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ESTABLISHED 1821.
The Christian Index.
Published Every Thursday, Cor. Ivy St.
and Edgewood Ave.
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Unbelief and discontent change “the
cup of out blessings into a mere acorn
cup for smallness and for easy breaking.
Ne structure of true happiness can be
built beneath the skies, unless Self-De
nial puts his hand, with ours, to the
building.
Would you have your voice sound
sweet, not in mortal ears, but even in
the ear of God ? Would you have it to
be as music to Him ? Make it the voice
of your heart—the voice of your heart’s
penitence, of your heart’s trust, of your
heart's praise, your heart’s testimony to
his truth, of your heart’s pitying effort
through that truth to win souls to his
love lest they perish. Then, He will ac
count no anthem from choirs of angels
sweeter or dearer.
Sickness may bring pain, in one
room, to a wasting body, and yet cast its
shadow chiefly in another room, on the
pitying, praying heart. If human bos
oms may thus feel our troubles more
than we feel them ourselves, what shall
we say of the great, loving, tender,
yearning Heart, which is “touched with
the feeling of our infirmities” as they
can never touch man, or even angel?
Cling in all things to Christ’s sympathy,
Oh suffering sold ghat is truest, deepest,
best. There is nothing else on which
we can lay all our burdens, and find
them borne with us and even for us. So
borne, the burdens bear us up, not
down: blest paradox of love when it is
divine and of grace when it is wel
comed! Here alone are—what the poet
otherwise vainly sings of—“sorrows
kissed to death.”
The “fallen” women who are most in
capable oi reiuiiu, ulio are most entirely
and hopelesssly “past redemption.” are
those who are secret and unsuspected
in their impurity; those who abandon
themselves to shamelessness under cover
of a fair repute, as though there might
be lepers whose loathsome, deadly taint
would give no outward token to warn
others against infection; those who are
guiltiest of the guilty even amid the
sanctities of home,and pollute and poison
the very springhead of household honor
and happiness with their “cunning craft
iness” in that wrong which is among all
human offences the most damnable.
Alas for undetected fallen women: alas,
buried in the infamous hppocrisy of hid
ing there shame here, they give no heed
until “their feet slide” in the only fall
that can be worse—the fall into “the
lake of fire burning with brimstone.”
Rufus Williams, of the sixth genera
tion in the direct line of descent from
Roger Williams, died in Rhode Island
recently, ninety-five years of age. At
the funeral, five generations of the fami
ly were represented. No race better de
deserves a perpetual home on the earth
and an everlasting name among the peo
ple, than the race of the man who first
in the long list of the organizers of hu
man governments proclaimed the great
principle of “soul-liberty” and wrought
it into the very constitution of society.
Humanity might well requite this illus
trious service at his hands, this priceless
heritage, by giving them a free title to
land and income, thiough all the ages,
• to “the last syllable of recorded time.”
But he has a higher than any earthly and
temporal record, nor need they lose and
lack a share in that celestial, divine in
heritance.
We notice in one of the periodicals a
statement, that to dwellers in the arctic
regions, weather at fifteen degrees above
zero is unpleasantly warm: at zero,
mild; at ten degrees below, bracing; at
twenty degrees below, sharp but not se
verely cold; and very cold, only at thirty
degrees below. And we thought, there
is something like this in certain critics
of emotion in religion. They brand it as
“superstition,” as unwise “enthusiasm,”
as culpable “fanaticism,” because they
themselves dwell in a religious frigid
zone. But in the moral fact the case is
worse than in the physical. To these
critics thirty degrees below- zero relig
iously is simply bracing, or only- mild,
or even unpleasantly warm. Their own
coldness makes nothing comfortable to
them but cold, cold in its last and worst
extreme. Their ideal piety, is piety
pervaded through and through with
frost, and snow, and ice; but frozen pie
ty (if this be not a contradiction of terms)
is a lifeless thing, a thing dead beyond
all possibility of quickening and resur
rection.
The chaotic state of modern “advanced
thought,” or want of thought, is strik
ingly exemplified by the “belief” of Ella
Wheeler Wilcox, the poet and essayist,
as given to the world in a recent volume
of hers. Take a glimpse or two of it.
She holds that “whatever is is best.”
She holds that “prayer to the unseen
forces widens our spiritual knowledge
and brings us nearer to divine truths.”
She holds also that “we are evolved
from the lesser order of life through
millions of centuries; that humanity is
the hignest type yet obtained; that the
world grows better and more spiritual
constantly, and that we are all progress
ing toward divinity.” A sufficiently
rose-colored view, one would think; but
hardly substantial if resting on no other
base than “prayer to unseen forces.”
Mark, then, what she says in the two
sentences which immediately preface the
last of the foregoing quotations from
her: “I believe in Darwin. Robert G. In
gersoll, Annie Besant, Jesus Christ and
myself. Each soul is its own saviour.”
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX.
Ah, her belief does not rest on a base,
however unsubstantial; it sinks into an
abyss of blasphemy. This is the chasm
of unbelief yawning in the forum of the
human intellect; and like Curtius with
all his bravery of armor, rejecters of rev
elation leap into it and it closes over
them. This is the infidel maelstrom
whose rushing roaring waters drag so
many gay or stately barks of modern lit
erature into its depths to be dashed in
pieces on the sunken rocks.
“WORSHIP GOD.”
BY BEV. S. G. HILLYER, D. D.
The obligation to worship the
Almighty is taught from one end
of the Bible to the other. Not
only so : the obligation is admitted,
in some form or other, by all the
nations of the earth ; thus showing
that it is a law inscribed upon
every human conscience. It is the
out-come of that religious senti
ment which is a part of human
nature. But for as much as man
is a depraved being,—alienated
from the true God by wicked
works, —it has come to pass that
very few meet the requirements of
this obligation. Some discard the
duty altogether. They seem to
have succeeded, if such a thing
were possible, in effacing from
their minds the religious sentiment.
Practically, at least, they seem to
live without God. These are
found in the various classes of
unbelievers.
Heathen nations show by their
religious customs, that ‘hey
acknowledge their obligation to
worship some power above them.
But they, too, have forgotten the
only living and true God. Hence
in their vain attempts to indulge
their religious feelings, they have
developed their various forms of
irrational idolatry.
Turning away from all these per
versions and absurdities, we find,
in the God of the Bible, a Being
whose relations to us, and whose
infinite worthiness entitle Him to
be the proper object of our wor
ship. “This God is our God for
ever and ever.” And he who truly
worships Him, feels in his heart
that his worship not only honors
God, but lifts himself even to the
foot of His throne.
True worship includes the sin
cere exercise of the following af
fections toward God; viz. : su
preme love for His person, heart
felt gratitude for His goodness,
profound reverence for His author
ity, and adoration lor the perfec-'
tions of His character. These are
the elements of true worship. It
is not meant, however, that all
must be consciously felt in every
season of worship, at one and the
same time. But wherever one or
more of them are in conscious ex
ercise, there is true worship.
Love, for example, may be so in
tense at one time, that it may ab
sorb the attention of the mind to
such a degree as to shut out of
view the other affections. Yet
they are there, —God sees them, —
though the worshiper himself may
not just then think of them.
These affections often find ex
pression in language. Then they
give rise to our doxologies,—to
words of praise and of thanks
giving. And it is just at this point
that music finds its place in forms
of worship. “There is in souls a
sympathy with sounds.” The Al
mighty Himself established this
sympathy. When He gave to man
the sense of hearing, He was not
content to make it a mere conveni
ence, —to converse with his friends,
or to transact his business; but He
made it to be also a source of ex
quisite enjoyment. The very
noblest illustration of this enjoy
ment is found when the pious af
fections of the heart find expres
sion in the rythm and the melodies
of song. Accordingly, sacred songs
have been employed, from the t'me
of Moses, to express our religious
emotions. And they were from the
beginning, often accompanied with
instrumental music.
But here let me say, with all the
emphasis in my power : Unless the
words of the song echo the affec
tions of the heart towards God,
there can be no worship. AH the
enjoyment which the exercise can
afford, is the gratification of one’s
love of music, and not the gratifi
cation of his love of God. We are
told that God is a Spirit, and those
who worship Him “must worship
Him in spirit and in truth.” Noth
ing but a spirit, as another has well
said, can w’orship a spirit. The
harp, the viol, the organ, cannot
do it. The worshiper may indeed
use their perfect tones and sweet
harmonies to waft on high the
emotions of his soul expressed by
the words of the song ; but, if the
emotions are not felt, or if the
words are not heard, the whole af
fair is only a musical entertain
ment.
Many of our hymns are sermons
in miniature. One may be a call to
repentance, another may celebrate
the power of faith, another may
present some phase of a true Chris
tian experience, while another may
sing to us of Heaven. When these
hymns are sung with the “Spirit
and with the understanding,” the
worshipers are not only giving
expression to their affections
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 15,1894.
towards God, but feeling a common
interest in these “words that breathe
and thoughts that burn” they love
one another. It is then they ful
fill the precept, (Eph. 5 : 18, 19)
“Be filled with the Spirit, speaking
to yourselves in Psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing and
making melody in your hearts to
the Lord.” It is then, the carols of
the soul become its pinions that
bear it away to the throne of God.
But, I have said: There is in
souls a sympathy with sounds.
Hence it comes to pass that the
effect of sacred songs is not con
fined to the circle of the saints.
Suppose they are singing that
touching hymn, in which Newton
tells us his own experience :
“In evil long I took delight.
Unawed by shame or fear;
Till a new object struck my sight.
And stopped my wild career.”
This hymn is indeed an epitome
of the plan of salvation. It sets
forth the Christ as a bleeding sacri
fice for sin. Let it be rightly sung,
and the saints, recalling the day
when they too first felt the effi
cacy of atoning blood, shall render
unto God, pure and spiritual wor
ship in love and gratitude and joy.
But the effect may not stop there.
The song may prove to be an ar
row, from the quiver of the Spirit,
to pierce the heart of some poor
wretch who, perhaps, the very
night before, was like Newton,
taking delight in evil, unawed by
shame or fear.
Thus, it is clear, sacred song has
its place in public worship. And
if necessary, it may be sustained
and guided by instrumental music.
But remember, that the aid which
it affords to public worship, is ut
terly lost unless it voices in w'ords
that can be heard and understood,
the affections of the heart towards
God.
If the foregoing thoughts are
worth anything, it seems to me our
churches should give more atten
tion to the service of song. The
apathy upon the subject, among
church members in many places, is
distressing. How often do our
preachers, when the hymn is given
out, earnestly request the people to
sing? And yet, so far as I can
judge, only a few respond. If any
thing can be done to give more ef
ficiency to the service of song in
all our churches, whether in cities,
towns, or in rural districts, surely
it ought to be done.
There are other outward acts by
which we express our affections
towards God in worship. Two of
these are baptism and the Lord’s
Supper. Both express one or more
of those affections which are the
elements of worship. Baptism ex
presses reverence for Divine au
thority, by an act of obedience to
the Divine will, and faith in the
resurrection which it symbolizes.
And the Supper expresses faith in
the atonement of Christ and grat
itude to the Father for His un
speakable gift. They are both so
well understood that I need not
enlarge upon them just now.
Another mode of outward wor
ship is prayer. It expresses confes
sion of sin, supplication for mercy,
and thanksgiving for blessings re
ceived. Indeed a careful analysis
would show that it includes all the
elements of worship.
But all these outward observ
ances are subject to the same con
dition which we found to be true
in the case of sacred songs. They
are worthless unless they do reflect
the affections of the heart toward
God. If one is baptized for no
other reason than to join a church,
or if he come to the Lord’s table
only because it is a rule of the
church, or if he says his prayers
only because he is in the habit of
doing so at certain hours, he is not
worshiping God in spirit and in
truth. It is, therefore, immensely
important that we should cultivate
in ourselves a spirit of prayer. To
do this, requires attention to
several particulars.
In the first place, we should keep
in mind our dependence upon God
for this, as well as for every other
Christian grace. It is He who has
promised to pour out upon His
people “the spirit of grace and of
supplication.” It is He “who work
eth in us both to will and to do ac
cording to His good pleasure.”
And we are told that “the Spirit
helpeth our infirmities; for we
know not what to pray for as we
ought.” Let us then ever cherish
an abiding sense of our depend
ence upon God. But to do this
will require :
In the next place, careful watch
fulness against the many hinder
ances to a prayerful spirit that be
set our pathway. These are found
chiefly in the attractions and faci
nations of the world around us.
When they gain ascendency over
us, our devotions lapse into dry
formalities. The Spirit—our gentle
Comforter —is grieved, His influ
ences may be withdrawn. Then,
how can we pray?
“Hoz.annahs languish on our tongues
And our devotion dies.”
Once more, we must not only
avoid all that may hinder our wor
ship ; but we must diligently seek
all that may help it. God has pro
vided many means of grace. The
faithful use of them does strengthen
the soul to struggle with its in
firmities and thus to live in har
mony with God, and to worship
Him in spirit and in truth.
73 Wheat St.
OUR CONTRIBUTION TO MISSIONS
BY REV. WM. 11. M’GARITt.
Children like grown people, like
to know where their contributions
go. The money which we give to
missions will be sent to neatly
every section of our own land aiyj
to many foreign countries, bar
off Africa, China, Japan, Italy,
Brazil, Mexico, Cuba, the Germans
of Missouri, the Rio Grande dis
trict of Texas, the over worked
frontier missionary,the slums of St.
Louis, Memphis and New Orleans
and the mountain section, all wjll
be made glad by our contributions
to missions.
Then as our gifts go, let us pray
that the darkness, superstition and
fetchism of Africa may give vyay
to the light of the gospel of Christ;
that the ancestral worshippers and
devotees of Confucios in China
may see that Jesus is the only true
Teacher and heaven the only real
home; and that the beautiful
Japan may realize that Buddha
was only a man, but that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God, the hope
of Japan ; that the shackles of error
and superstition may be taken from
Italy, Brazil, Mexico and Cuba;
that an open and correctly inter
preted Bible may dispel their dark
ness.
Our prayers shall be no less
earnest for that part of our contri
bution which goes to the 800,000
Germans in Missouri, and the poor
Indians, to the destitute section of
Texas, to the self-sacrificing fron
tier missionary, to the 3,000,000
inhabitants of our mountain sec
tion, to the 34 <xx> children in New
Orleans and' the 80,000 grown peo
ple there without church connec
tion, to the 7,000,000 negroes in
our midst. Shall we not pray that
God may use our money in all
these fields?
WAS A RETREAT NEOESSARY?
In our first article on Eklektoi
we commended the Bible Union
Version for giving the verbal
Eklektoi a rendering cor —♦pond
ing with that given to its verb,
thus wholly rejecting the old term
elect and employing chose." in its
place. But theic is fJI Axcption
which we did not notice. The
Bible Union never disturbed the
word elect in John’s second epistle
where it twice occurs. Was it by
way of gallantry that a lady alone
and her sister should still be known
as “the elect?” We discover that
in 1 Petar 5 : 13, where, as some
suppose, a lady of like charter is
alluded to, this same version calls
her a church and labels her
“chosen.” This partiality to John’s
friend and her sister is quite a puz
zle and here we leave it.
We were careful to limit our
commendation to the treatment of
the one term elect, for it seemed
out of character to displace elect
and allow the term election to re
main. And such an inconsistency
we found to exist in the Bible Union.
Hence we were fully prepared for
the explanation as given by Dr.
Weston for restoring the term elect
in the improved edition. Whilst
it was easy to substitute chosen for
“elect,” as the English of eklektoi,
it was thought difficult to find a
word to take the place of “election”
as the English of eklogee. But
we must be permitted to think the
trouble here was more imaginary
than real. The translators have
never thought of using the term
election in Acts 9: 15 where first
eklogee occurs. “He is a vessel of
election, eklogee to me.” “He is a
vessel of my choice,” is the literal
English the true equivalent being,
as every version gives it, “he is a
chosen vessel unto me.” We are
not sure but that to give eklogee
its real English representative
would be better, “he is the vessel
of my choice.”
Consider the next passage, Rom.
9: 11. We see no trouble here.
“That the purpose of God may
stand according to [his] choice”
seems to us quite satisfactory.
Next is Rom. 11 : 5. “There is
a remnant according to a eklogeen
charitos.” |We see no need
of the term election here.
Why not say “choice of
grace,” which is precisely the
English, a choice made by grace.
The same in verse 7. “What Israel
seeks that he obtained not, but the
choice, that choice made by grace,
obtained it. (A work called
“Emphatic Diaglott,” which else
where clings to the old terms
“elect” and “election,” says “the
chosep.”) Verse 28, but as con
cerning the choice.” We see no
need of the term election here.
It means the choice made of a
certain family to become a chosen
nation.
We come to 1 Thes. 1 : 4. “Know
ing your choice.” If there is any
trouble here in rejecting the term
“election” it does not appear to lie
in the want of another word to re
present the original. It seems to
lie only in the fact that choice does
1 not, as we freely admit, represent
I the religious sense which the term
“election” has acquired.
2 Peter 1 : 10. “Make your call
ing and election sure.” Here, too,
there seems to be no trouble in pro
viding a substitute for the word
“election,” for we see no reason
why eklogee cannot be rendered
choosing just as well askleesis can
be rendered “calling.” We mean
just this. Should the student in
the class room translate the passage
thus: “Make your calling and
choosing sure,” he would be com
mended, we think by any teacher
free from doctrinal bias, for avoid
ing the word “election.” We
think no teacher could consistently
object to the second term without
also objecting to the first. Thus,
here again as in 1 Thes. 1 : 4, the
only objection to choice, so far as
we can see, is that it fails to give
the sense, not of the Greek eklogee,
but of the English “election.”
We think this an instance where
one word in English with all its
changes of form and office, is so
admirably fitted to represent the
one word in Greek, that the em
ployment of two English words is
a mistake in respect to scholarship,
and more than this, inasmuch as it
introduces an extra significance, it
is a manifest wrong to the. inspir
ed text. We think the Bible Un
ion acted in full accord with the
need of a new version in discard
ing the word “elect.” That a new
edition, instead of extending the
same treatment to the term “elec
tion,” should abandon the advance
already made, is to us matter of
surprise and reget.
P. S. Whitman.
Toccoa, Ga.
FROM FLORIDA-
CHORDS AND DISCORDS.
We want Dr. Kilpatrick to keep
on writing for the Index, he
doesn’t put the fodder f oo high for
the lambs to reach it, and he lams
right and left at follies great and
small. He does not descend to
slang and puerilities, but does give
us pure English undefiled. We
“Florida crackers” enjoyed im
mensely his two recent articles. I
would not aspire to advise, but
humbly beg that if this waif falls
under his eye that he heed the fol
lowing : Plase brother, write on the
decadence of Church discipline and
the tidal wave of worldliness in
our churches. . _ . .
Speaking of the Index, was it
ever so good? Not m my mind.
True, we miss those columbiads on
doctrine that the sainted Tucker
wrote, and frequently I meet sub
scribers of the older class, who
pine for their strong meat, but your
variety is greater, your circumfer
ential sweep of news, your list of
contributors, your many and rich
departments more than compen
sate for the other. Last week’s
issue was a library in itself. 1 mean
the issue of February 1. Dr. Car
roll’s sermon, good at any time, is
so appropriate near the beginning
of the New Year.
I heartily approve your handling
of Rev. Thomas Dixon, of New
York. I had read his wild, blas
phemous remarks in the Constitu
tion and was prepared for the roast
ing that you gave him. A preacher
who would say publicly that
George Elliott did more good for
humanity than Spurgeon and that
he prefered to spend eternity with
his wife in hell rather than in
heaven without her, should not be
invited into any Baptist pulpit,
nor encouraged by Christian peo
ple. Every orthodox paper should
rebuke him. His brother Clarence
of Brooklyn would not talk so, nor
his venerable father, Thomas Sr.
I’m glad that fewer than 200
greeted his lecture.
Dr. W. N. Chaudoin, the most
conspicuous Baptist figure among
us bears pleasing testimony to
your value in our Land of flowers.
I quote his words : “The report of
our Plant City Convention, made
in the Christian Index was the
best one I have seen, and the best
report of a State Convention I
ever saw, made for readers of an
other State paper. Florida owes
the reporter and the Index a
unanimously strong vote of thanks
. . . We have never had
our Florida Convention so well
reported, North and South before.
Ahem! so I think.” Now, brother
there is a nosegay of orange blos
soms and japonicas, fresh and crisp,
for you and the reporter. When
you see him give him some of
them.
May I give, through your widely
read weekly a
WORD OF ADVICE?
Brother preachers, don’t go in
debt, don’t! don’t! 1 I have in
my mind now a young prophet (?)
who lived ahead of his income,
boarding at a hotel when he might
have done as well and saved half
the money at a private house;
riding about in a lively-stable-turn
out, when he should have walked :
buying dude shirts etc., and get
ting head-over-ears in debt, till in
fluence crippled seriously, he re
signed. When about to shake the
dust from his feet and “vamoose
the ranche.” sundry attachments
were sued out, trunks etc., about to
be detained—good brethren, poor
men, too poor to ride in hired bug
gies, too poor to put up at hotels,
men who made their living by the
sweat of their faces : to hush up
scandal,“for the good of the cause,”
came forward and paid off the
aforesaid debts, taking the impe
cunious pastor’s notes, which ac
knowledgements of indebtedness
they still carry in their pocket
books and which the Lord only can
tell when will be paid. Results.
Ministerial reputation stranded,
church injured, brethren defrauded
and “burnt children dreading the
fire,” may be too slow in helping
worthv objects, as they bear in
mind their ill-advised sympathy of
the past. Those were righteous
words you published some time
ago on “Preachers and Money.”
We are having cool, crisp morn
ings, with white frosts. I suppose
you are having hard cold weather.
Our farmers are well advanced
with their work—“lots” of ground
broken, oats up and covering the
ground, and fertilizers largely
hauled out from depots.
Our long-cotton-crop was tre
mendous, which accounts for the
low market. Savannah circulars
report up to date 50,000 bales
against 29,000 at this time a year
ago.
THE PRIZE FIGHT
didteome off, and we feel disgraced.
No doub‘ he obstructions put in
the way bv Gov. Mitchell greatly
reduced the attendance and made
the thing a financial failure. Gov.
Northen’s course is greatly com
mended by all our better class of
people and The Witness says,
“O for more such as Northen in
office.” Our Governor showed
himself wanting in what you call
nerve. He “flickered” at the cri
sis. Why did not he goto Jack
sonville, surround the arena
with his soldiers, arrest Corbett
and Mitchell and all the aiders and
abettors, and thus fulfill both his
promises and general expectation?
Though hs is a stubborn Scotch
man, yet he is not much akin to
Andrew Jackson. Tilman or Jack
son would have stopped the busi
ness. As to Call, he is generally
execrated as contemptable, and as
the Baptist and Reflector says, “It
s now in order for him to rise and
tell the public how much the Du
val Athletic Club paid him for his
1 am glad to note that our ex
cellent paper the Baptist Witness
devotes the major portion of last
issue to editorial condemnations
and warnings, together with the
opinions of able jurists, almost all
of whom do not defend Gov.
Mitchell to any great extent—
“rather over the left,” mean while
law-abiding folks of all classes
must beg the public not to judge
our fair State by Jacksonville, for
it is not a criterion, and what in
fluence it had over us is crippled
now. God reigns.
Flotsam Jetsam.
THINGS AND OTHER THINGS.
BY DR. W. A. MONTGOMERY.
RESPECT FOR I.AW OR TRICKERY’
WHICH ?
The bold attitude of the
Florida governor as to the
Corbett and Mitchell brutality,
and his reiterated deter
mination not to allow the soil of
his State to be disgraced by it,
would have commanded the respect
of all [right thinking men, if his
course had not, at last, reached
such a “lame and impotent conclu
sion.” As it is, he has made him
self the laughing stock of the
whole country. All his vaporing
seems to have been mere masquerad
ing for effect, while he was making
an exhibition of his power as an
adept in the art Dickens has made
famous—the art of “How not to
do it.” It is claimed, in justifica
tion of his course, that, after the
decision of Judge Call, respect for
law compelled him to allow the
shameless brutality to go on. This
excuse will hardly be satisfactory.
It is not usual for Governors of
States to announce a proposed
course of action, unless they
have first ascertained their
legal powers, and duties in
the premises. This course,
we are bound to think, Governor
Mitchell pursued. If he did not,
and vapored around so as to show
what he would do, one might well
be pardoned for doubting if he has
ability enough for the Governor of
a great State. If he did, then it
was his sworn duty to see that the
laws of the State were executed,
as construed by his constitutftmal
adviser, petty judges to the contra
ry, notwithstanding. This he
should have done, if it had required
the entire military force of the
State to do it. That he did not,
makes it almost certain that all his
opposition was more apparent than
real. His course looks very much
like that of a tricky politician try
ing to “carry water on both should
ers,” so to speak. By means of his
good a and resolute purposes, well ad
vertised, not to permit the “mill,”
he probably thought to gain,
VOL. .71—NO. 7.
I for future uses, the good
will of the decency of the State,
I and by gracefully yielding at the
opportune moment, retain his hold
upon the “toughs.” At least, this
is the way it looks to a great many
people—enough, it is hoped, in
Florida, should “His Excellency”
aspire for future honors at the
h inds of his fellow-citizens, to safe
ly consign him to “the tomb of the
capulets. ’
A BIG MISTAKE SOMEWHERE.
As reported in the papers, Dr.
Dixon asserted, in his recent lec
ture in Atlanta, that Paul, in con
nection with his forbidding wo
men to speak in churches, three
times emphatically denied that
he was speaking by inspira
tion. If the Dr. had been;
half as zealous, and anxious
to ascertain what Paul did say, as
he seems to have been to strike at
Dr. Hawthorne he would not have
ventured on such an assertion
In 1 Cor. 14: 34, Paul says, “Let'
your women keep silence in
church,” and in verse 35, “It is a
shame for women to speak in the
church,” and in verse 37 he says,
“If any man think himself to be a
prophet, or spiritual, let him ac
knowledge that the things that I
write are the commandments of
the Lord.” This would seem to be
binding even on Dr. Dixon, unless,
perchance, he escape under what
Paul says in the next verse, verse
38, “But if any man be ignorant,
let him be ignorant.” The Dr.
would do well to ponder the say
ings of Josh Billings, “It is better
not to know so much, than to
know so many things that aintso.”
011 no ! no !
In a recent article in the Index,,
brother W. S. Rogers says, “Dr.
Montgomery is 64 years old.” Now,
as brother Rogers is about the best
fellow in the world, and almost al
ways right, I hate to contradict
him, but truth compels. Cicero,
in his celebrated treatise on “Old
Age,” makes Cato say, “No man
ever gets old, who keeps his head
young. Now this is just my case.
By the grace of God, I trust al
ways to keep my heart young, and
to be in keenest sympathy with all
young people. So I claim, that in
stead of saying sixty-four years
old, brother Rogers should have
said sixty-four years young. See?
By the way, I am sorry Georgia,
and especially Northeast _
Has last brother KogeiS'. Pious,
sweet in spirit, and consecrated in
life, Elberton and Northeast Geor
gia, could not well spare him. May
the Lord bless and prosper him in his
new field. I had like to have add
ed, “May his shadow never grow'
less,” but it occurred to me that
that would not be possible, and
there still be a shadow.
Leadvale, Tenn.
For the Index,
FROM FLORIDA.
I write this to correct what
seems to be a growing error, and
to give merited praise where it
properly belongs. In your report
of the State Convention some
reference was made to the obituary
work of the Convention, and gave
some praise unmerited,and omitted
some that was justly deserved. In
your issue of February Ist is an
article from Florida, entitled
“Chords and Discords,” in which
article, under the heading “Tardy
Justice” reference is made to Rev.
J. FI. Wentworth, and to touching
tributes made in the convention by
Pugh, Leitner, Miller and others.
Rev. A. P. Pugh’s speech in the
convention on obituaries was ver
bative as follows : “Worthy Mod
erotor, I simply rise to lay one more
little flower upon the grave of
brother Wait, who was a member
of the church of which I am
pastor, and whom I had
learned to love so well.’'
That is all; and no word
of reference to brother Wentworth
at all. I was particularly interest
ed in this matter and for reasons
given below. I led the remarks
in the afternoon, and was not in
the least surprised that Pugh made
no reference to brother Wentworth.
I preached brother Wentworth’s
funeral over his remains and am
and was pastor of his church when
he died. His funeral was conduct
ed at the Y. M. C. A. hall at 11
o’clock a. m., Sunday December
ioth,and our little church was griev
ed to know that the First Baptist
church, A. P. Pugh pastor, would
hold a little service at their own
church, and not one of them come
about the funeral of an old preach
er whom our little church loved so
well, save two members who had
formerly been members of our
church and then belonged to the
First church.
We ask you to give place to this.
for the way matters now stand as
published in your paper, it is an
offense to our entire little band.
Respectfully,
Jas. L. Ryan.
Pensacola, Fla., Feb. Ist. 1894..
Paul said: “See that none render
evil for evil unto any man; but ever
follow that which is good, both
among yourselves, and to all men. r