Newspaper Page Text
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fheChristian Index
r.T P VA E NNESS,i EnIT,IRS
THE CONVENTION
As this issue reaches our read
ers the Southern Baptist Con
vention will be on the eve of its
41st annual session. The at
tractiveness of Chattanooga and
the great objects of interest to
be brought before the Conven
tion will undoubtedly attract a
large crowd of visitors. We hope
they will be pleased to listen
carefully to all the discussions
and stay to see the loving and
biotherly spirit characteristic of
the parting moments.
The prospect is exciting. The
Young People question seems to
have many anticipated negroes
hidden away in its wood pile.
We anticipate less of trouble
here than has been imagined
Certainly it will not be brought
on by the friends of the South
ern movement. It seems as if
the Publication Society proposals
would be given a hearing. If it
gets startl'd the tight will be fu
rious. There are but few with
speaking ability to champion the
project and the end can scarcely
be doubted. Whether Dr Whit
silt’s errors will come up for an
airing cannot be foretold. Cer
tainly it will be hanging in the
air. Already, however, the
question narrows down to fact
rather than heresy. One of the
representatives of the Gospel
Mission, who is in this country
to stir up interest in their work,
promises to be present. It is
reported he will be guilty of
asking the courtesy of the Con
vention to discourteously attack
its very existence. The breth
ren from Oregon who have pre
viously endeavored to secure
membership in the Convention,
w ill try it again. They will show'
the receipts for $250 contributed
t (objects of the Convention, and,
well, what can we. do? Surely
here is sensation enough for two
or three conventions all crowded
into one.
Really in the multitude of di
visions wo prophesy peace. The
untold possibilities may make
the brethren very tenaceous of
venturing on disputed territory.
The unlimited stretch of conflict
ing question may make us very
cautious. But if they all come,
what a curious overlapping of
groups there will be ! No two
persons can possibly be on op
posite sides of all these ques
tions. Sowe will bepreserved in
the brotherliness of common as
social ions of defeat and victory.
The most diverse of views will
got together somewhere. The
m iltitude of questions assures
peace at last. May the possi
bility of the multitude be the
prevention for all.
But our Boards 1 What shall
we do ? Above everything else
let us give time to our great con
corns to which these others are
incidental. The debts are unex
plainable. It is not lack of
money. Baptists are no poorer
than Presbyterians, and they, in
the South, increased their contri
butions to Home and Foreign
Missions. It is not the depletion
of Gospel Mission collections.
They report in all $6,500 raised
from only one hundred churches.
Our Foreign debt will be five or
six times that. Is it lack of in
terest in missions ? Perhaps
when we leave Chattanooga.hav
ing wasted our time in riotous
talking,it may be that we shall be
convicted of more interest in
other things. Let us go deter
mined to show that our first in
terest is missions and stick to it.
Let us all remember as we
carry on the sessions of the Con
vention that in the audience are
a new host of young people, and
many who come to get among the
Lord's people for rich blessings
and inspiration. We must not
be so solicitous for our question
that we think the time is ours,
for our own personal affairs.
The time belongs to those who
are there for the Lord’s great
mission work. The verdict of
•he masses who listen is as
worthy of record as of those who
vote
If Diaz is there we shall have
one bright spot. Warm from
the atmosphere where liberty
breathes the first breath of new’
youth, he will thrill our hearts.
Let us accept him w’ith the
stories of imprisonment, and the
still more pathetic tales of the
poor, lonely, Cuban Christians
remaining behind, as a picture,
made vivid, of our missionaries
and missionary churches. There
shall be no time for idle scorning
if we get such a view. On far
off shores eyes of imagination
shall rest upon us. Let us talk
and plan and purpose with them
in view rather than our hobbies
■ and our speeches.
UPBUILDING THROUGH OPPOSI
TION
We have been enjoying a few
studies in the history of doctrine.
The historical process by which
doctrines, now trite and common
place, have been conceived ard
formulated is full of interest.
Merely to see how great is our
heritage from bygone ages in
p esent clearness of definition
and conviction, is to be amply
repaid for the time expended.
The most pertinent remark of
Lecky's that only a few truths
are alive for any one generation
receives confirmation on every
hand. Doctrines come into prom
inence in one age and win from
men an attention meaning life or
death to them that in the gener
rations following .scarcely receive
the attention of doubt. Some
times it seems as if we cared for
our environment more than for
the truth.
A very prominent fact in doc
trinal history is that part played
by opposition and contest. It is
the nature of individuals and of
groups of individuals to carry
these ideas indefinitely. Enough
is understood to give us sight,
but men rarely formulate accu
rately these notions until it is
forced from them by some op
posing mind with which they
must maintain these truths.
When thus cornered they may
not understand what they are
doing, but they are always get
ting a clearer view of them
selves. For an example take the
notions of liberty. In a good
natured, easy going community,
men are hardly capable of de
fining it. Let King George or
any other king begin to oppose
liberty, and in a little while
every peasant has found out
what it means and is fighting for
it. There is a reflex action also
by wh ch he who opposes, also
begins to see more clearly the
ideas pro and con.
Many of our settled points of
common orthodoxy were formu
lated through strife. The person
of Christ, the Trinity, Justifica
tion, these came clearly into dis
tinct formulation through the
most bitter controversy. On the
other hand, the episcopate and
infant baptism sprang up in an
age when the Christians lacked
tlie public < pportunity for free
di-cussion and opposing ideas.
With everything quiet these er
rors foisted themselves on the
world for generations and only
in the last century has the op
position to these truths forced
clearer conceptions and better
definitions.
We are not aiming at an advo
cacy of debates and a deluge of
discussions. These have their
uses. Sometimes we have to get
pushed or venture on some push
ing to get our theology clarified
Our good friend, Dr. I*. S. Hen
son, did a tine service not long
ago by stirring up the tires on
tlie Fatherhood of God. It did
good. Even the liberals of the
liberals got from their conscious
ness a little clearer testimony to
the real facts. We. are seeking
a little consolation, that is all.
Strife, debate, opposing ideas
seem the heritage of Southern
Baptists. When it is inevitable
we may seek consolation even in
our.sorrow. Out of it the truth
will get more clear where we
can see it. For an example,
take the idea of the Southern
Baptist Convention. If we want
ed it to die we would quietly ig
nore it. To oppose it is to make
our people more clearly see the
intrinsic idea underneath its pol
icy and to strengthen its hands.
We believe both the Publication
Society 's attack on the Sunday
School Board and the agitations
on the Young People’s question
will have the same effect. Op
position defines to the masses
the principles involved.
The same thing is true indi
vidually. It was our pleasure to
be a member of a club studying
together the doctrines of the
higher critics. In the company
w’ere outspoken radicals. They
opposed our most cherished ideas.
At first it was painful. Thus fol
low the instinct of defence. Out
•of it came a redefining of our
faith, clearer and brighter. So
it is as we meet opposition in the
world, whether it be to our faith
or ourselves. If we have any
thing of truth, opposition can
only bring us to get clearer
ideas and to see what we do be
lieve Opposition is health}’ as
a definer. We get stronger faith
from even the c pposition of
worldliness to our faith in the
unseen and eternal.
We have received from the
author a little pamphlet contain
ing the three lectures delivered
by W. R. L. Smith, D D., on the
Gay Foundation at the Louisville
Seminary. The subjects of these
lectures are Drs. Fuller, Jeter
and Yates, three great Baptist
leaders. We were prepared for
something good, but the reality
exceeds our expectation. Since
the beloved Bioadus laid down
his pen. after writing the life of
Dr Boyce, no richer, clearer,
more inspiring and readable
work in biography has met our
notice. Dr. Smith has a rare
talent with his pen. The lect
ures ought to behead by every
one and will leave a lasting iin
pression behind. His choice of
material is excellent and life is
given to these characters. We
suggest that every Baptist
preacher send right off to the au
thor in St. Louis for a copy. The
price is not given, but we sup
pose it will be about twenty-five
cents Our personal friendship
has not entered into the above,
but we give it full play as we
heartily congratulate our friend
on his venture into literature.
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX : THURSDAY, MAY 7. 1896.
As a slight indication of the
lack of a proper fraternal spirit
manifested by those opposed to
the Southern Union is seen in
the last issue of the Baptist
Cniov. In giving the programme
of the coining meeting at Chat
tanooga every word indicating
that it is a meeting of a body un
affiliated with the B. Y. P. U. A.
is carefully eliminated. Even
President Dawson is denied his
title, and the impression one
gets is that it is a B. Y. P. U.
meeting along the International
lines. This is not an isolated
case either. The Baptist Union
has habitually edited news in
this way. Now it may be un
pleasant to have things occur we
do not like, but it is best when
we do make mention of them to
be accurate in what we do. The
same paper makes a not alto
gether unnatural summing up of
the probabilities at Chattanooga.
That the Convention will dis
cuss different plans for organiza
tion among young people is very
improbable. We hold letters
from prominent B. Y. P. U. A.
men in the South urging that it
be avoided, and we know that the
friends of the Southern Union
do not desire to carry it there.
As for the B. Y. P. U. Auxiliary
it does not meet to discuss plans
of the character indicated. It
meets to elect its officers accord
ing to its adopted constitution
and Io carry out a prepared pro
gramme. It will not be com
posed of people in doubt as to
why they are there, but duly ac
credited according to the consti
tution adopted at Atlanta to a
definite form of organization.
Those inimical to such an organ
ization have no place in its mem
bership.
There is little to be added to
the Publication Society and Sun
day School Board affair. The
Publication Society is evidently
very desirous of a brotherly co
operation. So much do they de
sire it that they are perfectly
willing to light to get it. This is
somewhat out of the usual course
of cooperative proceedings.
They have flooded the country
with an unfair argument for
their side. The Baptist Courier,
backed by the Florida Witness, a
delicate wish from the Central
Baptist, and three words from the
Texas Baptist Standard, is still
greatly concerned as to the prop
osition. It is very singular that
those who see in the proposition
great elements of advantage are
well known as partizans of the
Society. Scientists now prove
the connection between our de
sires and our perception. The
common sense of the brethren is
very scientific also. The idea
that a profit of $50,000 would be
divided in a few years admits of
some grains of allowance. An
other significant fact is that not
a voice hitherto favorable to the
Sunday School Hpard has ven
tured to express any idea of the
proposition being a feasible one,
while multitudes of thise first
opposed to the Board are now on
its side. Facts like thes? do not
argue well for the success of the
( 'owner's project at the Con ven
tion.
We publish in an another col
umn a letter from U. S. Senator
Roger Q Mills, beai ing on mat
ters in Cuba. Baptists are not
only bound to Cuba by the sym
pathies of liberty and a love for
it, but providentially through
our mission work. The hatred
of Spain for liberty on the island
has a tinge of hatreel forProtest
anism and its propagation. This
means a hatred for Baptists, for
the only work of prominence in
Cuba is that of the Southern Bap
tists. If Baptists have any love
for their work and zeal for their
principles they must be concern
ed about Cuba. The issue now
is this, practically: Shall our
brethren in Cuba be allowed to
worship according to their con
sciences or not? It is no longer
Diaz, but our churches in Cuba.
Senator Mills ascribes to the ad
ministration the power now to
control the question. This is
certainly so. We make no strict
ures on the government, but to
Mr. Cleveland and Mr. Olney
must we look for any practical
sympathy for Cuba.
Dr. Hawthorne preached his
farewell sermon last Sunday at
the First church and closed a
notable pastorate of twelve years.
The intei est in his preaching was
as fresh at the close as at the be
ginning of this long pastorate.
His brethren will part with him
with sincere regret. Dr. Haw
thorne has struck some hard
blows in his time, but a closer ac
quaintanceship has shown only
love and tenderness in the man.
The Index regrets his depart
ure. Speculation as to his suc
cessor is still merely guess work.
Many names will be mentioned
and in due tipie a pastor select
ed. The church has too long
been foremost in Southern Bap
tist affairs to be contented with
anything but some one active
and influential among the breth
ren. The position of the church
makes its possibility very great.
We hope a strong preacher and
wise leader will be found for its
vacant pulpit.
As the full details become
known the danger to which Bro.
Diaz was exposed becomes real
ized. It is stated that on his ar
rest the Spanish minister at
Washington visited the State De
partment and declared that an
example was to be made of Diaz
and that he would be condemned.
The furor excited over the coun
try made him open his eyes and
change his mind. It is said he
telegraphed to Gen. Weyler to
get out of the difficulty just as
quickly as possible. The ac
count given in the papers of
Diaz’s experience after his arrest
tallies exactly with this report
concerning the action of the
Spanish minister. It illustrates
the seriousness of the situation.
It was evidently the intention to
speedily get rid of Diaz. We be
lieve the Spanish have overshot
themselves. Diaz turned loose
in the United States,because ban
ished from Cuba, will be worth a
regiment or two to the cause of
Cuban liberty. The people have
confidence in him and will be
lieve what he says about affairs
in the island. We venture to
predict a voice of no uncertain
sound from the brethren at Chat
tanooga.
Monopoly in Baptist affairs is
not desirable. We do not be
lieve Baptists will ever consent
to being represented authorita
tively by only one concern in any
line of work. The country is too
big. We do not believe the South
will ever see one newspaper par
alelling the Examiner. State pa
pers will always exist. A paper
that deals perfectly with its own
field will always have access to
other fields also. The editors of
the Index conceive it to be their
first duty to give Georgia Bap
tists the paper they need. If our
circulation goes beyond it will be
because what Georgia Baptists
need others need. We now give
them a direct correspondence
over all the South, and at the
same time a State news depart
ment unsurpassed. We have
other plans yet to be put into ef
fect. All of these are for the
better information of Georgia
Baptists.
The demand for immediate
action to provide for the current
expenses of Mercer University is
urgent. There is very little time
left, yet enough to make
everything square at the
close of the financial year. Many
churches, a great majority of
the i), have let the matter alone
till the close of the year is right
on us. The right thing to do is
to supply Ahe lack of service im
the past Ju- taking a collection
right away: It isnogieat mat
ter that the churches should give
a few thousand dollars to Mercer
University, which is doing so
much for the denomination. The
religious life of the students of
| Mercer is, in the judgment of the
students themselves, higher than
it has been in a long time. The
twilight prayer-meeting is prov
ing a great blessing to many.
One of the strongest men in the
University has recently given
himself to God to preach the gos
pel.
We sincerely trust that we have
not entered on an epidemic of
resignations. The last week or
two have brought a number. We
hope no more will come. It is a
pity to break the forces and dis
joint our work. Os course cir
cumstances will sometimes com
pel removal, but we don’t like to
hear of their. We are too much
in love with the brethren now
here to desire to see any of
them go away. We trust good
men will succeed those who have
gone, and that the rest will have
a little more patience and hold on
where they are.
We are glad to see a very pro
nounced effort inaugurated to
push the Anti Barroom bill.
The friends of temperance are
wisely beginning early and pre
paring to put candidates on
record and let the issue be made
fairly before election. The bill
must go through and we must
all rally to its support. The
Cedartown Convention gave no
uncertain sound and spoke with
great positiveness. Let us be
keenly alive 10 the issue and
bind everything fast and tight.
The movement will have great
opposition, but it must go
through.
It is not repetitions in prayer
that Christ forbids; he forbids
“vain repetitions’’—the echoing
and re-echoing of words which,
simply as words, were expected
to prevail. The prayer of Geth
semane was itself a prayer of
repetitions. Perhaps, no pre
vailing prayers were ever offer
ed without repetitions many and
frequent. When the heart is in
the words,how’ can it help saying
them over and over again?
It is a sore evill to the soul,
when conscience is more sensi
tive to the sins of others than to
our own.
Wealth puts itself down below
honest purity by scorning it.
What the baptist
(Editor o §ay*
The Western Recorder: What is
needed to put missions on a solid
basis for steady and growing
work, is for the deacons to take
the money raising for missions
upon themselves, as is their
duly. There are many ways in
which they may do this. A dea
con suggested what seemed to
us the best plan. We all know
how much easier it is for us to
raise a definite sum than an in
definite. Let the deacons decide,
consulting with the brethren,
about what amount the church
could and would give if properly
urged. Then let them ask the
church for that sum for missions,
going around and seeing all the
members and getting their sub
scriptions. Let the list of num
bers be divided among the dea
cons, and each one keep his list
and see to the collection of the
subscriptions.
It is on some such plan the
money for the pastor’s salary and
the church expenses is raised.
Mission money must be put on
some systematic business plan.
The deacons must no longer shirk
their duty upon the pastor or the
sisters, but do, like the true men
they are, the work which God
gave them to do, and to which the
churches have solemnly set them
apart.
The Central Baptist: There are
two subjects which are receiving
pretty wide discussion among our
Baptist exchanges of the South.
The first is with respect to the
organizations of young people.
As is generally known, the ter
ritory of the B. Y. P. U. A. is di
vided into sections and that of
the South is called the Depart
ment of the Green. The affairs
of this department are looked af
ter by a committee selected by
the delegates from that district.
This committee, therefore, is se
lected by young people of the
South, and is a part of the inter
national organization. Overtures
were made by the Committee of
the Department of the Green to
the Committee of Ten from the
organization formed at Atlanta,
auxiliary to the Southern Baptist
Convention, looking to combina
tion or co ordination in lieu of a
new and distinct organization.
A voluminous correspondence
has been published, and we would
have been very willing to give it
a place in our columns had we
thought it of importance to our
readers. Inasmuch, however, as
Missouri stands somewhat apart,
and has adopted a peculiar policy
toward the double-headed organ
iz ttion of the denomination in
other matters, it seemed to us de
cidedly best to let those who are
especially-interested carry on the
discussion to its proper solution.
The other matter to which we
refer is the proposition of the
American Baptist Publication
Society to undertake the publi
cation of the Convention Series
of Sunday-school literature.
We went so far as to publish the
official proposition and the an
swer made to it, but we have not
seen it our duty to introduce any
discussion of the matter. We ex
pressed the hope that some such
consummation might be reached,
as would be in line with the
growing spirit of fraternity and
co operation. If, however, the
separations have to be continued
for a time, we will try to be as
quiet as possible and not empha
size them by perpetually parad
ing them.
77ie Journal and Messenger:
When it is remembered that Bap
tists in this country have prac
ticed immersion from the first,
and that there is no historical
evidence of their having been
agitated by a change from sprink
ling to immersion, it is too much
to believe that Roger Williams
and his ten associates w’ere sim
ply sprinkled. • If he did
not receive baptism, when
was the practice of bap
tism introduced into the First
Baptist church of Providence?
Where is ihe literature bearing
upon the change from sprinkling
to immersion? And then how
about the Baptists who settled
in Georgia and in Delaware and
in Pennsylvania? Dr. A. H.
Newnan, in his “History of the
Baptist Churches in the United
States," published in “The
American Church History Se
ries,” says: “Contemporary tes
timony is unanimous in favor of
the view that immersion was
practiced by Williams. As this
fact is generally conceded, it
does not seem worth while to
quote the evidence." It may not
be amiss to say again, had Dr.
Whitsitt simply raised the ques
tion in some Baptist periodical—
say the Baptist Quarterly when it
was running, ten years ago, or in
the H’esfern Recorder, or in any
other of our Baptist publications
—our criticism would have less
force. It would have been com
petent then for some one else to
go over the argument, either ac
cepting or confuting it, and thus
in a friendly way settling the
question for Baptists and for the
world. But, without having
published a single article in a
Baptist periodical, and having
sent forth no monograph on the
subject, he writes and publishes
this unaccepted and unjustified
conclusion in a cyclopaedia which
is to be regarded as authority by
a generation of American citi
zens. There is no opportunity
for confuting the dictum, nor for
even calling it in question. It is
that of w’hich we principally com
plain.
The Religious Herald; For cur
selves, we do not care a straw
whether Roger Williams was im
mersed or sprinkled. It is a
matter of no earthly consequence
in its effect upon any of our
cherished beliefs whether our
English ecclesiastical predeces
sors were always loyal to the de
nominational tenets as we here
accept and hold them. But, if
some doctrine which we held dear
were involved, we think we
should still be able to say: “Let
us have the truth about it.” The
best thing to do with Dr. Whit
sitt is not to-pronounce in “ex ca
thedra” style upon his historical
statements. All this talk about
the impropriety of such a state
ment from the President of our
Seminary is humbug and fustian.
That the question whether Roger
Williams was sprinkled or poured
upon, or whether the forerun
ners of American Baptists in
England were or were not at
some time disloyal to the doc
trine of immersion, should be
made a test of orthodoxy, is too
absurd to be ridiculous. We are
surprised at such a suggestion,
even in the columns of the West
ern Recorder. Let us have the
truth about the matter, whatever
it is. If Dr. Whitsitt is histori
cally inaccurate, let that fact be
exhibited; but let it be distinctly
understood that Southern Bap
tists are not going to prosecute
him for thoroughness of research
or honesty of statement. The
Southern Baptists are not chil
dren.
The Evangel: Why not bring
some of the less distinguished
men of the Southern Baptist
Convention to the front this year.
Every year the old war horses
are trotted out and pranced be
fore the assemblies. Every year
the same Doctors of Divinity take
up most of the time of the ses
sion, whilst the younger men and
thpse who are also doing a
mighty work for God in their re
spestive fields are forced to be
quiet. Why not, bring some of
the new men to the front? You
know’ who they are, President
Haralson. We have some of
them in Maryland, there are
some in Virginia, lots of them in
both the Carolinas; in Georgia,
Tennessee, Alabama, Texas and
other Southern States they may
be found. Let us hear from
them in Chattanooga this tear.
Put them at the head of commit
tees and let their voices ring out
in debate, which will reassure
many of us that when our
Moseses are dead, that there will
be many Joshuas to take their
places.
The Baptist Record: Dr. Row
land says, “A prominent brother
suggested it.” Just why Dr.
Rowland should act on the sug
gestion of just one “prominent
brother" when there are so many
of that sort and also when he
knew that there were so many of
themw’ho were heartily sustaining
our Sunday School Board and its
work, would be hard to tell.
Then who that “prominent
brother" is who has so much
weight as to precipitate such a
movement is a query also. We
are sorry to say that we can see
nothing good in the whole mat
ter, whether it be in the motive
that prompts it, the plan pro
posed, or the outcome, even
should it have materialized. Os
course we can guess about who
that “prominent brother" is
from certain scintilations from
certain writings in certain nev s
papers, and just why he should
have been considered of so much
“prominence" and importance
we know not, unless it bethat he
is so thoroughly out of sympathy
and harmony with our Southern
institutions and so ready to sur
render all of our most cherished
denominational holdings and in
terests.
The Baptist Courier: A writer
in the Western Recorder says,
speaking of Dr. Whitsitt’s posi
tion: “These views are directly
contrary to those of the South
ern Baptists.” Who cares for
that ? If the views of Southern
Baptists are according to the
facts in the case, all right; if the
facts are contrary to the views
we have been accustomed to hold,
so much the worse for our views.
What we want, what the world
needs, is not the views of the
people who live in one section of
the country, but the facts in the
case, the truth—let the truth
come out though the heavens
fall. If Dr. Whitsitt is not cor
rect, and if his statements are
not based on fact, let somebocy
show that he is wrong. Down
with the spirit that would silence
him, condemn him, and retire
hi pi because he does not agree
with some of the views of some of
his brethien! If it can be shown
that the facts of history are
against him he will gladly
change his views. But if he has
the facts on his side w r e must
hear him.
gaptiet ynvft.
FIELD NOTES.
Brethren and sisters, read yonr In
dex.
Mothers, read the ■Home Depart
ment" of the Index to yonr little chil
dren.
Fathers and husbands, don't leave the
Index at the store; carry it home to the
family.
Our Northern brethren are already
beginning to look to the South for the
full maintenance of Baptist principles.
Instead of fanning out the literature of
our Southern Sabbath-school series, let
us establish a plant of our own.
Brother G. W. Gardner, of Fort Val
ley, made quite a hit in his announce
ment in the Index of last week. If
not. why not?
Brethren W. A. Nelson and Frank
Mallary, of Macon, were assisting Pas
tor P F. Crawford, of Albany, in a pro
tracted meeting last week. May God
bless his word and workers to the glory
of Jesus Christ in Albany.
Brother Joe B. Allagood preaches to
four churches—Mount Zion, Harmony,
Midway, and Ochlochnee, Ga. Dr. R.
W. Baston will be our Index agent at
Ochlochnee. We don’t know’ whether
Brother J B. Allagood takes the In
dex or not.
We pray that the presence and power
of God the Holy Spirit may be felt and
enjoyed at the convention in Chatta
nooga this week. So be it. Amen.
As the agitation of air and water
purifies them and gives life to earth’s
inhabitants, in like manner will a full
and free discussion of great issues at
the convention, give life and strength
to Baptist principles. Let nothing be
done in a corner. z
The death of Dr. J F. Stapleton, at
Arabi, and Mrs. Dr. Pate, at Unadilla,
Ga., gave us much sadness of heart.
We hope to meet them on the other
side. Blessed hope! We sympathize
with their sorrowing loved ones.
Men and things, and other things, by
Georgia writers, occupied much space
in the Religious Herald of last week.
Those communications were wise and
otherwise; so they appeared to this scribe.
When we returned from our two
weeks' trip to South Georgia, we
dropped down to Griftin and spent a de
lightful season. We found Pastor T.
W. O'Kelley busily engaged preparing
for his third anniversary, which oc
curred last Sabbat h.
Pastor W. U Kendrick, of the De-
Votie church, Griffin, Ga., assisted by
Father C. W. Oliver, of Milner, has
greatly enjoyed the presence and power
of the Holy Spirit in a two weeks’
meeting recently, about which the
Griffin brethren will write more exten
siv-ly for the Index.
< >ne of the very best places in this
world for a weary pilgrim to be re
freshed is the home of Brother J. P.
Nichols, in Griffin, Ga. It reminds us
of the home of Brother Ed. Paullin. in
Fort Gaines. It was good to be there.
May is the month set apart to begin
our great rally for the endow’ment of
Mercer University. Now let every pastor
in Georgia, from the mountains to the
sea. throw himself into the work
and never let up until the endowment
is raised.
Go back, brethren and sisters, and-..
read the "Lord's Financial Plan," given
in last week's Field Notes, one more
time: then clip it out and paste it in the
backs of your Bibles, or lay it away in a
careful place for- future reference.
We have two dollars in hand for the
new meeting house for the Mercer boys,
which we will turn over a t a convenient
time. We have heard of quite a num
ber of brethren who are investing in
that house. That's right. Who will be
the next?
Bainbridge church is moving on nice
ly under the pasturing of Brother D. H.
Parker who resides here. He gives half
his time to Bainbridge, and the other
half to the church at Cairo, Ga. Bain
bridge is noted for it beautiful live oaks.
Brethren W. B. Roddenberry and J.
E Poulk -with their dear wives—at
Cairo, Ga , showed this scribe much
kindness, for which we are very grate
ful. The membership are much charmed
with Brother D. H. Parker, their new
pastor.
Pastor Robert H. Harris, at Thomas
ville, Ga , continued his meeting last
week. Every time we heard from it
the reports were very encouraging; at
almost every service there were those
who confessed the Savior, coming out
on the Lord’s side.
Brother W. H. Woodall, formerly
pastor at Bainbridge, Ga , is in attend
ance at Newton Theological Seminary,
Newton Center, Massachusetts. We
heard good reports from him while in
Bainbridge; he should finish up at our
Seminary at Louisville, by all means.
The Sabbath school of the Savannah
Baptist church had a grand time at
the celebration of its sixty ninth anni
versary. Brother A. L. Farie, the
sweet spirited Scotchman, is the very
acceptable superintendent. A good
showing was made. Officers, ten;
teachers, twenty six; pupils. 194; av
erage attendance—officers, eight; teach
ers, twenty-one; pupils, 123, for last
year.
Brother A. R Richardson, of Gardi,
Ga., is one of the finest preachers and
workers in South Georgia. He is mov
ing up the sisters in his churches at
Baxley and Jones Creek on the mission
lines. That’s right. Our subscribers
at Johnston Station will please turn over
their renewal money to Brother Rich
ardson.
At Pelham, Ga.. we spent a delight
ful season. We were the happy guest
of Brother W. L Curry and family.
The Pelham Sabbath school has a splen
did teachers' meeting each week, with
which we had the pleasure of meeting.
Prof. W. E Nichols, a Mercer man,
is principal of the Pelham high school,
giving splendid satisfaction. Brother
T. A. Barrow resides at Pelham and
preaches to four churches, viz., Pel
ham. Hopeful, Meigs and Newton.
Brother Barrow is strong in the faith
and is a fine preacher, commanding
the respect and full confidence of all the
brethren
Camilla, Ga.. is a great old town.
The saints and faithful brethren there
are not given to doing things by halves.
They have recently bought a lot and
built a thousand dollar pastor’s home.
They never had any fairs, raffles or hot
suppers to pay for it either; they just
planked the money down and it's paid
for—that’s right. Pastor B. W. Davis
and family now occupy the new home,
and it fits. Brother Davis preaches at
Flint and Camilla. He also teaches the
fifth and sixth grades combined in the
Camilla high school. Miss Fannie E.
Davis, the charming and accomplished
daughter of Pastor Davis, teaches elo-