcu
lations of human probabilities.
This paragraph we find going the
rounds of the exchanges, and we
venture to put it before the eyes of
our readers.
Os course, those who promptly
keep their subscriptions paid up, do
not need it. The statement of an
account ought not to ruffle the feel
ings of a debtor, if it be made in a
respectful manner. Yet, many peo
ple are very sensitive to it, and flinch
and fret, as if their corns had been
intentionally mashed.
It is better to keep in a good hu
mor, and to act according to the
golden rule. “As you would have
others do unto you, do ye, even so,
to them.” But here is the para
graph^—read it.
“No sensible man should or ever
does get angry because a newspaper
man duns him for money. A dun is
not an impeachment of a subscriber’s
integrity, but is simply an outcrop
ping of the publisher’s necessities.
For instance, a thousand men owe a
man from one to four dollars each.
He has to dun them all, in order to
pay his expenses. Instead of getting
angry and stopping the paper, be
cause the publisher asks him for
what is honestly due, the subscriber
should thank the editor for waiting
on him so patiently, and pay up like
a man.”
We are no apologist for Lynch
law. Nothing in our judgment, can
justify or excuse it. But it need not
engross all our reprobation; there are
some other things of milder aspect
which are scarcely better. The
growing sympathy with murderers,
for example; the effort to shield them
from the death penalty; the disposi
tion to lionize them even after con
viction ; the sending of flowers to
their “condemned cells” as tributes
from gentle,sensitive women. Surely,
these things are, on their very face,
more unethical than Lynch law,
which, at the worst, still manifests
some abhorence of crime and some
rough sense of justice. Georgia
ought to blush, of course, over in
stances of Lynch law within her bor
ders; —but not before New York
City while she gives place to these
things!
The Baptist Year Book for 1892,
shows the number of baptisms re
ported to be 166, 822 in the United
States.
The number excluded is set down
at 42,164. Nearly one fourth as
many excluded as were baptized!
What is the matter ?
Was the door too wide? Was
there too much discipline ?
Is there not food for serious con
sideration on the part of pastors and
churches in these facts? There have
been reports of “gracious revivals,’’
and of ingatherings by the hundred,
all over the land since Jany. 1, 1898.
How will the result stand when a
balance is struck at the end of the
year ?
“The Fatherhood of God, and the
brotherhood of man” is the sentimen
tal phrase-creed of Unitarianism; but
it is a fatherhood and brotherhood
emptied of all Evangelical import
and content. And what harvest has
been reaped from the sowing of this
seed in the field of the world? For
answer, take the staterhent of M. J.
Savage that he has never in his life
seen a man “who had sacrificed, to
the extent of smoking a less high
priced cigar, for the sake either of
God or of humanity,” in connection
with the fact that he is a leading
Unitarian minister, with his most ex
tensive and intimate acquaintance
among Unitarians. The field is bar
ren; it presents no harvest to the
sickle. The fatherhood of God emp
tied of all Evangelical import and
content is not a fatherhood that
moves to sacrifice. The brotherhood
of of man emptied of all Evangelical
import and content is not a brother
hood that moves to sacrifice. The
two combined cannot move to even
as much sacrifice as the smoking of
a less high-priced cigar! Full surely
it was not the theology or religion or
ethics of Unitarinism that M* Taine
had in view, when, without beiieving
in the truth of Christianity himself,
he said, a little while before his
death, in reference to its hopeful in
fluence over those who do believe in
it: “It is that which still furnishes
four hundred millions of creatures
with wings to bear them beyond their
narrow horizons, to carry them, by
means of purity and goodness, be
yond the pain of self-sacrifice.” Not
sacrifice only, but self-sacrifice, is
born of the fatherhood of God and
the brotherhood of man when not
stripped of their Evangelical import
and content.
Here is a useful hint. “In a great
meeting of Christians in Kyoto, Ja
pan, Dr. M. L. Gordon asked that all
who had been brought to Christ by
the personal effort of some friend,
should indicate it. Fully one-half
of the audience immediately stood
up.”
It is special, individual work in
bringing people to Christ that is
much needed, and often most effec
tual and far reaching in its influence-
Those who have heard the good
news, and who have found the Mes
siah, must do as Andrew did. He
heard John’s sermon, “Behold the
Lamb of God,” and then followed
him.
He bore the message, at once, to
his brother Simon, saying to him ;
“We have found the Messiah, which
is, being interpreted, Christ,” and
“brought him to Jesus,” He -was
not sastisfied with proclaiming his
great discovery, but continued his
efforts until Simon was a follower
also.
Now trace the influence of Andrew’s
work through the conversion of Pe
ter, and see what glorious results
may follow the personal efforts of
one individual.
The Florida Baptist Witness of
April 19th, has a vigorous editorial
on denominational education. It is
in line with former utterances of the
Index on the same subject, and
therefore, has our cordial approval.
Florida Baptists are proposing to in
crease the endowment of Stetson
University, Deland’ $30,000. We
wish them speedy and complete suc
cess in the undertaking, and would
rejoice to see every Baptist college
in the South put upon a strong sus
taining financial foundation. We do
not desire that they should all be
come rich millionaire corporations,
but simply good colleges, of mode
rate ambition and capacity, made
easy in money matters, and qualified
to do the modest thorough work of a
college.
The Shady Grove church, Ala
bama, has secured Rev. W. T. Cobbs
as their pastor.
Dr. M. H. Lane has been assisting
pastor J. W. Willis, of Auburn, Ala.,
jn a series of meetings.
Rev. J. I. Stockton, of Simpson,
Ala., has resigned the pastorate of
the church at Athens, and can be ad
dressed, if desired, at the above of
fice.
Dr. B. F. Riley, of Howard Col
lege, Ala., has been elected a Vice-
President of the Worlds Fair Edu
cational Congress. An honor worthi
ly bestowed.
Dr. J. G. {Bow has accepted the
call to the pastorate of the church at
Eufaula and will begin the work
after his return from the Southern
Baptist Convention.
The Leader,Baptist formerly pub
lished at San Francisco has been
consolidated with the Pacific Bap
tist, Portland, Oregon,
At the Presbytery lately held at
Magnolia, Miss., the following safe
restrictions on Young Peoples’Socie
were embodied in the report of the
the Committee on Bills and Over
tures and adoptedjby the presbytery.
It overtures the General Assem
bly to guard,Carefully two point vi z:
“The Keeping of our Young Peoples
organizations free, (1) from violation
of the injunctions of scripture touch
ing the silence of females in promis*
cuous meetings; and (2) from formal
connection with organizations not
under the control and influence of
our denominational life.
Mrs. Henry Taylor, in writing to
the Baptist from the Bahamas, quo
tes from a speech recently made by
a colored Baptist preacher. He said:
“We go on the American style
now—each one to give all the
money he can and if he has
given already, why let him just
give more. We don’t go on the En
glish way any longer—with bazaars
and fairs and sales and that sort of
thing.”—Ex.
The Christian Advocate says with
great truth words all city churches
would do well to lay to heart: “As
Christ retires from church, ceremo
ny and form come to the front.
Splendid music, splendid ceremon
ials, splendid architecture, splendid
sermons, these declare most strongly
the absence of that spiritual glory
which marks the true church. The
kingdom of God never comes by
outward,'parade.”—Ex.
The great telescope presented by
Mr. C. T. Yerkes to the Chicago
University will soon be in position.
It is 64 feet in length, and 4 feet in
diameter. With the Spectroscope, it
will be 73 feet in length. The site
selected is Geneva Lake, Wis., some
distance from Chicago,and was chos
en because of its clear atmosphere.
Profesor Geo. E. Hale is Director of
the Observatory.
According to a symposium lately
conducted by Dr. Carroll in Christian
Union, there are 143 distinct denom
inations in the United States.
There are 14 organized Baptist
bodies, 16 Lutheran, 17 Methodist
and 12 Presbyterian, to which if the
Reformed churches are added, there
will be 15 Presbyterian denomina
tions.
Genl. R. L. T. Beale,a distinguish
ed citizen of Virginia is dead. He
was a lawyer and won honor in his
profession. He was twice elected
to Congress. He was a bravo con
federate soldier,an humble Christian
and a devoted Baptist. Two sons
survive him who are useful Baptist
ministe rs.
It is said that there is a movement
among some of the Baptists of Ore
gan to organize a new State Conven
tion with the purpose of applying
for admission into the Southern Bap
tist Convention. The basis of the
new organization is opposition to
recognizing alien immersions as val
id.
The Central Baptist regards the
three Boards as three committees
under one organization, the South
ern Baptist Convention, and is will
ing to let well enough alone. They
are close enough together to co-op
erate pleasantly, and far enough a
part to prevent friction.
A good brother who has been ab
sent from Georgia {several years
wishes to return, if any church
desires a good pastor and gospel
preacher. The Index would be glad
to see him back, and will give his
address if it is desired.
Rev. J. S. Dill has accepted the
call of the Venable St., Baptist
church Richmond, Va., and will en*
ter upon his work at once. He is a
son of Dr T.J. Dill professor of Greek
iu Howard college. His wife is the
daughter of Dr. Tfchenor.
The Western Recorder at the sug.
gestion of his farjjily requests all
Baptist papers to cease publishing
the picture of Dr. Basil Manly at the
bead of patent medicine advertise
ments. Let the request be granted
The Trustees of Southern Baptist
Theological Seminary will meet in
Nashville May, 11th and it is said
their showing will be the best ever
made in the history of the institu
tion.
Rev. T. G. Jones, D. D„ of Nor
folk Va., has declined the position
offered him in the Southwest Virgin
ia Institute soon to be opened at
Bristol.
Tucson(tu-sonn) Arizona has and
antiquity of 200 years, being one of!
oldest cities in the U. S.
It is estimated that there are 13,
000,000 members of Protestant
churches in the United States.
Dr. H. A. Tupper Jr., is very sick
with typhoid fever,