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ESTABLISHED 1821.
The Christian Index.
1 übliblied Every Thursday at 16 East Mitchell
Street, Atlanta. Ga.
J. C. McMICHAEL. I’RorRiETOR.
Organ of the Baptist Deuoininatiou in
Georgia.
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THE INDEX OFFICE.
The Index office, is now, on the .
second floor of the elegant building
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fishing Company, corner of Edge
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superior quality of paper,
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ersand co-operation of the brethren.
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new subscribers the next six months.
b
It seems that it must be easy for any 1
fool to know himself to be a fool. But, |
then, he wouldn't be a fool if he knew
himself to be one. This sounds like aj
paradox: let us say then, more plainly, j
that knowing oneself to be a fool is the [
first step toward being a fool no longer. 1
Nay, we must "become fools" in our j
own sight “that we may be wise.” 1 Cor. i
3:18.
We should not be willing to accept"re
lease from trouble with respect to a soul,
on any terms but that soul s salvation.
To see the soul going on to perdition,
and to feel no longer troubled on its lie
half—that would be a hardness and a
eruelty amounting almost to a prelude
of perdition for ourselves. We should
feel sure of having Christ for our por
tion only while we have the spirit which
made him weep over the obdurate and
bloody city that blackened his life with
slander ami compassed his death with
murder.
Zophar, in the book of Job, speaks of
“the brooks,” the flowing streams "of
honey ami butter."’ Honey Hows: it is
sweet, and wants to find some one to
give its sweetness to. The best tilings
seek to impart themselves. Or, rather,
God makes his best things as streams;
he gives them abundantly that they
may find us. So, too, he makes Him
self a flowing stream, a flood, an ocean
current of influence and grace and bless
ing, that, if we will, we may find, not
His gilts merely, but Himself. He is
His own best gift, and only those are
without Him w ho will nut have Him.
That isa striking phrase of the Psalm
ist: “The voice of His word.” As if the
,S< riptures, unlike all other books in the
woild, were endowed with speech: as if
they were alwaj s speaking to us: as it
they cried unto our ears so that weinust
hear them even when we are not read
ing them. Oh, do you hear them in
VIIUK HEART? Hoes Vol’ll IIEADI find
them talking with it? May God give ns
grace to recognize sml hearketi to this
constant “voice of His word!" How
easy it makes duty! How futile it m. kts
temptation! How sweet it makes tilist!
How bright it tnaki s hope! How strong
it makes faith!
Largely, men ate responses only:
gnawers according to our nature and <>m
character— that is. according to what.
God makes us at first and what we
afterward make ourselves: answers,
within these limits, to flic inil irnees
acting on us for good or for evil. We ate
responses, yet free and accountable re
sponses, since, in the final issue, it is the
character which we have made for our
selves. into which we have moulded our
selves,—lt is this byway of eminence,
which decides whether our lives be
come, whether we become, an answer of
darkness to darkness, or of light, to
light, an answer to the divine and there
fore in spirit divine, or an answer to the
human ami therefore even in spirit, only
human, and fallen, and lost.
Tantalus, in heathen mythology, ad
mitted at intervals to the table
of the gods at their feasts on
Olympus, purloined of the nectar ami
ambrosia, their food, to place it on his
own table when he feasted Ilia magnates.
The presumption of it! To make his
table seem as the equal of the table of
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX.
the gods, and himself as the equal of the
gods, the ( Ite 94 WFBWes 11
nectar! 1 'Jis
so sorely punfsue . with constant hun
ger and thirst for the water and the
fi uits of earth while these eluded him
forever. Now, what may these things
suggest to us'? Plainly this: That we
play the presumptuous part of Tanta
lus, we assume equality with God,
when we attempt to make any of our
fellow creatures happy independently
and apart from him, as if he were not
the only author of happiness, as if we
possessed his power to bless and could
put him aside and bless without him!
Oh fathers and mothers, be not a Tanta
lus to your children. Ob husbands and
wives, be not a Tantalus to your part
ners for life.
FROM REV- A- B- VAUGHAN, JR.
Dear Old Index : Your last
issue of 1893 is exceptionally good.
If an order from me carried with
it any authority, I would suggest
that Drs. J. 11. Hall, W. L. and J.
H. Kilpatrick write oftener for
your columns.
In these “degenerate days” the
younger and less experienced and
less informed ministry need more
instruction than they get, from
such brethren as these. By giving
through the religious press, some
thing of the fruit of their patient
and reverent study of the Script
ure, it se'ins to me that they could
do, not only the younger ministry,
but many another as well, incalcu
lable good.
Forty-four years ago last Septem
ber, a profound scholar, a devout
disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ,
in an address before the Porter [
Rhetorcal Society of Andover
Theological Seminary, said : “No I
man who loves the Christian faith I
as it ought to be loved, no man
who is alive to the spirit of the
times in which he lives, as every
man ought to be alive, can have
failed to feel, to see, or to forebode
the coming of a conflict between
the mightiest powers that sway the
destiny of man.”
That conflict is now raging. All
along the line, and from different
points of attack, the enemy are
ranging their guns against the cita
del of the Christian faith. A
thorough study of their various
positions, their usages and uni
forms, has enabled us to learn their
relative strength, and, in some sort
to classify them.
Every inspection of them brings
additional knowledge of their
forces, manner of attack, etc. The
result will be, that ultimately they
will be overwhelmed and com
pletely routed/rom the field.
. There is the opeti. and ajfbg&d
e(irerti_, Wftr- ileri-nts
vealed religion. The Bible to him
it. but the product of human
thought. However inexcusable
his folly, and untenable his posi
tions, he has this to be said in his
favor: he wears the garb of an
enemy, if he is irreverent he is out
spoken ; and hence he deceives you
not, at least in this respect.
There is another enemy, not so
bold and outspoken. Rather he
demands to be reckoned among the I
friends of the Bible, and the wor- j
shippers of God, and when this de
mand is not granted as fully as he
may desire—and bis desires are not
easily satisfied —he cries persecu
tion. He is saturated with the
false notions of more false philoso
phy. While avowing faith in him,
who is glorious in holiness, fearful
in praises, doing wonders, he de
lights in that species of criticism,
the tendency of which is ultimately
to subvert the Christian faith by
marring and mutilating that Book
which reveals and establishes it.
Another enemy still there is, in
ferior to these twe—inferior only in
point of reckless daring and intel
lectual acquirements, lie insists on
substituting his own whims,caprici
ous notions, for the positive inculca
tions of Infinite Wisdom. While
professing reverence for the Bible,
and homage for the God of the
Bible, he will yet, when his tenets
and practices are shown to be con
demned by prophet or apostle, in
sists on arraying Christ against
apostle, so to make a loop-hole
through which himself to escape
with his fanciful notions and wild
vagaries. And when the exactest
harmony is abundantly shown to
exist between the Lord and his dis
ciples, he will plead the spirit of
Ihe times, the exigencies of the
ca-e against the “bondage of form
and custom,” albeit the “form and
custom” were sanctioned by the
Master himself.
When the issue is squarely made
between the enactments of the
New Testament, and the pleasing
practices of his own choosing, he
’ lacks neither the disposition nor the
faculty of easily showing that in
himself is exemplified the practical
workings of that “Spirit which
j lives and moves in human society,”
' and "which can override even the
: most sacred ordinances.”
It matters nothing to him that
| Paul commanded “women to keep
1 silence in the churches." Paul was
j a sour old bachelor. After all, there
j may be truth in the story that he
1 renounced Judaism and professed
, Christianity because he was denied
the hand of the high priests
daughter ip marriage ; at any rate
the Ebionites were content to tell
it on him. But whether the story
be true or false, Paul was nothing
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY JANUARY 4, 1894.
’ but a minister, by whom the Cor-
I inthians believed th,e gospel. And
accord to him the authority of one
empowered to speak f. r the Lord ;
and of what avail is this in the
present case? The injunction with
reference to woman’s preaching,
was limited in its application to the
Church at Corinth, and had never
been spoken at all, but for “certain
gabby women,” who in a "boister
ous manner” gave that church no
little trouble in its business meet
ings. But leaving out of the ques
tion all thesj considerations, which
are confessedly of great weight,
have not the learned “traced the
struggle of Christian goodness and
wisdom, by which the Church was
gradually delivered from this iron
yoke? ” And is it not patent to all
“broad-minded lovers of Christian
charity that the peculiar environ
ments of the nineteenth century”
demand that Paul’s inhibition
should now be regarded as obsolete ?
Revelation is necessarily encum
bered by the imperfections of
human language. It contains di
vine truth. Hidden away in the
rubbish of words is this truth.
The letter profiteth nothing. To
those who are good enough and
wise enough to see and apprehend
this hidden truth, the words are
but as a last year’s husk. To ob
serve with any degree of sempw
losity the form of words, or the
rites instituted in the New Testa
ment, does but confine us to nar
row faith and stunted hope, to
imperfect knowledge and straitened
affections ; in fine, it does not fit us
for membership in the Church in
her infancy.
Did not the Lord promise that
the Holy Spirit should guide us
into all truth. And what though
the path in which he now leads,
diverges from that in which he led
Paul and Peter and James and
John? What though the instruc
tion which he now gives, differs
from that which he gave to these
apostles ?
From the first of these enemies,
we seem to be not in any immedi
ate danger. The home-training,
the religious press, the pulpit have
wrought in us a repose of faith
1 that is intolerant of this blatant
infidelity. So far as he is con
cern, id we may be said to dwell in
the “simplicity of an unquestion
ing faith, in unruffled serenity.”
Not so with reference to the
second and third. The one boasts
the companionship of Christian
nal pride, and impatient of that
fear of the Lord which has the
promise of his secret: Viz. spirit
ual wisdom. The other baits with
charity broad, and manners affable.
He possesses that peculiar but
pleasing goodness and wisdom
which recommends that common
sense and convenience shall tri
umph over the “bondage of form
and custom,” no matter whence
originated the form and custom .
The one attacks the inspiration of
the Scriptures ; the other discredits
their sufficiency as a rule of faith
and practice. The one opposes to
the Scriptures science falsely so
called ; the other opposes to the
Scriptures Christian consciousness,
falsely so called. The one charges
error upon the Scriptures by re
, ducing those who penned them to
the level of ordinary writers ; the
other perhaps unwittingly
charges error upon the Scriptures,
; by claiming for himself a measure
I of the Spirit, equal to that enjoyed
. by the apostles.
Against all these, and all other
I enemies of the truth, the friends
!of the Bible must stand, never
i yielding nor compromising the
i least part of it. Otherwise ruin
| ultimately awaits the individual
j and the nation.
j It isa matter of profound grati
tude to God, that in these lax times
lof loose jointed theology and
I ecclesiology, there are those in the
i prominent as well as the obscure
' walks of life, who stand firmly and
light valiantly fortruth, w ho “earn
estly contend for the faith once for
all delivered to the saints." Con
spicuous among these is yourself,
dear old Index. A tower of
strength you have been against all
innovations on the teachings and
rites of the Lord’s Christ. Dear a
you are to thousands of Baptists
, in Georgia, they do not love you s
' you deserve to be loved ; as mind
ful of your interest as many of
| them are, they do not care for you
as you ought to be cared for.
You have been the Instructor of
many of us from our youth up;
and the valuable lessons that you
i have taught us, are far in excess of
the tuition which we have paid.
Peculiarly hard and trying has been
your circumstances at times; still
without murmur or complaint, but
r.therwith all the cheer possible,
you have regularly discharged your
arduous duties.
Your editorial in your la t issue,
commending the course of the
warm-hearted, generous, dignified,
courteous, courageous, the chivalric
Hawthorne against all comers, of
whatever pretence or practice, who
1 assail the truths of God’s word, is
1 a fitting close to the year of splcn
* did work.
1 send you a New Year's greet
j ing, praying that your career of
| usefulness may be greatly enlarged
and your labors abundantly blessed.
Fraternally,
A. B. Vaughan.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
BY DR. J. B. GAMBRELL.
This week’s Index him just been
read. What an excellent number
of the Old Reliable. That there
are Baptists in Georgia willing to
be without such a paper to save
two dollars, shows that we have
not yet attained perfection, as a
people. We need to educate along
the line of good reading. It would
be a wise thing for any church in
Georgia to supply the poor families
of the congregation with, the Index
whether these families are Baptists
or not.
This week’s issue is' especially
fine in one feature, the admirable
balance between conservatism and
change. By a singular coincidence
this feature runs through the pro
ductions of several pens. It is just |
this balance that is hard to main
tain. The conservatism that
would admit no change,that would
close out all debate is destructive
of itself, and often’’of the truth, i
And on the other hand, the spirit
that would change without reason
is wholly unre'iable andVangerous.
All change, let us not forget, is not
progress by a big lot. True con
servatism, with honest, open heart
edness, and a real hospitality' for
all truth, stands where it is, till it
sees the way to advance with rea
sonable certainty. Two men are
to be avoided, the man who knows
nothing and the man who knows it
all.
I note what Dr. W. L. Kilpat
rick says of the discussion of the
young people’s movement at the
Congress. He is undoubtedly cor
rect. In a limited timij, it was not 1
practical to go into particulars. |
And yet the people ought to know 1
all about it before they j
are expected to form any '
final judgment. 1 happen to know j
that the Endeavor movement, tin- (
denominational,is spreading in Bap- [
tist churches in Georgia. Personal
ly 1 feel strongly that Baptist '
churches ought to enli.t and train j
ami control their own K?ung peo
ple. They are not doing it. It
seems to me that t|nqa j V>ught to be
a dispassionate and particular dis
cussion of this miponunt matter
Ijtave been anxious t<-'write a few
movement, as Ih.n?
from the first con nV Wed with it,
but being a new maiY in Georgia
and connected with an important
enterprise, I have been unwilling
to take the lead. Therefore I have
spoken only when asked to do so. It
is very certain that something must
be done w'th the movement, and
we ought to know the truth about
it, so as to know what to do.
We are just closing the Fall term
in Mercer. The work has been
very satisfactory. The order
is just about perfect. The spirit of
the students is excellent. We are
all happy over what has been done,
and over the prospects ahead of
us.
It is the ambition of the faculty j
to expand and push the University ;
along practical lines, beyond any- I
thing ever attempted before. This |
is the logic of the situation. All '
that has gone before of earnest j
labors, successful planning and 1
gathered fruits, make a proper ,
groundwork for growth and ex- j
pansion. Then too Georgia is a '
great and growing State, and es- I
pecially are the Baptists growing in ;
numbers, wealth and intelligence.
It is hardly necessary to say that ,
if Mercer is to keep in the lead,
the University must grow. Since
coming to the institution, 1 have
given much thought to the condi
tions of the State and of the Uni
versity with a view to a more per-
I feet adjustment of the latter to the
former. Some conclusions have
i been reached which will be laid
j before the Board at its next meet-
I 'tig.
Some time agv Georgetown
I College, Kentucky, and later the
< Seminary invited me to deliver
1 some lectures before them. The
invitation was accepted, and I was
I thus given an opportunity to study
I the workings of other institutions.
• Georgetown, some two years ago,
went over to co-education. It is a
remarkably vigorous institution,
with a strong, alert and pushing
! faculty It was the unanimous
J verdict of the faculty, that co edu
-1 cation is a tine, yiccess. But many
I things might be a fine success in
; the hands of stsc! men, which
would be a great failure with aver
! age men under av< rage conditions.
The Seminary i , as your readers
; know, enjoying ;rj?at prosperity.
1 It would not be wse to particular
ize, but with the help of Dr.
Broadus, I believe I will be able to
1 propose some changes in the work
ings of the rheological Depart
j merit of Mercer i hicii will be use
j ful to a large number of our breth
ren and fully sympathetic with the
Seminary.
On one point I desire even now
to speak with cn phasis, Nothing
since I have come to Mercer has
been to me such a constant source I
\of regret, as my absolute inability j
i to provide teachers for those who
have applied to me. If the people
are asked to support Mercer, ought
we not to put ourselves in position
to help the people in a practical
1 way in the education of their child
ren? It seems to me that we must
have a department of pedagogy,
and with it a bureau of informa
tion. This would enable us to
reach out to hundreds of neighbor
hoods, and in turn receive the sup
port of those neighborhoods as we
cannot under the existing order.
Such a department would cost
money but where else in Georgia
would the same amount of money
do as much good? If Mercer can
supply teachers of the best sort for
the schools, the schools will supply
students for Mercer.
We expect to have considerable I
additions to our numbers after the |
holidays. Several ministerial stu- ,
dents are coming and will need ,
j help. Already the ministerial fund
;is overdrawn some $30.00 each j
month. What are we to do? |
What will the pastors and churches
do? Send us help, we hope.
Mrs. Gambrell came to Georgia '
I sick,a“djias been continuously sick
since she came. I take her to her
old Virginia home in the country ,
for quiet and rest, hoping that she I
may’ grow strong by breathing her i
native air. The University will |
open its Spring term January 2nd, |
and I will be at the opening, ex- I
pecting to be only a few days in
Virginia.
Many friends have kindly sent i
me the names of prospective stu- :
dents and 1 trust many others will ■
do so. That is an easy and good j
way to help us.
Mercer University, Dec. 22, 1893.
FROM FLORIDA.
While we feel the hard times that
I are upon the whole country, and now
j made more stringent by the low price
■ of our staples, sea island cotton and j
j oranges, yet I think 1 hear less of
; complaint here than in States north
1 of us; we are a cheerful people and
take things as easy as most folks.
Churches generally are keeping up
with pastors salaries and while our :
mission affairs are a little in arrears, !
yet not enough to embarrass or make
matters awkward.
Our Missionary Secretary, Dr. W. I
N. Chaudoin has the hearts of the
twenty thousand Baptists in his grasp
the
We have some evangelists at work ;
among us and others are expected. 1
Rev. A. P. Graves has held meetings I
at Leesburg, Sanford and Dade City
and has done good work.
“Singing Price,” of New York,
will hold a meeting in Ocala church,
L. I). Geiger, pastor soon. Rev. W. j
11. Strickland is thinking of a meet
ing in his church, but will try to se
cure a Georgia brother to do the
preaching.
Florida is a nice place for evange
lists to come into in winter and make
free, hold meetings, see the country, |
suck oranges, etc., etc., and “cover 1
expenses” while the Ice King is on
I his throne in higher latitudes. Breth
l ren, take due notice ami govern
j themselves accordingly.
A lad, who was famous for striking
iat big phrases an missing them,
! used to say in my school, “clapped
the climate,” for “capped the cli- !
max.” This latter Dr. G. W. Gard-
1 ner has just done. November the j
{ Ist he assumed tl e b’shoprick of
I Kissimmee, December 31st he retires
and accepts at Jackson, Ga. Up to
; this time, Aiken, S. C. had had a pas
tor for the shortest period, i. e.,
three months, when a “Georgia Goo
ber grabbier” from Augusta stepped
in and in ninety days stepped out,but
Gardner takes the palm. We grudge
him to you and we forgive him for
being so naughty, but use him well
i for he is most deserving and worthy.
Pastor King has resigned at
Gainesville and wo learn that some
members have seeecded and wdl
colonize. Stalk is no lor ger vacant
as pastor Carr goes there, 'J’. J.
Sparkman has resigned at Arcadia
and Punta Gorda, which together are
I a good pastorate, they are situated
very far down near the Gulf Coast.
Stettson University, at DeLand
has 194 pupils, and excelL nt work s
being done there. Eleven of these
are young preachers ami are doing
some good ministerial work in the
country round about. National
Thanksgiving al Stettson was cele
brated with religious and literary
exercises, embracing an ample pro
gram, then came a grand dinner to
which faculty, students ami matron
, sat down. President Forbes presid
j mg, toasts, wit, wisdom, etc., not
wine, flowed and a most enjoyable
: ; time was had by all.
The pastor at DeLand, Dr. Spel
. 1 ler, is deservrflly popular with the
, j towns-folk and students, and hears
> j his praises rung on all sides.
■ i The saints at DeLand expect soon
. to begin raising money for an ex-
• j tensive meeting-house.
Everybody now is agog with the
: | desire to attend the State Conven-
I tion that inerts at Plant City on the
■ 10th. A meeting of unusual inter
' est, with a very largo attendance is
anticipated. Palatka asks for the
j meeting in 1895.
Revival intelligence comes in from
various quarters, baptisms being fre
quent.
Your readers down here are loyal
to you, and when they heard that La
Grippe had you in its cruel embrace,
they felt sorry for you and prayed
for you, too ; now sympathy from
you to your Peninsular readers is in
order, for the Foreign Fiend, above
named, has made his appearance, and
almost every home is laid under con
tribution. His grip is severe, but he
usually relaxes in a few days, and
bis attacks are seldom fatal.
Wouldn’t it be a good idea for
Georgia, South Carolina, and Ten
nessee folks recovering from this
distemper to tour down into our
balmy, bright, sunny land ? I think
’twould facilitate their recovery.
Hail to the Index ! It has not suf
fered from grip yet. It holds on its
i high and holy career,
j ILappy New Year to all ye Index
j family. Flotsam Jetsam.
PRAYER AND MONEY-
BY REV. 11. R. BERNARD.
It is said of Cornelius that he
! prayed and gave alms. His prayers
and his liberality brought him into
I such relation with God and man
i that he was very quickly devel-
I oped into an illustrious saint. The
' Baptists of Georgia have many ,
; churches, and most of them claim |
that they are weak and need de
velopment. Perhaps the average
church could not do better than to
devote itself to the great doctrines
of prayer and money. We are told
in Janies that we have not, because
we ask not. How little realization
there seems to be of this truth.
For instance, it is only a small
minority of the membership of the j
church ’ that attends the prayer 1
service. The prayers that are gen- j
erally offered in public, index the [
truth, that in too many cases, the I
brethren perhaps, pray too little in |
private. From all we see and hear .
we are constrained to the belief, j
that men generally do not pray
without ceasing, do not call on
God "in truth. If attention is called
to the fact,” that the church is bar
ren, lean, without power and is =
weak, the thought that something ’
must be done seems to become j
dominant, and many things are ■
often done. But read again in 1
James : We have not, because we I
ask not. Our doings are all well |
, i.... .. iii-h of nrj- '
; inary ii ponancc is that tliey ;
I should be based on prayer. Ask I
: and ye shall receive. What better j
i thing could a church do than give I
; itself to continuous prayer. Steps
I can be taken and ought to be
I taken to bring every member under
; the influence of the doctrine of
prayer in a practical way. Some
churches are making much ado as
to having every single member
contribute regularly to the cause
of Christ. This is right. Some-
1 times churches send committees to
j enquire of absentees why they do
1 not come to the house of God and
worship. This is all very well,
j but where is the committee, that
' ever investigated the case of a
| prayerless member? What efforts
; are put forth to ascertain if any are
| prayerless, and if any are found
what steps of a practical kind are
i taken, to bring such into the right
! way? Can nothing be done to im
i prove matters along this line? May
we make a suggestion? Suppose
a church should occasionally hold
a service, and the members be
: given an opportunity to give an
experience on private prayer, and
in connection therewith, suppose
; an opportunity be given to all who
feel the need of the spirit of prayer
to kneel, asking an. interest in the
prayers of those who do have this '
spirit. Under such direct method j
would not there be a quickening? I
Why in six months the church
would not be the same. It is not
impossible that such an interest ,
would be enkindled, that a great
majority of the members would be
habitually at the place of prayer,
and we would no longer hear the
reply to the request : “\\ ill you
go to church with us?” “I don’t
know, is it preaching or jest a
piayermceting t "Jest a prayer
meeting! ! This expression is too
sickening to discuss. Would, that
it might never be heard again !
'Die doctrine of money is one of
tlie great doctrines of the Bible. It
is but little underssood. Many
churches seem to be paralyzed by
simple lack of information. It
would seem that they had not
heard that there was any such doc
' trine as money. How Christians
are to make money, how to save it,
j how to use it, how to give it, and
i wh y-
'Die how and the why of money
from a Bible standpoint is a burn
ling topic of to-day. A word about
giving. All are not giving. We
, know one church, a city church,
a First Baptist church, situated in
a center of influence, and of this
church only one-half of the mem
bers contribute anything at all for
' religious purposes. One-half do
1 not give a cent for anything. This
VOL. 71-NO. I*
is illustrative somewhat. The fact
that very many are not giving
their means seems to be under
stood by those who do give. It is
bad, very bad, that so many do not
contribute. Surely they are guilty
of gravest folly. But what is to
be said, of the folly, of those who
congratulate themselves, that they
do right and do nothing, to put
down a recognized wrong, against
Christ and against the church
and against the world. Where
is the committee that ever
investigated a charge made, that a
brother was covetous. How are
churches generally, dealing with
members, that never contribute
anything. They bear with them,
and they continue to bear with
them, as though there was no
remedy, except the one labeled:
“Bear with them.” Now we take
it for granted, that our non-con
tributing brethren are Christians.
They need instruction as to their
privilege. They need to be shown
their folly and probably other
things. When time sufficient has
elapsed and members fall behind in
their contributions, how would it
do to have their cases investigated,
with a view |of finding out cause
of failure? It will generally de
velop, and the church having reme
dies, can safely apply same. Per
haps a brother is impoverished—
well make no exactions of him,
help him. Perhaps it will de
velop that he can give no evidence
that he was ever “born of the
Spirit.” Then cut him off “Turn
him out,” At any rate do some
thing. This way of sitting down
and lamenting over a state of af
fairs that can and ought to be
changed is iniquitous. I mean
simply lamenting and doing noth
ing else. If our churches were
given to prayer and were giving
away their money, the Holy Spirit
would dwell in them and they
would be wonderful in power and
Pentecostal days would come again.
Athens, Ga.
RECOLLECTIONS REVIEWED-
BY REV. W. N. CHAUDOIN.
In the fall 1856, I first met Elder
E. W. Warren. It was in Thom
asville, Ga. 1 was enroute to the
Florida Association, to convene
with the Grooverville church, then
meeting some two miles away from
what is now the village of that
name. On my arrival at the hotel
a little after night I made some
inquiries about the place of meet
ing, and means of getting there,
and learned that brother Warren
was at the hotel, on hH way to the
same place. 1 was at the break -
I fast table next morning, when he
1 and his wife, a bride, for he had
married Miss Prescott a day or two
before, entered and took seats just
| opposite. I did not know but felt
! confident it was a minister, and
■ supposed him to be brother Warren,
which supposition was soon con
firmed by an introduction to him,
which was of such character that it
was the beginning of a friendship
that was never interrupted.
I was young,(only twenty-seven )
and a novice in the ministry, un
educated, untraveled, an invalid
and so feeble I did not know
whether I would live to return
home. How my heart was cheered
by Dr. Warrens warmth, cordiality
and earnestness, all of which I
could read in his face before I
knew whom he was. We attended
the association, and after its ad
journment we accepted an invi
tation to visit Rev. Richard J.
Mays, and spend a few days and
proceed to the Florida Convention,
at Madison Court House, last of
the week.
A memorable, a profitable, and a
happy time, to me it was. I sat for
several days at the feet of those
two preachers, and they perhaps
never knew how much benefit
their talks on Biblical themes were
to the silent young stranger.
Thirty-seven years ago, and oh !
the changes! Os the ministers I
met at those two meetings. W- MJ
Davis, now of Lake City, Fla., is
the only one living, 1 think. Dan
iel. Flemming, Smith, Goldwire,
Frier, Ardiz, Craft, Mercer,
Everett, Fuller, Cooper, Chiles,
Bluett, McKeown, and now War
ren, all resting from life’s buffet
ings and labors. Yes and T. J.
Bowen was at both ineetigns,
pleading for Africa, and Edmonds
of Kentucky, for Revision.
A few months later, and at
brother Warren’s residence at
Lumpkin, where he was pastor, 1
was tenderly cared for and aided
in my work.
“None knew him but to love
him,” and surely very few had
more reason to love him, than the
writer. Thank God for the good,
the beneficient providence that
brouget us to-gether, and the bene
fit he was to me.
I*. S. Is it not time for you,
brother McMichael to visit us
again in our convention? Come
to Plant City, Jan. loth.
Rev. J. W. Burke & Co., of Ma
con, failed last week and Saturday
night the firm’s business was placed
in the hands of a receiver. Their
liabilties areabout SIOO,OOO.