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ABSOLUTELY PURE
An Open Letter to Dr B L Ross
My Dear Brother 1 have read
with keen interest your letter under
date of June 12 in the INDEX I take
it that yon represent a large and influ
ential class of Baptists My desire to
reach them is my only reason for giving
ont what 1 wish to say in reply to your
letter, in this public way. instead of
sending it to yon.
1. You appeal to the INDEX to sty
whether Dr Whitsitts alleged "dis
covery' is true. That, of course. is
more than the modest and scholarly
editors will undertake It is a question
for historical experts, of which there
are very few in this country. More
over, it is a question for whose investi
gation any man is disqualified who is
unwilling as these editors certainly are
not, to accept the facts as they are made
ont. Your remark. "If his discovery is
true, Baptists are in a bad fix denomi
nationally, shows the of the at
tacks upon Dr. Whitsitt and his views
It not only discloses a total misconeep
tion of the bearing and the results of
the ‘ discovery." but it reveals a dis
tressing weakness in what has always
been supposed to b- rhe very < itadel of
our denominational strength How can
the truth put the Baptists in a bad fix
denominationally? The lesrerror we
hold, the better ' fix we are in, denom
inationally and in every other wa’.
Our contention has always been for
" the truth, the whole truth, and noth
ing but the truth, noth in doctrine and
in history. As to doctrine we have al
ways insisted that the holy Scriptures
are our only guide. As to our denom
inational history, no Baptist supposes
that it is of equal authority with the
Scriptures It is not inspired, it is not
continuous, and really, it has no bear
ing on our doctrinal beliefs. If Dr
Whitsitt s views are correct, or. as you
put it, "if his discovery is true, will’
yon be any the less a Baptist than you
are And if not, can you rightly
assume that any other man will tie?
How, then, is our denominational per
petuity or power affected?
2. Your proposal to "silence forever
the tongues and pens of future histori
ans as to the characters and practices
of Baptists in past centuries, is alto
gether too big a task for the busy men
whoare managing the INDEX. If de
nomination il history is worth anything.
I trust that the future historians will
continue to make discoveries, until
every old manuscript and monument
that can throw any light upon the his
tory of God's people shall be made to
yield up its secrets. Perhaps some one
of these future historians may win im
perishable renown for himself and the
Baptists, by " discovering " the hidden
links of that mythical rate mi sometimes
called "apostolic succession! ' I have
no doubt that this could have been done
long ago if our lathers had been as
much concerned to pieserve their his
tory as they were to keep "the faith
once for all delivered t<> the saints ”
But meantime, dear brother, let us
carefully distinguish betwixt the person
and the views of the historian Yon
say "he and his discovery ought to be
exposed ' In this there is a personal
element that ought to be carefully elim
inated Personally, Dr. Whitsitt is one
of the most lovable of men If he has
been misled, no one will consider it a
greater misfortune than he He has
won his present high place in the
world of learning and in the esteem of
his brethren by a spotless life and an
unflagging industry Why or how shall
"he * * ■* be exposed ? If he is
in error, let it be shown by those who
are competent to do eo No dabbler in
discredited Baptist history (so called)
need undertake that task, as this con
troversy has already proved
I! The polemical use which has been
made of the historical argument is at
the bottom of this’ trouble Every per
son who is well-informed on the subject
knows the use made of history and tra
dition by the Roman Catholics Who
has not heard of their claim to be " the
oldest church ? And who does not
know the prominence given to the
points raised by Dr. Whitsitt s opinion,
in the debates which were once so com
mon in this country? Now, brethren
who have been engaged in this kind of
work have felt that their foundations
were secure If they are not. what of
it? Only this, that they have weakened
their plea by resting it upon history and
the Scriptures, instead of relying upon
the Scriptures alone. They are some
what in the plight of a preacher who
has had a pet sermon spoiled by a cor
rect exegesis of his text Their feeling
is akin to that of a man going down in
an elevator for the first time. The bot
tom has suddenly fallen out! But how
any man in his sober sensescan imagine
that the situation is "critical, " or that
our Baptist "craft" is in danger of "de
struction, " 1 frankly confess my inabil
ity to see. Perhaps this fear is due to
the confusion of exegesis with history.
For extmple, "All Baptist and Pedo
Baptist historians that it has been my
pleasure to consult, define the original
or early act in the days of Christ and
the apostles to be immersion.' How
does this touch in the remotest way the
matter in dispute, namely, the correct
ness of Dr. Whitsitt s historical views?
It has the old polemic ring, but it shows
a hopeless contusion of thought. You
speak of the time honored acceptance
of the Bible, and immediately with a
curious mixture of metaphorical al
lusion contrast the "Euroclydon from
the Seminary, as if Dr. Whitsitt had
attacked the Holy Scriptures' Now.
beloved, 1 do not want to seem hyper
critical, far less to speak harshly, but 1
think you must have seen the flagrant
wrong you have done both the Seminary
and Dr. Whitsitt as soon as you read
your letter in print
There is no occasion for going into
hysterics over this matter. If Dr.
Whitsitt s opinion is correct, Baptists
are in nowise hurt If it is incorrect,
let it be shown' Meantime, it is well,to
note that the effort to array Dr. Vedder.
professor of church history in Crozer
Theological Seminary, against Dr.
Whitsitt, has completely failed. If he
is in error, he iaJn excellent company,
M. Provence.
Tallahassee. Fla.
«
BY W. A, ROWE.
Will you allow an old Georgian a
small space in the Index for a few
items ?
The Baptist cause has many draw
backs in this western country, but we
are gradually pushing ahead with the
Master s work.
I have all the work that I can do. I
will start on a tour through the North
eastern portion of the Territory in a few
days, in response to a call of the breth
ren to hold meetings at places where
they have no settled pastors. Truly
" the harvest is great, and the laborers
are few
This is a new country and but few
houses of worship are yet built. Hence
the difficulty of organizing and main
taining Baptist Sunday schools Gther
denominations want us to join them in
what they term union schools and fur
nieh them with union literature,because
all denominations use the public school
houses in the aosenceof houses of their
own. '
1 wis glad to see the names of breth
ren Barrett, Butts, McCurry, Ward and
Smith, of Gainesville, who were my
fellow townsmen in former days. The
Index is like a letter from home.
Pray for us and our new country, that
the Lord may graciously bless us dur
ing the year. Our State Convention
meets in October. How glad we would
be to have Dr Tichenor with ns.
Indian Items.
Rev. James Colbert native, is very
mnchencouraged in ins work among the
Muskogees or Creeks. He had several ex
cellent meetings with full blood church
es and baptized two in March The
Mnskogees are a vigorous, independent
people. They have tine (arms and raise
a great deal of corn, oats and cotton
and have fine cattle, hogs and horses
The Governor of the Seminole Nation,
Hon John F. Brown, is an ordained
Baptist preacher. He is an intellectual
and well educated man He is a dili
gent student and his sermons are
thoughtful, logical ami spiritual. He
is also a liberal giver toail church work.
He owns a beautiful home, well fur
mshttl. with modern improvements, and
exerts a large influence in the elevation
ot his people
"To day as 1 rode the weary miles
from my home to the post
office, I prayed to God for
my people Hiid for the blanket Indians
that all might have more of the gospel.
1 also prayed that my Heavenly Father
would give me some money to buy food
for my family In the postoffice was a
letter for me containing $10.25 for my
work in translating Baptist ( 'atechism
and other tracts from English into
Choctaw, for the full bloods among my
people. It was from the B. Y. P. U. of
Picture Rock Pa. Like Paul, I thanked
God and took courage. This is part if
a letter from Rev. J P. Thompson, an
excellent and useful Choctaw preacher
and good English scholar
A young man from Mississippi, by the
name of Loveless, has recently moved
into the eastern part of the Choctaw
Nation He is said to be well educated,
pious and industrious. All such are
most heartily welcomed.
(>ne of our best missionaries, Rev.
Wm. M Hays, of Antlers, has condud
ed te give up his work for a season and
go to the Seminary at Louisville, Ky.
Bro. Hays went into the A puck-sho
nnb by district of the Choctaw Nation
a few years ago. There were no Bap
tist preachers, churches or people at
that time in all that vast region.
Through him the Lord has wrought
wonders Several churches have been
established, excellent church houses
have been built, an association has been
organized, a number of pastors have
been settled and the association is do
ing excellent mission work.
Our work among the blanket Indians
continues togrow in extent and useful
rnss. Bro. Clouse and wife, the newly
appointed missionaries from lowa to
the Rainy Mt. Mission among the Kio
was, are well pleased with their field.
Bro Clouse is a valuable accession to
the Indian Mission force All the mis
sionaries among those blanket Indians,
except Mr. Hicks ami Miss Crawford,
recently met at the Anadarko Mission
in a Workers' Conference. There were
present fifteen, male and female, be
sides the writer of this and Rev. D.
Crosby, of Springfield, Mo., and two
ladies from Kingfisher, Oklahoma It
was truly a jubilee. Many questions
were ably and profitably discussed.
Some of the Kiowas were also present
and all visited the old Wichita church
on Lord's day. Nine tribes were repre
sented by either Indians or white mis
sionaries. It was certainly a delightful
meeting. Rev. D. Noble Crane, super
intendent of the Anadarko Mission
school, was ordained to the full work of
the gospel ministry, that he may do
more effective work among the Wichi
tas, Caddos and other affiliated tribes
north of the Wichita river. 1 also vis
ited Bro. Hamilton's field among the
Cheyennes. The harvest among this
people is ready for the sickle. Bro.
Hamilton is much encouraged. Two
Indian deacons were ordained and for
the first time the Cheyenne church par
took of the Lord's-supper. One woman
was baptized Pray for Indian mis
sions.
J. S. MURROW.
The National Sunday School Semi
nary.
Tuesday morning, June 9. at about 9
o'clock, the pupils and visitors of the
Seminary met for the first time in the
chapel of the Southwestern Baptist
University, located at Jackson Tenn.
< irganization for the work was entered
into after some preliminary and con
gratulatory remarks were made From
first to last the work has been a success.
The lectures have been excellent. The
following is somewhat of a synopsis of
the work that has been done:
The Rev. Dr. B H Carroll, of Waco.
Tex , delivered the opening address in
the auditorium of the First Baptist
church at 8 o’clock Tuesday evening.
June 9 His subject was "God in Crea
tion. He also delivered three other ad
dresses, and it is needless to say that
they were magnificent.
The Rev. Theo. G. Soares, Ph. D , of
Rockford, 11l . met and instructed a
largejylass in Old Testament history,de
livering eighteen lectures, taking in the
entire history of the Jewish nation. The
Rev. Dr. J. E. Gilbert, of Washington
City, for six days instructed the class,
trying to unfold to them the best meth
od for studying the Sunday school les
sons-
The Rev. G. H. Simmons and Dr W.
A. Whittle both engaged in talking
about the geography of the Bible.
Prof. H. P. Irby spent a little while in
telling about the astronomy of the Bible.
And this was by no means the least in
teresting part of the program. He loves
astronomy because he sees God in and
through it all.
Then the Rev. Dr. Henry G. Weston
was with us a week, and devoted his
time while speaking to the Gospels and
the interpretation of them. Surely it
THE CHRISI7AN INDEX: THURSDAY. JULY 2. 1896.
would have paid every Bible student in
the land to have heard these discourses.
Th'- other men who delivered popular
lectures are:
The Rev. Dr. E. C Dargan, of Louis
ville. Ky. Most of his srieaking was con
cernmg the kingdom ot God as set forth
in the Did and New Testaments. He
was here over Sunday and occupied the
pnlpit of the First Baptist church at
noth hours.
The Rev. Dr. W. A. Whittle, of Ala
bama, gave seven magnificent addresses
on the country and history of Palestine.
These were simply excellent. This has
Iteen a v< ry prominent feature of the
work here, viz a vast amount of in
formation concerning the Holy Land
has been given
Then the Rev Dr. Wayland Hoyt, of
Philadelphia, was with us two days, and
in that time delivered six public ad
dresses. He spent some time in talking
about the inspiration of the Bible, and
everybody went away loving the grand
old book more and more. Dr. Hoyt
certainly left his impress on the people
ot Jackson.
Drs, J. E Gilbert and Theo. G.
Soares also delivered popular lectures
while here.
The musical departments were under
the management ot J. J. Ayers, and
Mesdames McMillin and Wilkerson
Prof. E. 8. Thomas, of Mobile, Ala ,
has been the instructor in physical cul
ture all the time. Each morning at 7:30
he would have them out on the Uni
versity campus and give them a drill.
Thus yon cannot fail to see the qual
ity and also the quantity of work done.
Other cities have offered good sums of
money for the Seminary next summer,
but in all probability it will remain in
Jackson.
From Texas.
Dear Index: 1 thought I would wait
until next week before saying anything
at all about the great B. Y. P U. and
State Sunday School Convention of
Texas, and 1 will wait until then for a
full account, but the meeting has been
so great, so glorious, I cannot refrain
from this hurried, joyous word, just to
let you know that the greatest State
convention of Baptist young people that
ever assembled in America has been
blessing this historic city with its in
spiring sessions. Think of 2,000 dele
gates, besides visitors galore! Never in
my life before have 1 met so many
young men and especially consecrated
young ladies, who love the Lord Jesus
and his truth as Baptists believe and
teach it.
The beloved president of our Southern
Union has been here "by a large major
ity. L (> Dawson never spoke so pret
ty to me never so grand, as when he
stood like a tower of faith and fidelity,
history and logic, religion and consecra
tion. set on fire of God. and se’tting the
vast audience on fire with hie beautiful,
burning, thrilling words.
Dr. J M Frost made surely, 1 reckon,
the best speech he ever made in his life
A glorious handshaking followed, and
tears of joy flowed. Time would fail me
to tell of Luther and Boykin. Ivey and
Truett (the consecrated and eloquent!)
men from Georgia who are here mov
ing the people for our God and his
Christ.
More next week. God bless Georgia,
the Index, and all who read it.
Yours happily,
Willie D Upshaw.
For tb<- IN hex.
Georgia’s Opportunities.
Ninety-nine per cent, of Georgia's
area is under prohibition as to the sale
of liquor. I'he nefarious traffic is now
driven within the incorporate limits of
sixty-one towns, including the three
that have dispensaries. In the 61 towns
are 766 whisky saloons, 48 wholesale
whisky houses, 4 wholesale beef houses,
38 beer saloons, 12 that sell by the quart
and 3 dispensaries. And the diabolical
business is paying $842,300 in licenses to
these 61 towns. And they pay $112,000
to the public schools of the State. And
nearly a half million to the general gov
ernment.
And from these liquor centers it is
sending its deadly poison, with its cor
ruption and ruin, to every section of
Georgia. That in which there is more
of. good to Georgia than all else possible
to human effort is, to wipe out all of the.-e
saloons and wholesale liquor houses, the
twelve that sell by the quart, the four
breweries and forty distilleries in the
State. It will stop the waste of at least
$8,000,000 a year, and prevent the ruin
of unnumbered thousands. The Anti
barroom bill enacted into law will ac
complish all this This bill has been be
fore the people of Georgia nearly two
years. About 70,000 names are already
on the petition asking the legislature to
enact the bill into law. It is likely the
people of Georgia were never so out
spoken for any proposed legislation as
for this bill. Victory is in sight, but it
will require a hard fight to win The
enemy is contesting every inch. The
much that has been accomplished has
cost some money and a great deal of
work And the comparative few who
have earned on the work so far cannot
pdo enough to win. But if the friends
will come to the rescue Georgia will
soon be free.
There has never been such an oppor
tunity for such a victory in Georgia.
Bnt to win it is absolutely necessary to
have money for literature and traveling
expenses of speakers.
There never was a cause before the
people of Georgia in which so little
money would do so much good. And
I yet,humiliating as it is to let the enemy
know the fact, the work is at a stand
ill for lack of money to pay printing
and postage.
Whenever the demagogues are per
suaded that the people are in earnest the
bill will pass. But they will not be so
convinced till the people support the
cause with their money.
We do not need a great deal of mon
: ey. but we are obliged to have some.and
we tell the public what we want with it
aud what we do with it. The liquor
men confessed to having raised about
S3.(MW to defeat the bill at the last ses
sion of the legislature. And though
! they were on oath they could not be gotj
to say what they did with it.
Bnt we fight in the open. The op
•portunity to rid Georgia of this destroy
er of our homes and people has come.
Forjt many good people have struggled
and prayed long. A better opportunity
; will never come. Shall it fail for lack
of a few hundred dollars?
There are thousands of people who
could well afford .to give every dollar
needed to win this victory. They have
got the money and it will do far more
good here than anywhere else.
Either the Methodist or Baptist
preachers in Georgia can afford to give
every doll&'r needed; seeing it will re
move Mie greatest hindrance to the ad
vance of &<■ Savior's kinifiom. and pre
vent the debauchery ana ruin of so
many thousand souls
The friends in any one of the one
hundred "dry" counties can well afford
to give every dollar needed.as it will put
an end to the outrageous injustice im
posed upon them by the liquor eenters.
The friends in any one of the liquor
counties can well afford to give every
dollar needed, as it is their only chance
to get rid of the diabolical traffic. For
local option has accomplished about all
it ever can in Georgia.
Surely the good people will not let
this opportunity fail, but will rally to
the final charge that Georgia may lie
fre-
We n>mit have money and work. If
any are too busy to work they certainly
ougnt to pay.
Read i For Georgia's sake send me a
contribution for this work, and ask oth
ers to help. Yours in the work,
A. J. Hughes,
Superintendent and Treasurer Georgia
Prohibition Association.
Lexington, Ga.
What Shall Wc do About the Whit
sitt Affair?
BY REV. J. C. SOLOMON.
Has It ever occurred to our great Bap
tist hosts that much valuable time is
being lost in the discussion of this de
plorgble Whitsitt discovery ? Again,has
it occurred to yon, my brethren, that
much in the name of discussion is not
diecu-wion. but simply crimination and
recrimination? Has it occurred to you
that the noblest, mightiest, oldest de
nomination on earth land one that is des
tine* ultimately to give the truth to
the whole world) has fallen ridiculously
low? Will yon be particeps criminis?
Wil) you wittingly or in great haste
make the slightest contribution to Bap
tist reproach and humiliation? Why
all this wrangling among us? Why
these interna] disruptions? Why these
bitter flings, these cruel insinuations,
these stinging insults, and these heart
burnings? We are Baptists and we are
brethren, and I believe a mighty work
lies ont before us. An unspeakable ad
vice for Savipr,saint and sinner remains
yet to be tone, and only if we will the
Holy Spirit will gloriously lead us into
its faithful discharge.
The devil’s imps laugh when the
King's children quarrel among them
selves. Then there are some other peo
pie who are not very friendly to the
They are simply delighted at
our confusion and our shame As we
dispute they applaud. As they applaud
we dispute. As we fight each other
they fight the devil As we waste the
time they redeem it. Do yon suppose
one honest intelligent looker on believes
for a moment the Baptists are losing
power? There is not the least semblance
of disintegration in the Baptist denomi
nation. There is no danger of infidelity
or higher criticism on historical discov
eries. Our obi ship will not go down on
any of these breakers. She has, to this
hour, braved every storm and ridden
every wave ami triumphed in every bat
tie.
She was strong when John preached
repentance in the wilderness. She was
mighty when Jesus parted the waves in
his burial in the Jordan She was cour
ageous and invincible when martyrs
sang and smiled at the stake. And she
stands to day the proudest institution
beneath the stars.
Then why should men fly into a pas
sion? Why should they dip their pens
in gall and burn their brethren to the
heart with fiery words?
Why are men so fearful? Is our
cause a weak one? Are onr principles
the creatures of a day? (’an truth fail?
Is not his word eternal ? Admit for ar
gnment’s sake, but I do not believe it,
that the English Baptists ponred or
sprinkled in lieu of baptism immersion
till 1641—does this invalidate the truth ?
Does this affect the righteousness of our
case? “No, ftould pl&ce history
before Scripture ami make God depend
ent on man. Any sane man. with the
grace of G< d in his heart, would repu
diate this assertion -would nail it as a
lie
We know from history— from very re
cent history, that our English brethren
have l>een rather lax in some of the doc
tiines. But suppose they did, for cen
turies, repudirte immersion and prac
tice sprinkling. Suppose they believe
in sprinkling now. Suppose they had
set aside every one of the doctrines so
dear so precious to onr hearts.shall that
make God s word less binding on heart
Bnd conscience and life? Shall we be
robbed of our joy in the Christian reli
gion ? Shall we grow miserable in onr
denominational pail Shall we lose faith
in the Almighty because somebody some
time or always did wrong?
We know immersion alone is baptism.
We know we practice it as God enjoys
it. We know it is right. We know
there is no authority from God to change
it. We know there is no blame at out
door for what our English brethren did
centuries past. They are responsible to
God in the water or out, and so are we
Brethren of our glorious and incom
parable Baptist faith, let us wash off
the war paint and lay down the scalp
ing knife, and take back those angry
words and go again to the Bo>ik Too
much history and too little Bible- too
much warfare and too little grace.
We need to go to Calvary. There the
darkness will flee and light from his
benignant and blessed face will fill onr
lives with peace and charity and help
fulness.
1 am not opposed to an honest, pains
taking, rigid investigation By all
means let it be made. All true Baptists
are willing for the light to be turned
on. We have always contended for the
truth. We are not ashamed of it at this
late day. For one, I am not fearful.
Mid all the war cloud and din of battle
lam unmoved. O, not to be troubled in
these troublous times were a glorious
privilege. I only want brethren to be
sweet and charitable and Christlike.
Let nothing be said in hot haste that
will chill like an icicle in the to
come. These words that you speak
may make life wounds. These lines
teat yon pen may prove galling fetters
or whips of scorpions Our life work is
to lift men up. Take care that we drag
them not down.
Our Seminary is involved and the
children of the King are looking on.
Mighty possibilities are trembling in
the balances and onr future glory is
confronted. If we are not careful very
iprudeut Baptist integrity will be com
promised, Baptist influences circum
scribed, and the Master s namt dishon
ored.
So whether Whitsitt lie right,
Or whether Whitsitt be wrong,
Let us be happy and bright.
And in God's sweet grace grow strong
The clouds shall soon pass away,
And passion and hate subside,
And darkness burst into day—
It’ll be light at evening tide.
Meantime sin's deep groans arise,
While shrieks from the damned ring
clear,
And conscience'sAeall from the skies
Thunders: "Save souls now or ne'er.'-
Each Morning of General Gor
don’s sojourn in the Soudan there was
one-half hour during which a hand
kerchief lay outside his tent. Noone,
no matter what their creed, color, or
business, dared to enter the tent until
this signal was removed. Every one
knew God and Gordon were alone in
there together.
Dr. Whitsitt at the General Associa
tion of Kentucky Baptists.
The General Association convened at
Bowling Green Saturday, June 2oth. at
10 a.m. Immediately after the perma
nent organization was effected. Dr J
T. Christian, ot Louisville, introduced
some resolutions, which, after a long
preamble, recited that Dr. Whitsitt s
position had not been proven, that
great injustice had been done the de
nomination, and asked the publishers to
eliminate the objectionable statements
from future editions of Johnson sCyclo
pedia. After some discussion, Dr.
Whitsitt look the floor. He stated that
he believed the first Baptist church was
founded ab jut a. D 80, that immersion
was adopted at that time, and mat no
one not immersed could be properly
called a Baptist. He then proceeded to
the arguments for the position that
those now called Bapusts in E-iglaud
began to immerse in 1641. He showed
thst every document, except one, ad
duced by hisopponents, rsally supports
his own views, and proved that tnat one
was unreliable in its historical state
ments.
An abler and more cogent piece of
historical reasoning cannot be found
He confirmed his friends and convinced
many who had held the opposite view
The author of the resolutions moved the
previous question and the resolnt one
were adopted, but were after war is re
considered and withdrawn, all record
being expunged from the minutes.
W J M
Determined to Obey God
When one is resolutely determined to
obey God he will be very likely to suc
ceed, even though obstacles of a serious
and stubborn character be in the way.
The following reliable story illustrates
the point: "Alaly in Columbia, Mo,,
some forty years ago. married a French
gentleman of a-chivalrous spirit and a
manly nature. She married him a
stranger, against the consent of her
friends. They lived happily together.
He was a generous, loving husband
She professed religion and resolved to
become a member of the Columbia Bap
tist church She told him her inten
tion. It maddened him He would
never consent that she should lie bap
tized. He was firm: she seemed sub
missive She thought about it. she
wept over it, she prayed for guidance
She again pleaded for his assent, in
vain. She arose from the breakfast
table on Sabbath morning the day ar
ranged for the baptism of others be
sides her and said calmly: ' I left fa
ther and mother, all that was dear in.
my home for you, and I have never re
gretted it; but now, if it must be so, 1
leave you for Christ ’ She left the
room, as though to leave the house He
paused a moment, as though stunned,
and theu following exdaimei: God
bless you. you true, blessed woman,
you shall do as you desire and I will go
with you.’ They clasped each other in
love. She had conq rered him by a fi
delity to principle that* rose above
every other duty, obedience to her con
science and her God." This woman
was determined to obey God rather
than her husband and in this she was
right. A vital prntipalwas at stake.
If the question had been one of ordi
nary importance, involving no special
principle, then the wife wight
properly have shown deference to her
husband. But it was far otherwise, and
the final yielding of the husband to the
wife's determination is proof that she
was doing well the will of God.
C. H Wethekbe,
Program of Sarepta Sunday school Con
vention to be held at Pendergrass,
July 21, 22. 1896.
TUESDAY.
10 a. m -Song and prayer service,
led by
10:80 a. m. Bible reading, led by W.
H Young, D. D.
11 a. m —lntroductory sermon, B F.
Riley, D D Alternate, Rev. B F. Ell
iott
12 m Appoint committee on creden
tials.
2 p.m. 1. Organization 2. Receive
correspondents, visitors and agents. 3.
Hear short verbal reports from Sunday
schools. 4 Appoint time and place of
next meeting. 5. Miscellaneous busi
ness.
7:30 p. m. -Sermon or address. by-
Rev H W. Williams. Alternate. Rev.
A J. Kelley.
WEDNESDAY.
8:30 a. in.—Prayer and song service,
led by E. B. Clarke
9 a. in. How can the devotional
spirit be best developed in Sunday
schools? By W. H. Coil. Alternate.
R. S. Cheney Song.
10 a.m.—Pastor's duty to Sunday
schools, by voluntary speakers. Song.
10:30 a. m. —Churches duty to Sun
day-schools, by Rev. H E. Herdman.
Alternate. R. T Pittard. Song.
11 a. m. —Sermon or address appro
griate to the occasion, by Rev. O P.
[arris. Alternate, W H Young, DD.
2p m. What constitutes Christian
work? Volunteer answers.
2:30 p. m. By what means can Chris
tians be brought to realize their obliga
tionstoalost world? Five minute an
swers by those who can tell. Song
3 p m. Prayers for the Holy Spirit's
presence in mighty power in all our
churches and Sunday-schools.
3:30 p. in.—Questions and answers.
Song.
4p. m. 1 Miscellaneous business.
2. Resolutions 3 Adjournment
Speakers and alternates, both being
present, will beat liberty to divide time
on their respective subjects and they
are hereby put on notice of the duties
assigned them. J G. GIBSON,
President.
Newnan, Ga.. June 24. 1896.
Dear Btethren:-Your editorial in
this week's Index on the "New Dis
covery' «'s so full of common sense,
wisdom, and of the Spirit of our Lord,
that 1 cannot resist the impulse to
write, and thank, and commend you for
it. You are giving us an excellent pa
per and it gives me genuine pleasure to
help increase its circulation.
Mercer nsust be further endowed and
enlarged. Looking to this end and to
redeem the pledge recently made to her
Board of Trustees, I shall present her
claims to the brethren of Haralson
church next Sunday.
Y’our brother.
Aly an D. Freeman.
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H. J. PEARCE, “
GAINESVILLE. Ga.
Program of the Hebron Sunday-school
Convention, to be held with Rehoboth
ehnreh. f >nr miles south of Bowman.
July 14. 15.
TUESDAY.
H) a »u. —Devotional exercises, led by
Rev W J Vickery.
11 a m Convention sermon, by Rev.
A E. Keese. G. J Christian alternate.
2 p m "How to keep up interest in
Sunday schools." led by Rev. E L Sisk.
3 p m Brief reports from Vice
presidents aqd superintendents on
methods of Sunday school work.
330 p m The relation of parents
to Sunday-schooFi and the relation of
the Sunday schools to the church. Led
by Prof. Morgan H. Looney.
WEDNESDAY.
loa in Devotional exercises, led by
Rev. T. J. Rucker.
Should we tie satisfied with onr
present attainments in Sunday-school
work? If not, how can we improve
them? Led by Rev B J McLesky.
Ha m Should we attend Sunday
school from a sense of duty alone? Led
by Rev T. A Thornton.
1:30 p.m Report of president and
c mimittees.
M. M Richardson, Pres.
W V. Vickery. Sec
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Eskimo Superstitions *
Not many heathep Eskimo vemttin in
Labrador, yet between Ungava and
Cape Chidley some are still to be found.
They recognize a god (Tongarsuk), a
good spirit, and lesser spirits (Tongaks),
whom he sends to tell the priests (ange
koks) how to heal diseases, and how to
tell the weather The devil is a vague
kind of a female spirit, apparently tin
named These angekoks are really del
phie oracles, who make suppositious
Journeys to the bowels of the earth to
Consult Tongarsuk. The journey must
be in winter, in the dark at night time,
and the angekok remains alone in his
hut with his head tied between his legs,
aud his arms behind his back, while his
sonl is off to heaven or hell To become
an angekok poglit ' i. fat priest or
chief priest, bis wandering spirit must
be dragged by one toe to the sea by a
white bear, and thtre swallowed by a
sea lion and the same white bear. Then
it must be spued up and return to his
body, which is shut up in a dark house.
A drum and other noises are kept up
during the ceremony.
They have a vague tradition of a
flood, saying that the world upset once,
and all but one man were drowned.
They prove this by the facts of shells
being found high above the sea. and
even the remains of a whale on a high
mountain. They believe in a future life
and a happier one than this, where there
is perpetual summer, and they locate it
at the bottom of the sea, whence they
get their richest possessions, or in the
bowels of the earth Reindeer are there
quite common, and their beloved seals
are ever ready, swimming in a large
boi'ing kettle.
Nansen tells us that they thought that
all inanimate objects had spirits, and
that is the reason they buried with the
warrior his boat and weapons, and often
figures like dolls, possibly to represent
his wives. I f fund several of these old
graves, and tw t o I examined One, evi
dently very ancient, was perched on a
high central promontory, overlooking
the entrances to two bays; perhaps in
order that as the harp seals or wild
birds passed, the warrior might, even in
death, look down upon those who of
yore so oft paid tribute to his skill. The
body in every grave is simply laid on
the surface on its back, in its clothes
in one grave a female skeleton lay along
side a male one Over it is built a rude
structure roofed with large flat stones,
so that the view should be unobstructed.
The early Moravian missionaries
found it very difficult to convey to the
Eskimo the Bible teachings of our Sav
ior's love and of God as our Father
They had no word for love; neither
sheep nor lambs, seed-time nor harvest,
silver nor gold were familiar to them,
and all the oriental similes of the sacred
book were unintelligible. Yet the mis
sionaries' Christ like lives during one
hundred and thirty-three years haa-e ac
complished what their words couIH not
express.— Fitmi Vikings of To day.
Appalachee Association
Notice. —Our Ministers and Dea
cons’ Meeting will occur on Tues
day after the third Sunday in
July, instead of Tuesday after the
second, as is published in the min
utes. Ebenezer church, eight
miles south of Monroe, is the
place. Let the correction be
generally announced. For the
program see the minutes, with
another correction, viz.: Brother
W. S. McCarty will speak on the
last question. Let us have a
good meeting.
W. S. Walker, Pastor.
Subscfibe for the Christian
INDEX.
A Sermon in a Stone There is a
legend known in a certain locality of
London which preach»Ma strong sermon
on the freeness of Christ’s Gospel. The
Christ inn Life thus tells it:
One morning, years ago, as the organ
was pealing forth the opening bars of
the overture in a certain fashionable
and wealthy church, a poor old man
came in and looked about among the
closed up pews for a seat. There was
plenty of room, bnt no one bade him
appropriate it. He walked up one
carpeted aisle and then another, but
the daintily-attired occupants of the
pew turned their gaze in another di
rection.
The old man. it is said, made the cir
cuit of the church, and then passed
slowly out into the street Soon he re
appeared, bearing upon his shoulders a
good sized granite stone, which the
pavers nad left besi ie the road Down
the aisle he passed once more with his
binder, and placing it just beneath the
pnlpit. he sat down to listen
A dozen [k-w doors flew open at once,
and the old man was beckoned to sit
down in a dozen different places
The lesson of that day was never for
gotten and the people of the church
keep the stone as a rebuke and as a
warning against the haughtiness of
spirit that would shut out the poor
from the house of God.
We desire to say that all our
many contributions in this is
sue relating to tne aspects of
the Whitsitt question came to
us unsolicited. They are the
of the brethren.
We hope others will follow their
example and let themselves be
heard. The questions raised nave
many sides and men greatly differ
as to them. We must recognize
this difference and realize that
tnrough differences we reach the
truth.
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