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ESTABLISHED 1821.
The Christian Index.
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j. c. McMichael, proprietor.
Organ of the Baptist Denomination in
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For the Index.
TEXAS MATTERS.
Dear Bro. McMichael :
Many of us in Texas read the In
hex every week with a sense of
special pleasure and profit, and
most heartily do we bid you God
speed in your work for Georgia and
all other sections where your paper
circulates.
Perhaps it will not be uninter
esting to your readers to note some
thing of Baptist affairs in Texas.
All things considered, our cause
is in a most hopeful condition.
From one end to the other of our
great territory, there come the re
ports of gracious revival meetings.
These meetings will not only
strengthen every local church
where held, but they will also
greatly augment our every denom
inational interest*
For years the general work in
Texas has been the occasion of
much experiment. Changes have
been made in methods of work—
new men have from time to time
been entrusted with leadership.
Different people, with different
methods, have here gathered from
all sections of the country. Added
to this, it has only been one year
since our cause passed through the
most trying ordeal of internal
criticism -ever known in the history
of Texas’ Baptists. But through
all these conditions the work has
gone on, enlarging continually,
and to-day its outlook promises
more stability and success than
ever before.
Texas, you know, is an immense
place, and her people never weary
in telling of her size, her growth,
her unexampled resources and her
present and future glory.
Unquestionably, Texas is the
greatest State Mission field in all
the world. For State Missions in
Texas mean missions world-wide.
Already representatives from all
the earth have a share of her terri
tory. In some sections there are
now settled great hoardesof foreign
ers, and, with all their might they
are strengthening their stakes for
this new land. As a mass, they
are without the gospel, but in many
sections they are hearing it, accept
ing it, and opening the doors to
our missionaries most hopefully.
The presence of these foreigners
here is a responsibility upon our
State Board and our Home Board
as well —mighty and pressing be
yond all human computation.
Our mission work is under the
superintendency of Rev. M. D.
Early, whose headquarters are here
in Waco. He was elected on the
resignation of J. M. Carroll a few
months ago. Most nobly is he
taking hold of his work, and his
success in his new position is al
ready very marked. The Mission
ary Messenger, a monthly having
a circulation of 12,000 copies, pub
lished by Superintendent Early and
the State Board, is a great aid in
the prosecution of the work.
Here is some idea of our growth:
Fifty-nine years ago there was’nt
a Baptist church on Texas soil, and
there were only two or three
preachers. Now (including the
colored people) there are approxi
mately 4,000 churches, 3,200
preachers and 250,000 members
Yet, with all this really wonderful
progress in Texas, for the past 59
years the destitution is still appall
ing. Os 246 counties, 72 are yet
without a resident Baptist preacher.
These 72 counties, over two years
ago, had an average population of
2,500 to the county. Os our 2,400
white Baptist churches in the
State, 1,500 are without houses of
worship. This will give you read
ers some estimate of our field and
needs. Truly, “the harvest is great
but the laborers are few.”
Our institution for tha orphans
—“Buckner Orphans’ Home”—
steadily increases in favor and
power. Over 300 children are
cared for out of the voluntary of
ferings of the people. Dr. Buck
ner, who has the Home in charge,
is surely the man whom God would
have to conduct the affairs of this
great institution. It is the unceas
ing joy of all our people.
Our two great denominational
schools have just concluded their
THE CHRISTIAN IMH-.X.
•’IPTION, PtR Yus,s2.oo. I
1 . %* .ISTERS, 1 00. I
Commencement exercises, viz.:
Baylor University at Waco, and
Baylor College at Belton. This
was their “jubilee year.’ Both
have just passed their fiftieth mile
stone. The Commencement exer
cises of both institutions had an
exceptionally large attendance.
Grey-headed parents, graduates of
the long ago, came back with their
children and grand-children to re
joice in the jubilee exercises.
The University has still at its
helm, Dr. R. C. Burleson. This
was his forty-fourth year as Presi
dent. He was the recipient of
many honors during the recent
Commencement. His energy and
enthusiasm are still unabated, and
his powers of endurance are yet
wonderful. This institution has
for a long while been co-educa
tional. Its yearly matriculation is
larger than any other school in the
South-west. Since its freedom
from debt, two years ago, the insti
tution has made signal advance
ment. The faculty are a body of
magnificent teachers. Unspeaka
ble possibilities are before this in
stitution.
Baylor College, at Belton, has a
choice and wide-spread patronage.
Their equipments are exceptionally
fine. Just now they are struggling
for freedom from debt. The situa
tion appeals strongly to all our
people. When freed, this school
also will enter upon a career of un
precedented prosperity. At present
they have no president, Dr. Wells
having just resigned.
Last week the fifth annual con
vention of the Baptist Young Peo
ples Union, of Texas, was held at
Bryan, and immediately following
it, the thirtieth annual session of
the State S. S. Convention. Both
conventions were well attended,
and their sessions were full ot
interest. Rev. W. C- Luther is the
Secretary of the Sunday-school
work. He is making a splendid
record. By his side is Rev. T. C.
Boykin. He is doing an invalu
able work, holding institutes, etc.
Our next State Convention —
Missionary and Educational —meets
in Belton, in October, at which
time it is earnestly hoped that there
will be a great rally for the free
dom of the College, and a new
impetus given to the mission
work.
Prof. P. H. Eager, one of the
principals of the Texas Athanaeum,
at Weatherford, accepts a profes
sorship in Mississippi College next
year.
Rev. J. A. Ivey, a Mercer grad
uate, has just completed a magni
ficent church building in Sherman.
He has been pastor there quite a
long while, and he has one of the
strongest churches in the State.
Pastor W. R. Maxwell —another
Georgian—is also finishing a $15,-
000.00 church house in Temple.
Your A. H. Mitchell is bearing
the banner successfully as pastor of
the First church, Austin.
Rev. W. H. Major, pastor until
recently of the Second church,
Austin, has accepted the Secretary
ship of the Ministerial Education
Fund for Baylor University, and
has vigorously entered upon the
work.
Dr. L. D. Lampkin, the new pas
tor of First church, Houston, is
getting a strong hold on that grow
ing city.
So also is Rev. Walter Splawn,
the new pastor at Gainesville, in
his field.
Dr. B. 11. Carroll, pastor First
church, Waco, is now away for a
brief time, taking some much need
ed rest. His church is yet rejoic
ing in the great meeting she en
joyed nearly two years ago. This
meeting marked the most impor
tant epoch in the history of the re
ligious life of the city.
Rev. Jno. G. Kendall is Waco’s
City Missionary. God’s signal favor
and blessings are upon his labors
in every part of the city.
The East Baptist church, Waco,
is maturing plans for the erection
of a larger house of worship, having
a seating capacity for 800 people.
I wish I had space to speak per
sonally of many more churches and
pastors, but I fear this rambling
letter is already too long.
Geo. W. Truett,
Waco, Texas.
For the I« dee.
A BRIDE’S ACCOUNT OE ST- BAR
THOLOMEW.
BY SOTT E. HERSHEY, PH. D.
I have met with an exceedingly
interesting report of the horrible
night of St. Bartholomew. -It is
from the pen of Margaret, the bride
of Nava.
Accounts of personal incidents,
given by Roman Catholic writers,
aid in forming opinions of the un
expectedness and severity of the
massacre.
Margaret of V alois was the
bride of a few days. She it was
who had married the Prince of
Navarre, at whose wedding was
the opportunity for getting the Hu
guenots to Paris. She gives a most
interesting experience connect
ed with the slaying of her fellow
countrymen. “The Huguenots,’’she
says suspected me because I was a
Catholic, the Catholics because I
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY, JULY r 18 1895.
had married the King of Navarre.
So that I heard nothing of what
was going on till the evening
when, as I was sitting on a chest
in my mother’s room by the side of
my sister, the Dutchess, of Lqr
raine, whom I saw to be very sad,
the Queen Mother noticed me and
told me to go to bed. As I was
courtesying to her my sister laid
hold of my arm and burst into tears
saying, ‘For God’s sake, sister,
don’t go? I was greatly fright
ened, and seeing the Queen, my
mother, spoke very sharply to my
sister and forbade her to say any
thing to me, adding that please
God, no harm would happen to me,
but that come what might, go I
must, lest something should be sus
pected. I did not hear what was
said, but again very roughly my
mother told me to go.
“As soon as I was in my room, I
threw myself on my knees and
prayed God to protect me,
though I knew not from what or
against whom,
Meanwhile the King, my hus
band, had gone to bed surrounded
by thirty or forty Huguenots
whom I did not yet know, for I
had only been married a few days.
All night long they remained talk
ing of what had happened to the
Admiral, and determining as soon
as day broke to ask for redress
against M. De Guise, and if it was
not J granted, then to seek it for
themselves. As for me, the tears
ot my sister weighed on iny mind
and I could not sleep for fear of
some unknown evil. At dawn, the
King, my husband, said he would
go and play tennis till King
Charles was awake, having made
up his mind to ask him at once to
do justice. He then left my room
and his gentlemen with him. See
ing that it was light, and thinking
that the danger of which my sister
had spoken was past, and being
heavy with drowsiness, 1 told my
nurse to lock my door so that I
might sleep undisturbed. An hour
later when I was fast asleep, some
one came beating with hand and
feet against the door and shout
ing ‘Navarre, Navarre !’ My nurse
thinking it was my husband, ran to
open the door. It was a gentleman
wounded by a sword in the elbow,
and his arm was cut by a hallend,
who rushed into my room pursued
by four archers, seeking safety he
threw himself on to my bed.
Feeling this man clutching me,
I threw myself into the space be
tween the bed and the wall, where,
he still grasping me, we rolled
over, both screaming and both
equally frightened.
Fortunately, the captain of my
guards, M. de Nancay, came by,
who saw me in such a plight, that
sorry as he was, he could not help
laughing, but drove the archers out
of the room and gave me the life
of the poor gentleman, who was
still clinging to me, and whom I
caused to be tended and nursed in
my dressing room till he was quite
cured. While I changed my night
dress, for he had covered me with
blocd, M- de Nancay told me what
had happened, but assured me that
my husband was in the Kings
room and in no danger. Making
me throw on a dressing gown, he
then led me to the room of my sis
ter, Madame de Lorraine, which I
reached more dead than alive ; just
as I was going into the ante-room
a gentleman trying to escape from
the archers who were pursuing him
fell stabbed three paces from me, I
too, fell, half fainting, into the
arms of M. de Nancay, and felt as
if the same blow had pierced us
both.”
Boston.
For the Chrisiiian Index,
THE TIME OF THE RESURRECTION-
BY REV. M. J. WEBB.
I was very much surprised to see
the article of G. E. Brewer in a
late number of your paper, for the
reason that brother Brewer ought
to be too well informed to be beat
ing over this old straw in which
there has not been found a grain of
truth since this Sabbath movement
began: and because the Index
ought to have too much regard for
the truth and for the interest of its
readers to publish an article so full
of heresy. So specious, yet so un
grounded.
Now if your readers do not ob
ject to perusing a little Scripture,
permit me to give so much of each
account of the resurrection as will
indicate clearly the time of its oc
currence. I quote from the Greek
text giving a perfectly literal trans
lation.
Matthew. —“Now late on Sab
bath as it was dawning (epipho
skouse) toward the first of the
week, came Mary, the Magdalene,
and the other Mary to see the sep
ulchre.”
Mark.—“ And the Sabbath being
past, Mary, the Magdalene, and
Mary, the Mother of James, and
Salome, bought aromatics, that hav
ing come they might anoint him.
/And very early on the first of the
week they came to the tomb, the
sun having risen.” ....
Now having risen early the first
of the week, he appeared first to
Mary, the Magdalene.”
Luke.—“ And women also hav
ing followed, who were come with
him out of Galilee, saw the tomb
and how the body was laid. And
having returned they prepared ar
omatics and ointments, and on the
Sabbath remained quiet according
to the commandment. But on the
first of the week at early dawn
they came to the tomb, and some
with them, bringing aromatics
which they had prepared.”
j o ] in —“But on the first of the
week Mary, the Magdalene, comes
early to the tomb, it being still
dark, and sees the stone taken away
from the tomb.”
Now here is an unsophisticated
statement of the matter on the au
thority of four inspired historians.
The only disputed point in these
accounts that purports to be based
on scholarship is the translation of
one word in the extract from Mat
thew —epiphoskouse. As to that,
one of two things must be accept
ed as true : either Matthew contra
dicts the other three, or the trans
lation “as it was dawning,” or “as
it was beginning to dawn,” is cor
rect. The same visit of the women
is spoken of by each, and the other
three are explicit that it was early
morning.
There may be one other point
that bothers the average reader.
Mark says “the sun having risen,”
while John states that “Mary
comes early to the tomb it being
still dark.” There is no trouble
about this if we understand the
starting and “coming” was early,
but that it was after sun up when
they reached the tofrib.
With these constructions there is
perfect agreement bistween all the
writers.
Now I have two other state
ments to make confirmatory of
this commonly accepted theory.
One is that Mark says : “Now
having risen early the first day of
the week,” which is a plain state
ment according to the idiom of
the language that he rose that day.
The other is that Sunday was
the third day from the time of his
crucifixion. John tells us that be
cause it was preparation day of the
Jews they hurriedly buried Christ
in a tomb there in the place near
where he was crucified. Every
body knows that Friday was prep
aration day for the Jews.
Was Sunday the third day?
Nobody disputes but that it was
Sunday morning that the women
came to the and that
Christ appealed to 'Veil
Luke tells us plainly that “two of
them (two disciples) were going
on the same day to a village” the
name of which was Emmaus. Now
hear the testimony of these two,
addressed to Christ himself : “The
chief priests and our rulers deliv
ered him up to judgment of death,
and crucified him. . . . But
then, with all of these things, to
day brings the third day since these
things came to pass.”
Then if Christ was to rise on the
third day, and that day (the first
of the week) was the third day,
Christ could not have risen on any
other day. He could not have ris
en before the Sabbath was ended
because both according to the orig
inal accounts of the rising and of
the testimony of the angels (Luke
24 17), and of Cleopas and his com
panion, the first day of the week
was the third day from the cruci
fixion. Christ was not in such a
hurry to begin his new work that
he must commence it before the
time of his rest was ended.
I will not follow brother Brewer
in his further references. I really
deem them unworthy of a counter
argument; but then I do not be
lieve it partakes of any arrogance
or presumption for me to say that
I can upset them if you wish me to
St. Andrews Bay, Fla., July 7,
1895.
For the Index
MISSISSIPPI LETTER-
BY REV. J. J. W. MATHIS.
As you have quite a “sprinkling”
of Baptist preachers in Georgia
whom Mississippi has only loaned
to your State, some of whom in
former times were quite much in
terested in the mission field com
monly called, in Mississippi, The
Gulf Coast, or Papal Mission, and,
Whereas all regenerate souls are
always glad to hear “glad tidings
of great joy” from such sections ;
therefore be it,
Resolved, That this scribe make
the following “partial” report of
the years work within the bounds
of said association during the last
associational year.
First, and most important of all,
is that within the limits of the as
sociational year just closed —June
1.5 th—the following churches
which are all the churches
that have pastors —have enjoyed
precious seasons of grace: Co
liseum Place, New Orleans, Ilands
boro, Biloxi, Olean Springs Scran
ton, Moss Point and Escatapa, so
that the numerical increase of our
association was “considerable,”
some of whom were from “Rome, ’
some from the church of apostolic
succession, some from the less pre
tentious “child baptizing” people,
a few, a very small few, from the
disciples of that most of all erratic
Reformer—rightly, gramaticilly,
logically and theologically, called
Deformer—A. C. and the rest from
the world, most of whom, it is to
be hoped, were “born from above.”
The few—four—pastors of this as
sociation, Brock, Whittinghill, By
num and Mathis are all in line
in the development of their
members as to Christian character
—a great necessity in this “Priest
ridden section” and also in Chris
tian beneficence, and hope their
“labors are not vain in the Lord.”
Indeed, especially as to contribu
tions of dollars and cents, IS94 —
’95, as shown by the letters to the
association, went considerably
ahead of all past records, so that
in all we can —and do—thank God
and take courage. But there is so
much destitution within the limits
of our association. So many souls
perishing, some of whom are hun
gering and thirsting for the bread
and water of life, and in many in
stances no one to break and bear
to these perishing, famishing souls.
We need—s ore 1 y need—
along the Mississippi Coast, at the
least two men where we have but
one, and in the city of New Or
leans, ten to one.
Roman Catholicism and High
church Episcopalianism —excuse
length and lack of breadth of this
word, especially the former—have
held “high carnival” over the hearts
and lives of the masses hereabouts
in their death dealing doctrines un
til they have made almost a race
of atheists, infidels, skeptics and
agnostics, especially the latter, and
O, how difficult, in a human point
of view, to reach the hearts of men
—and women too—by the pure,
simple gospel, which, by the help
of God, we are striving to give the
people here.
But, I must not tell all I know
this time, nor must I run my news
note into a letter, several columns
long, for there are a thousand—
more or less—brethren now wait
ing to get their pieces in, whose
productions are as meritorious as
mine, and who are, to say the least
that may be said, as anxious to see
their names in print as I.
So two more items and I’ll
close for the present, or, as the ed
itor might think, if not wish, for
all time.
Recurring again to our associa
tional year’s work, I should say
that there is hardly a house of wor
ship within our bounds which has
not had more or less repairs made
this year, and there are two new
buildings going up, each to cost
about $1,500. One at Bay St.
Louis—under the supervision of
the writer, and one at Escatapa
supervised by pastor Bynum.
Item no. 2, is that we—the
Gulf Coast Association—had quite
a “little breeze” created; by the in
troduction of a resolution to the ef
fect that Paul was “agin” women
“preachers.” But the question
was settled in Paul’s favor by a
good majority.
For the Index.
TRADITION AND INFANT BAPTISM-
BY B. W. WHILDEN.
No. 3.
Boswell speaks of a conversation
between Rsv. Dr. Adams, of Pem
broke College (Oxford), and Dr.
Johnson, concerning some of the
tenets of the church of Rome. Dr.
Johnson, in speaking of the
church of Rome giving the bread
and not the wine to the laity, said :
“They may think that in whatever
is merely ritual, deviations from
the primitive mode may be admit
ted on the ground of convenience ;
and I think they are as well war
ranted to make this alteration' as
we are to substitute sprinkling in
the room of the ancient baptism.”
A writer remarks on this—“ Dr.
Johnson was then seventy-four
years of age, and was am oracle in
English literature. Besides, he
was a High-church Episcopalian,
well versed in ecclesiastical history
and in the theology of his age ; and
an admission like this from him,
surrounded by doctors of divinity
and literary men when it was
made, and not contradicted at the
time, is proof clear that in 1784, it
was understood and believed that
sprinkling was substituted for the
ancient baptism by the Episcopal
church. And it is not difficult to
agree with the sage Johnson, that
the Roman Catholic euhreh are as
well warranted in making this al
teration as the Episcopal church.
Deny the loyal position—‘the Bible
is a sufficient rule of faith and prac
tice’—and every sect may make
deviations from the primitive mode,
■ for the sake of convenience, till
j there will not be an original
! statute in the King of Tion’s Book.
Whoever departs from the letter
! of laws enacted by King Messiah
and his inspired apostles takes
I Roman Catholic ground ; and to
be consistent, should go on to
Rome or return to Jerusalem.”
The above incident and remarks
show the necessity of being gov
erned by the Bible alone. In con
nection with this, we would re
mark that 4 when Pedobaptist dis-
senters in England, object to some
of the ceremonies of the Estab
lished church, on the ground that
those ceremonies are derived from
the church of Rome, church men
reply—“ Why object, since you
have received baptism from the
same source? ”
They remind dissenters, that if
some of the ceremonies of the es
tablished church have for their sole
authority the unwritten traditions
of the Papists, so it is with infant
baptism; that it would be just as
consistent for dissenters to submit
to the imposing ceremonies of the
church of England as to practice
the baptism of infants; that dissen
ters ought to give up everything
not sustained by the Scripture, and
that they would be thus better pre
pared to charge the established
church with borrowing from Rome.
Dr. Whidby used reasoning of this
kind towards dissenters. He says ;
“Since it is as lawful to add to
Christ’s institutions a significant
ceremony as to diminish a signifi
cant ceremony, which he or his
apostles instituted, and use another
in its stead, which they never did
institute, what reason can they
have to do the latter and yet refuse
submission to the former”
Puseyites also use this kind of
reasoning in endeavoring to per
suade their brethren of the church
of England to go with them to
ward Rome.” Dr. Hook, a Pusey
ites, some years since, used the
following language in defending
the Oxford theology ;
“You know, my brethren, that
the Bible says nothing of the bap
tism of infants; if then you reject
the authority of tradition, how can
you account for infant baptism?
With what consistency can you
receive this doctrine, as you do,
without a question, and reject
other doctrines which are estab
lishsd upon precisely the same
foundation ?”
The writer to whom we are in
debted for the above says : “The
argument of the Puseyite preacher
was a sound one ; for the design of
Dr. Hook was not to pull down in
fant baptism but to build up tradi
tion. And if one doctrine be re
ceived on the authority of tradi
tion, why not the others? Why
not all the doctrines of Oxford or
of Rome?”
Williston, S. C., June 3, 1595.
For the Index.
TITHING.
REV. A. B. VAUGHAN.
At the last meeting of the South
ern Baptist Convention, Dr. F. M.
Ellis read a report on the subject of
Tithing, which was adopted. That
report, as we understood it, main
tains that the law of the tithe ap
plies to the subjects of the New
Covenant, no less than to those of
the Old Covenant.
Dr. S. H. Ford, editor of the
Christian Repository, opposed the
report in the Convention ; and the
July number of the Repository has
three vigorous articles bearing on
the subject, besides an editorial
sharply criticising the positions
taken by the Committee in their
report.
Near the beginning of the report
the Committee say, “ The law of
the tenth was a fact in Eden. Like
that of she Sabbath it antedated by
centuries the Sinaitic Code.”
With reference to this Dr. Ford
replies: “This is not ‘higher criti
cism’ which tries to turn historic
facts into fiction. It turns a fiction
into a fact. To imagine that Adam
and Eve in their sinlessness before
sacrifices were instituted, were
under a law in fact to give a tenth
and keep nine-tenths —stored away
somewhere—is as wild a flight of
imagination as can be found in any
juvenile poem.”
The report again says: “Unre
pealed Judaism is essential Christi
anity.” Dr. Ford replies thus vig
orously : “The language of the re
port is dogmatic—sweeping. It
lays down a principle adopted by
N. L. Rice as applying to temple
priesthood, sacrifices and indeed all
the ‘beggarly’ elements of Judaism,
and which is also adopted by Pedo-
Baptist Protestants in its applica
tion to infant membership.”
The report asserts that the ‘ early
church observed the law of the
tenth.” Dr. Ford replies that “there
is no particle of evidence in Chris
tian antiquities ” to support this as
sertion.
The report says that the law of
the tenth was a fact in Eden, and
“ by its reannouncement at Sinai, it
had given to it all the force of a I
moral institution.” To which Dr.
Ford replies: “Thisdeliverance ob
literates the distinction between
moral and positive institutions, and ]
settles the question of infant church
membership.’' Continuing his com
ments Dr. Ford says, ••there are
other things in the report on tithes,
but these are sufficient, first to put
Baptists on their guard in any in
dorsement of doctrinal deliveran
ces by that or any other conven
tion, and second, to show the un
wisdom of shortening and cutting
off discussions on important ques
tions like this te give place and
ime to great and eloquent address-
VOL. 75—NO. 28
es on Papal fields, and Pagan fields
with whi:h all present are sup
posed to be as fully informed as the
appointed speakers.”
We are glad that Dr. Ford has
thus written; for we happen to
know, with Dr. Ford, that the po
sitions taken by the Committee are
unscriplural, and that by such ac
tion, the Convention will not be re
garded with that favor, that it
ought to have to do effectual
work.
In Augusta in ISSS, Hon. Joseph
E. Brown, recently gone to his re
ward, read a most excellent paper
on the question of Divorce. The
Convention at first adopted the
paper, but before the adjournment,
reconsideration was moved and
carried, and the Convention refused
to make any deliverances on that
subject and all such subjects, as be
ing without the aims and purposes
for which the Convention was*
organized. But if this Convention
can interpret the Scriptures on one
subject, and publish to the churches
that interpretation, and ask its
adoption, why not interpret the
Scriptures on another—on all sub
jects—and ask the churches to ac
cept the Interpretation?
By its own act the Convention
has interpreted the law of the tenth
to have “ all the force of a moral
institution.” Then it is with moral
law that it now deals. Why not
deliver to the churches its peo
nunciamentos on the subjects of
Divorce, Dancing, Dealing in Cot
ton Futures, etc., etc.
But should it begin this business
of interpreting Scriptures, we hope
that it will give at least such time
for discussion as will likely insure
a correct interpretation to be pub
lished in the minutes.
Ail the more is this to be desired,
since the interpretation already
published has excited the suspicion
that the Committee which was re
garded with so much favor, has.
many views as to the basis of the
Lord’s Day. Sentences like the
following go far to fasten upon our
minds that the said Committee
needs to study, in the light of the
New Testament, not only the sub -
ject of Christian liberality, but of
the Lord’s Day as well: “It”—that is
the law of the tithe —“was no more
an original part of the Ahrahamic
covenant and Mosaic law than was
the Sabbath. The law of the tithe,
like that of the Sabbath, was passed
into the larger meaning of Christi
anity.”
Ois hardly any one subject is
Christian literature more at fault
than on this subject of the Sabbath ■
and, we may add with equal truth
fulness, on that of Christian giving.
If the Mosaic law in regard to
the Sabbath is of binding force, it
is binding as a positive institution.
But if this is true, then as a matter
of fact, we are to observe not only
a day, but a specific day —the
seventh day. For no one will have
the hardihood to deny that the
seventh day is the day mentioned.
But again, if this Mosaic law in
regard to the Sabbath is binding
now on the Subjects of the New-
Covenant, then as a matter of fact,
the Seventh Day Baptists are right
on this question. There is no
escaping this conclusion ; for aer
tainly our Saturday is the Mosaic
Sabbath. And Dr. Ellis and the
other members of the Committee,
and we may add, that a majority in
the Convention, are bound by this
report to observe Saturday as the
Sabbath.
It would seem that this Com
mittee would take us back behind
Him who is greater than Moses,
and settle all questions respecting,
our obedience to God, not on his
authority, but on the authority of
Moses.
But what we need infinitely more
than to systematize our work—any
part of it—according to a law,
which, having been fulfilled, has
served its purpose, and is therefore
of no further force, is to be endued
with power from Him, who, in the
days of the churche’s infancy, hid
money and treasures poured at the
feet of the Apostles.
We are heartily sick of witness
ing the attempt to do without Him
by resorting to law. We can never
run the Gospel according to the
principles of a defunct law ; and
every attempt to control Christian
life and activity by this law, is a
reflection upon Him who is to
guide us into all the truth.
Christians are to be taught to
live and to give, not as under law,
but according to the spirit of holi
ness. We cannot make up for a
want of faith in Him, by any
amount of threatenings with law.
The law of the Lord is to a Chris
tian’s life, what the banks of a
river are to a fliwing strea-m—
--simply to direct its movements —
not to make it flow. And the law
of the Lord with respect to Chris
tian service, is, in view of the
mercies of God, to present our
bodies a living sacrifice.
We own nothing, but this eon
tinual stressing the law of the tithe,
tends to fasten upon the mind that
’we do own nine-tenths.
We own nothing. We are
ply and only stewards of the Lord,
entrusted with the Lord’s goods.
Continued on Bth page.