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Ro/ai
ABSOLUTELY PURE
A Question in Baptist History.—
Whether the Anabaptists in England
practiced immersion before the year
1641. With an Appendix on the Bap
tiem of Roger Williams, at Provi
dence, R I . in 1(189.'By W. H Whit*
Mitt. D.D C T Dearing, Louisville,
Ky Price, fl 00.
It isonr purpose to give a full and ac
curate summary of this much discussed
book We do this that all may have it's
arguments before them in order to fol
low the discussion we are to publish.
We also desire to show the importance
of the volume in its historical citations
and arguments. Those who are really
interested will see at once the need of
having Dr Whitsitt's own words before
them
The question at issue has been much
otwnred heretofore. Dr Whitsitt was
partly to blame for this from a use of
words in their proper but unusual form.
In the main, however, the obscurity has
arisen from the fact that his statements
were given at second hand and distort
ed. Nothing can be dearer than these
words from his preface:
“ The question does not relate to the
origin of immersion. Immersion as a re
ligious rite was practiced by John the
Baptist about the year 30 of our era,and
was solemnly enjoined by our Savior
upon all his ministers to the end of time.
No other observance was in use for bap
turn in New Testament times. The
practice, though sometimes greatly per
verted, has yet been continued from the
Apostolic age down to our own. As 1
understand the Scriptures, immersion is
essential to Christian baptism. The
question as to the origin and essential
character of immersion is, therefore, not
tn issue. That is a closed question; it
does not admit of being opened among
Baptist people.
The issue before us is far different,
namely: Whether the immersion of
adult believers was practiced in England
by the Anabaptists before the year 11141 ?
Whether these English people first
adopted immersion for baptism ami
thns became Baptists in or about the
year 1141 ?
This is purely a question of modern
historical research It does not affect
any items of Baptist principle or prac
tice. These are all established upon the
Bible Our watchword for generations
has been, “The Bible, the Bible alone,
the religion of Baptists!" It is now too
late in the day to alter our views and set
forth any new battle cry. Baptists have
always maintained that “the Scriptures
of the Old ami New Testaments were
given by inspiration of God, and are
the only sufficient, certain and author!
tative rule of all saving knowledge,faith
and obedience,' Other foundation can
no wan lay. Whoever attempts it must
inevitably fall into error. Let us stand
by the old landmarks; let us walk in the
old paths,”
The remainder of the preface gives
a description of the King George pam
phlets. He also expresses his apprecia
tion of the work of Dr. H. M. Dexter,
stating, however, that all citations from
him will be duly credited. All citations
not so designated, but appearing also in
Dr. Dexter's works, will be understood
as being from Dr. Whitsitt's own man
uscripts
Chapter one deals with
RECENT INVESTIGATIONS IN BAPTIST
HISTORY.
It gives a detailed, dated list of works
bearing on the subject and expresses
opinions as to their value. These are
briefly as follows:
History of the English Baptists, by
Thus Crosby, 1738 40 A work of real
merit and of first importance.
History of New England, with partic
ular reference to the denomination of
Christians, called Baptists Rev Isaac
Backus 3 volumes. Boston 1777 96.
Equal, to above and in some respects
superior.
History of English Baptists. Rev.
Joseph Ivemey 4 volumes. London.
First two volumes largely dependent on
Crosby, who covers same period.
Praiseworthy performance.
A General History of the Baptist De
nomination in America and Other
Parts of the World. David Bentdict,
D.D., 1813 2 volumes Boston. Re
written 1848 Indispensable.
These laid the foundations but did not
have access to important documents re
lating to Smyth, Hel A’ys and Murton,
preserved in the Mennonite church at
Amsterdam, Holland.
In 1851 the works of John Robinson,
pastor of Pilgrim Fathers, with notes by
K. Ashton 3 volumes were published
in London and Boston. The editor gives
utterance to this statement:
•‘lt is rather a singular fact that zeal
ous as were Mr Smyth and his friends
for believers' baptism, and earnest as
were their opponents in behalf of infant
baptism, the question of the mode of
baptism was never mooted by either
party. Immersion baptism does not ap
pear to hare been practiced or pleaded for
ny either Smyth or Ikhcys, the alleged
founder of the General Baptist Iknomina
tion in Enyland Nothing appears in
these controversial writings to warrant
the supposition that they regarded im
mersion as the proper and only mode of
administering that ordinance. Inciden
tal allusions there are in their own
works and in the replies of Robinson
that the baptism which Mr. Smyth per
formed on himself must have been rather
by affusion or pouring”
This question, thus raised could only
be investigated by researches in the
Mennonite church archives in Amsler
dam. Smyth, Helwys, and others, had
been in close connection with these
Mennonites, who, for centuries, have
preserved their historical records.
Early English Baptists B. Evans,
D.D 2 vol, London 1862 64. He first inter
eeted the Mennonite scholars and in
serted in his volumes dreuments dis
covered by Prof. 8. Muller. Although
puzzled by the facts given, Evans in
clined to the,view that immersion was
introduced after Smyth
The Inner Life of the Religions Socie
ties of the Commonwealth. By Robert
Barclay (Quaker), London, 1876 This
was based on Evans and upon further
investigations at Amsterdam by Prof.
J. G. de Hoop Scheffer. Barclay fixes
the date September 12, 1633, for the in
troduction <.f immersion into England.
The date was afterward moved up by
Dr. Whitsitt's investigations to 1641.
This view was adopted by Prof, de
Hoop Scheffer, and maintained in a pub
fished thesis before the Royal Academy of
Sciences. Amsterdam. This professor
has official custody of the Mennonite
collection of manuscripts and printed
books, including the originals bearing on
this controversy.
The True Story of John Smyth, the
Sebaptist, as Told by Himself and His
Con' etnporaries; with an inquiry Wheth
er Dipping were a New Mode of Bap
tismin England, in or abont 1641, etc.
H. M. Dexter, DD. Boston, 1881. This
expressly argues that Smyth and Hel
wys did not practice immersion butthat
it was introduced in England in 1641.
A Short History of the Baptists. By
Henry U. Vedder. Philadelphia, 1891.
Is in substantial accordance with the
position.
A History of the Baptist Churches in
the United States. A H Newman,
DD. New York, 1894. Accepts the
view that immersion was introduced or
revived in England in 1641.
Chapter two treats of
BAPTISM IN THECHURCH OF ENGLAND
Dr. Whitsitt argues for the fact of im
mersion as the constant practice until
the 15th century. As infant baptism
had become general this wis provided
for by fonts large enough to immerse
the children. As early as the latter
part of the 13th century in France and
on the continent, the tendency to affu
sion or pouring as a substitute had
shown itself, but England was the last
to feel this influence. Various councils
outside of England had authorized pour
ing. Yet in the 16th century Erasmus
says: “ Infants are poured upon in our
country (Germany), tbey are immersed
in England " In 1533 and 1537 children
of Henry VIII were immersed in Eng
land, but this would have been possible
in few other royal households in Europe.
During Henry’s reign the tendency
which had become almost general on
the continent was held down in Eng
land. In the period before Edward VI
the Church of England enjoined only
dipping. Two years after Henry’s
death, however, 1549, the Prayer Book
allowed pouring when the child was
weak. The same, with other modifica
tions, was seen in the Prayer Book of
1552 In the days of Queen Mary per
secu tions scattered the ecclesiastical
leaders abroad where they came in con
tact with Calvin and the practices of
the continent. Un the accession of
Elizabeth, 1558, the returning exiles be
gan the work of innovation Elizabeth
withstood them and in 1571 and 1584
issued orders to church wardens for
fonts, not basins, to be maintained in
every church. Despite her efforts the
latter part of her reign and during that
of James and Charles I, very few chil
dren were dipped. Stanley says that
according to the annals of the English
church the last recorded instance of
immersion was of the three infant sons
of Sir Robert Shirley in the reign of
Charles* 1.
In the meantime adult baptism had
ceased and until 1661 no provision for it
appears again in the Prayer Book. At
that time two reasons are given for its
insertion. One is the growth of the
Anabaptists and the other the conver
sion of natives and others in the planta
tions or colonies. As for the Reformed
or Presbyterian churches, Dr. Whitsitt
states as follows:
“Generally speaking,the Reformed or
Presbyterian Church was indifferent, if
not opposed, to immersion. It has been
shown above how Strasburg decided
against it in 1525, Zurich in 1535 and
Geneva in 1545. When the Westmins
ter Divines, who were preparing the
Directory for Public Worship of God,
came to discuss this subject on the sev
enth of August, 1644, it was now
their turn io reject immersion as their
continental predecessors had done This
rite had long been discussed among
Presbyterians, and every member of the
Assembly was agreed that sprinkling
was the best mode of baptism. The
question at issue before them was,
whether immersion should be tolerated
as an alternate form of baptism and al
lowed to stand by the side of sprinkling.
Numbers felt unwilling to go on record
as rejecting a New Testament usage by
formal action, and hence the vote was
close. If they had allowed immersion
to stand, it is likely that nobody in their
communion would have employed it.
But their sentiments were too decided
even to allow it to stand. Twenty five
went against it, while only twenty four
were willing to concede that it was one
of the modes by which baptism might
be administered. (John Lightfoot's
Works. London, 1824, Vol. 13, p. 300 )
This was the most radical action against
immersion which up to that time had
ever been taken by one of the larger de
nominations of Christendom.
Thus it will be seen that though Eng
land moved at some distance in the rear,
she moved nevertheless. The immersion
of infants was practically extinct in the
Church of England by the year 1600. By
the year 1644 the Presbyterians of Eng
land and Scotland had even traveled far
enough to decide by a formal vote in
the Assembly at Westminster that im
mersion was not a proper form in which
to administer baptism, an extreme to
which the Church of England has not
yet advanced. The immersion of adults
had become so far unkno .vn that it could
be stated without reservation in she Jes
sey Church Records for the year 1640
that “none had then so practiced in
England to professed believers.”
Chapter three (an error in chapter
numbering is to be found in the book as
printed) deals with
BAPTISM AMONG THE ANABAPTISTS
OF THE 16TH AND EARLY PORTION
OF THE 17TH CENTURY' IN ENGLAND.
These Anabaptists, it will be remem
bered, were so called from their repudi
ation of infant baptism and their re
baptism of those adults adhering to
their views These Anabaptists ap
peared in England in 1535, when twenty
five of them were arrested. Tiiey were
all from Holland. In 1538 six others
were taken also from Holland. In 1539,
thirty-one were bwished from England
to Holland. Practically all the early
Anabaptists in England came from
Holland. It is contended that in com
mon with Luther, Zwingli and Calvin,
the Anabaptists of Holland all practiced
pouring. Their protest was against in
fant baptism. Hubmaier (1525) defines
baptism as a pouring, and so practiced,
as did Felix Mantz. another leader, it
being recorded that in one case he used
a dipper of water for this purpose. In
the use of the term kata-baptists, only
the idea of being against the common
practice was intended. Dr. Whitsitt,
however, believes in exceptions to this,
mentioning cases by one Grebel, an Ana
baptist preacher, and the church at
Augsburg, from which he concludes
that in parts of Switzerland and Bava
ria immersion was practiced as well as
sprinkling by Anabaptists Similar
cases occur in Poland, Silesia, Lithuania
and Pomerania. These, however, are
all regions remote from Holland from
whence came the Anabaptists of Eng
land. A great number of instances are
cited showing that the practically uni
versal practice was pouring. One of
the most striking is at Munster, the be
sieged city, where all who remained in
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24. 1896.
the city were requested to submit to
baptism. Three or more preachers bap
tized the people A pail of water was
before them and with three handfuls
of water to each candidate the cere
mony ws performed.
The case of the celebrated Menno
Simons is also taken up For a long
time it was supposed that he taught im
mersion. Dr Burrage, however, dis
putes the translation making the passage
correctly refer to the faith necessary to
the act and having no reference to
mode. Other expressions of Menno are
given, showing his conception as being
pouring.
The records thns show that the Ana
baptistsof England came from Holland.
As these practiced pouring, it follows
that they continued their practice in
England, where pouting had displaced
immersion by all others as well The
only evidence to the contrary is Thomas
Fuller's statement that these “Ana
baptists for the main were but Do
natists new dipt.” This, Dr. Whitsitt
contends, was the use of the word dipt
in its then common synonomous use for
christened He claims that Fuller in
tended to express no opinion as to
whether these Anabaptists employed
either imrners'on or sprinkling, but
being fond of alliteration, he intended
to say they were Donatists new chris
tened, or with a new name.
We have in this review the arguments
ho far as to give a general view of the
situation in England and Holland We
have endeavored to give the actual
arguments of the book. Dr. Whitsitt is
not responsible for the words employed.
We are not responsible for the argu
meats advanced. Next week we shall
resume the review, taking up in order
the cases of Smyth, Helwys and others,
and the events connected with Spils
bury, Blount and others in 1641.
For the Christian Index.
Virginia and Kentucky.
BY J. WM. JONES.
I have been purposing for some time
to write you a letter, for my six years'
residence in Atlanta entitles me to con
sider myself a half Georgian, and I do
not wish the many friends I met in “the
Empire State of the South” to forget my
existence, or to be ignorant of my
present work, and the affairs of this
part of the kingdom.
The two years spent as chaplain of
the University of Virginia, after leav
ing Atlanta, were most delightful, and,
I trust, were not unprofitably spent in la
boring among the young men who come
from every State and section to that
great University, aid my term of ser
vice there having expired under the
rule, I came last September to be chap
lain of the Miller School, fifteen miles
west of the University. By the way, I
think 1 may fairly claim to have earned
the name (by which my friends some
times designate me) of ‘'Chaplain
Jones.” I was chaplain in Lee’s army
during the war. 1 was chaplain of
Washington College, of which Gen. Lee
was then president, for six years after
the war. I was for many years chap
lain of the Virginia Artillery Battalion
I have been for over twenty-five years
chaplain of the Virginia Division army
of Northern Virginia Association. I
am Chaplain General of the United
Confederate Veterans’ Association. I
have been chaplain of the University of
Virginia, and now I am chaplain of the
Miller School; so that however indiffer
ent may have been the quality of my
work as chaplain, there can be no doubt
as to the quantity
I must say that I have found my
work in this great school very congenial,
and, I hope, very useful
THE MIoLEB MANUn.. LABOR SCHOOL
was opened eighteen years ago, and is
supported by a fund lett by Samuel Mil
ler, who. when a penniless lx>y in this
neighborhood conceived the idea of
making money and founding a school
“for the benefit of the poor children of
Albemarle county," and who worked so
faithfully to that end that when he
died in 1869 he left an estate valued at
$1,106,000 (one million one hundred
thousand dollars), which has been so ad
mirably managed that after paying out
of it legacies of SIOO,OOO each to the
University of Virginia and a female
orphan asylum in Lynchburg, and about
the same amount in private agencies,
and $300,000 as. c »sts of defending and
establishing the will against contes
tants, buying 1,200 acres of landing and
erecting beautiful buildings, shops, etc ,
at a cost of $600,000, and running the
school eighteen years at a further cost
of $1,000,000, we have now invested in
safe interest-bearing securities, $1,400,-
000, which yields us an annuity of
S73,(M>O, which will be increased in the
course of several years to S7B 000. We
have about 300 pupils and abont fifty
officers and teachers, and these, with
their families and the employees, give
the chaplain a fine congregation (which
by the way is not affected by bad
weather) and plenty of pastoral work.
The pupils are appointed on the
recommendation of the School Board of
this county, must be between the ages of
ten and eighteen, and must be residents
of the county, and give evidence that
their parents, if living, (orphans have
the preference) are unable to educate
them. The school furnishes free to the
pupils board, tuition, clothes, washing,
lights, fuel, and everything necessary
or even desirable in a well regulated
school. Besides the best training in
English branches, Latin, Mathematics,
German, Physics, Chemistry, etc., they
require every boy to go through the
shops where wood work, iron work,
foundry work, etc., are thoroughly
taugnt, and every girl to learn cooking,
house keeping, sewing, house cleaning,
mautua making, millinery, etc. Draw
ing, painting, music, etc, are taught;
and when a pupil develops special talent
in any direction, ample opportunity of
cultivating it is afforded.
Our able and efficient superintendent,
Capt. C. E Vawter, is an earnest Chris
tian; and ample opportunity is afforded
for the religious instruction of the
pupils.
Last session we had, as the result of
a series of meetings in which my son,
Rev, E. Pendleton Jones did the preach
ing, over eighty professions of conver
sions. May we be even more richly
blessed during the coming session,
which opened on yesterday under the
most promising auspices. But I did
not intend to write so much about the
Miller School, and what I have written
would be a first class advertisement,
except that we never advertise, only take
pupils from this county, have all of the
places full, and have now on file 210 ap
plications for the first vacancy. 1 have
not written to advertise our school, but
in the hope that some of your million
aires may see here such a noble way of
doing good as to be induced to “go and
do likewise,”
VIRGINIA ASSOCIATIONS.
The District Associations of Virginia
have been in full blast since the - last of
July, and there are only about four
more to meet. The policy in Virginia
has been to have large Associations, and
hence few of them, so that we only have
twenty-two in the State. But the
meetings are very largely attended, and
are usually of deep interest. I had pur
posed to attend some of these Associa-
tions this year, but I was detained 'n
Blue Grass Kentucky, where I had a
qniet, though busy vacation. I have read
very carefully, however, the reports of
the meetings, and they seem to have
been spirited and interesting. There
has been one notable feature in all of
these meetings, viz, the conspicuous ab
sence of all resolutions or discussions of
THE WHITSITT MATTER
which seems to have been so prominent
in some of the other States. The truth
is, that Virginia Baptists are hieing very
little sleep und giving themselves very
little concern on account of this mat
ter. They cannot see how a mere his
torical question (abont which there may
be honest differences of opinion, which
involves no doctrine or practice which
Baptists have held, and upon either
side of which brethren may stand with
out being heretics) can lie decided by a
popular vote of those profoundly igno
rant of its merits, and hence they have
not gone into the rotivy business, and
are not allowing themselves to get ex
cited over it They hold that our
great doctrines are built on the sure
foundation of God's inspired Word, and
on that alone, and that we do not need
to bolster them up by uncertain tradi
tion or the dim light of history.
We are therefore calmly awaiting the
appearance of Dr. Whitsitt’s book that
we may carefully study the evidence be
fore we make up our minds, and even if
it should appear that "Uncle Billy ’ is
wrong on this historical question, we do
not propose either to hang him, to ask the
trustees to turn him out of the Semi
nary, to boycott the Seminary, or to be
guilty of the ecclesiastical impertinence
of asking his church to exclude him for
herself.
Allow me heartily to thank the In
dex for the dignified, conservative, and
fair course it has pursued in this whole
matter.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Let me congratulate Atlanta, and all
Georgia, in getting Dr. Landrum back
once more to the State; but we put you
on notice now that yon shall not keep
him if old Virginia cm help it. Person
ally I was “in astrait betwixt two " I
wanted the First church in Atlanta,
where for six years I had a pleasant
church home, to “covet the best gifts,”
and to get them, but I was sorry to lose
“Willie” Landrum from Virginia. I
have just missed my loved friend and
brother, J. B. Hawthorne, as he leaves
this neighborhood to go back to Nash
ville just as I return. My old church in
Lexington, Va . has sustained a severe
loss in the resignation of Rev. B H.
Dement, who has done noble work in
that important college town. But they
have been very fortunate in securing
as bis successor, Rev T A. Johnson,
formerly of Lynchburg, now at New
castle, Ky , a young man of fine at
tainments and bright promise. Rev P.
G. Elsom. ot Fincastle, widely known
as a popular evangelist, goes to Neapo
lis (North Danville), the church organ
ized by the lamented martyr, John R.
Moffet Rev E. Pendleton Jones has
just resigned at Clifton Forge where his
labors have been greatly blessed in
building up the church and-erecting a
new and beautiful house of worship. It
is not yet known where he will next
locate. Rev. Dr. L H Shuck, the
friend of my youth, is just assuming
the presidency of Albemarle Female In
stitute, made vacant by the death of
the lamented Prof. Dickinson, and he
has made a fine impression. Brethren
McMillan and Grace, of Tennessee, who
were at the University of Virginia last
session, are to return next session, and
have agreed tosupply contiguous church
es. Assisted by Pastor Tribble, of Char
lottesville. and Pastor Bruner, of Balti
more, they have had interesting meet
ings at their cbfircbes.
But pardon nie for writing so long a
letter, and -I'll omit other things I
wished to say, and break off right here
For the index
From South Carolina.
A J S. THOMAS. D D.
Some time ago your readers were told
something of the good work the Baptists
of South Carolina are doing in connec
tion with their Orphanage at Green
wood Will you permit me to add a
few things to the account already given.
The Corinne Maxwell Orphanage is in
deed a splendid success, and tbe Baptists
of this State are proud of this institu
tion and I believe it will continue to
have their loving, liberal support.
In addition to what has already been
accomplished, the superintendent, Rev.
J L Vass, has plans in his head for
other buildings, beautiful grounds, per
manent funds, three or four times the
number of children that he now has.
and I believe these plans will be carried
into execution.
The Baptists of South Carolina were
very fortunate in the selection of the
man to take charge of this work as the
superintendent. Dr. Vass was pastor at
Spartanburg, one of the best churches
in South Carolina, for a number of
years, where he did a noble work. When
called by the denomination in this Or
phanage work he was pastor of Swift
Creek, a large country church in Dar
lington county. He was well known
and highly honored in this State,
and when the State Convention at the
Florence meeting in 1889 ordered theap
pointment of the committee to take into
consideration this Orphanage work, to
look for a location and to receive dona
tions Bro. Vass was made chairman of
the committee. With his committee he
went to work; he called for offers of
money, real estate, gifts of any descrip
tion. The committee visited several
places that had offered real estate and
money, and submitted a report to the
Convention in 1890 at Union. At this
meeting the committee was increased to
twenty one, with Bro. Vass as chair
man. The committee was given power
to act, to decide on a location and “in
augurate a plan of government.” It was
during this year that the magnificent
offer of Dr. and Mrs. J. C. Maxwell and
the Greenwood church was accepted,
ami by.the meeting of the Convention in
Spartanburg in 1891 the work was well
under way, J.L Vass still chairman of the
committee. At this a Board of Trustees
was elected, and when the superiuten
dent was to be chosen there was only
one man thought of for the place, viz ,
J. L Vass, who had been in charge of
the work from the beginning. During
the two years while he served as chair
man of the committee he continued his
work as pastor of Swift Creek church
and received no salary for his additional
work. His church generously allowed
him to take on this work which occupied
much of his time while at home, and
which took him frequently away from
his home. The church and the pastor
made this mutual sacrifice of time and
labor for the good of the cause.
While the Associations were meeting
during the fall of 1891, from the first of
August to the middle of November, he
attended these meetings, as many as he
could reach, returning to his home at
Swift Creek, seven miles from the rail
road, in time to preach on Sunday, leav
ing again on Monday for another Asso
ciation. This traveling, the corre
spondence, the pastoral work, the plan
ning for the new work of the Orphanage,
buying additional land, laying off the
grounds, locating,drawing specifications
and plans for the first building, all this
required a man of grit snd grace, of
brains, energy, perseverance, courage,
executive ability and religion. J. L.
Vass has all of this, and the success of
the work proves that he was worthy of
the confidence of his brethren and that
he is the right man in the right place.
When Bro. Vass took charge of the
work there was nothing—only one dol
lar in hand. In addition to the gener
ous gifts of Dr. and Mrs. Maxwell and
the people of Greenwood, other land has
been bought and pail for, the farm has
been improved, new roads laid out, trees
planted, barns and onthonses built, the
superintendent’s home, the ‘ Infirmary
Building, ’ "Memorial Home,” “Chil
dren’s Cottage,” and the Durst Memo
rial Cottage have been erected—these
last four being elegant brick buildings.
In all this work the wise master-build
er. contractor and superintendent, was
J. L. Vass. He has been the real gen
ins in all this work. He has traveled
all over the State, preached and spoken
to the congregations, on Sundays with
the pastors, at associations and minor
meetiug-i, and has talked Orphanage ev
erywhere, telling of the work and col
lecting money, finding the matrons and
teachers, and receiving the children.
Fully fifty thousand dollars have been
collected and expended in the work; 112
children have been cared for; clothing,
bedding, furniture, provisions, building
material have been contributed, there
must have been somebody at the head of
this work, there must have been some
body with a head in charge of it, a head
with brains, a frntiful brain, a brain
that could devise plans and a strong
personality with the ability to execute
those plans, There was such a head,
with such a brain; J. L Vass was the
man, who, with a strong, willing, gen
erous, broad-minded Board of Trustees,
and with a loyal, liberal Baptist people
behind him has, under God, brought
this noble work up from nothing to its
present large dimensions. He is thor
oughly interested in this work; he has
planned, he-has studied plans and other
orphanages; by day and by night, in
heat and in cold he has gone up and
down over the State making friends for
these orphans committed to his care.
The denomination has felt all along that
the very best-.man that could be found
is at the head of this institution. Our
people were not mistaken, he is the right
man, and much of the success of this
blessed work is due to his wisdom, con
secration and untiring energy.
The brethren charged with our gen
eral denominational work, our secreta
ties, college presidents ami orphanage
superintendents have burdens to bear,
and they long for the sympathy and
prayers of the people. It is imp issible
for us to enter fully into their anxieties,
cares, perplexities and to appreciate the
burdens that these men carry on mind
and heart for years. I have been thrown
intimately with our State Mission secre
tary and.the superintendent of the Cor
rinne Maxwell Orphanage and I know
somewhat of their burdens and their
feelings These are noble workmen and
God lias greatly honored them in the
work to which he called them.
Greenville, S. C.
For the Index.
From Arkansas.
BY O L HAILEY, D D.
This has been a very hard year tor us
on this tide the great river, especially
for the southern part of the country.
There have been no very general rains
for three months. The temperature has
been abnormally high. Asa result, our
crops are very seriously damaged. And
this will have a depressing influence on
all enterprises involving much cash.
MISSIONS WILL SUFFER.
Already our State Mission contribu
tions have shown a failing off. And the
same must be true in our Home and
Foreign Mission contributions. Ido
not know that this has had a great deal
to do with the pastoral changes, but
whatever the cause, there are several
vacant pulpits in our State. And the
candidate is in the land.
PASTORLESS CHURCHES
As I write this head lam made sad by
the reflection that a hundred preachers,
to put it conservatively, will read with a
quickened interest this paragraph. And
wherefore? Is there not a restlessness
on the part of many who fancy they
would like to change? And for what
reason, pray? Here is a subject merit
ing the most careful study. And then,
many preachers aro not engaged. And
here is another great question. Why
are they not engaged? Did the Lord
call them? Is there no use for them?
Is there no field? Or were they unwill
ing to take the place the Lord chose
for them? Or has the fault been with
the churches rather than the preachers?
Is some man who is not the Lord’s
chosen for the field in the way? Oh,
brethren, prayerfully go over this ques
tion.
Fayetteville had a pastor who found
he was not a Baptist, and he was finally
induced to go to his own—the Camp
bellites. So far as I have learned, no
successor has been chosen.
Hot Springs, where our State Con
vention is to meet in November, had J.
B. Moody, one of our ablest
but his wife’s impaired health sent him
to San Antonio, Texas. His place has
been filled by the election of Rev. Dr
W. A Jarrell, of Texas.
W K. Penrod, who has done good
work at Pine Bluff, has gone to another
State; and that leavesan important field
unoccupied.
R. C. Medaris resigned at Van Buren,
a field of fine possibilities, but to be ac
chieved only after patient, hard work
J W. Lipsey has resigned, after a
most successful work for years, at
Lonoke. And last, and greatest. perhaps.
John D Jordan has left the Second
church in Little Rock, to take the sec
retaryship of the Southern Union.
Some of us think that both he and the
Board have made a mistake. If there
was to be a Secretary, doubtless he is
the man; but tne fact that it is wise to
put a Secretary in the field has yet to be
demonstrated. But I shall not argue
the question.
Ana cover may.be desirable for the
Union, it is to be regretted that Bro
Jordan should leave the pastorate in
which he was doing such admirable
work, and where there is so much room
for his talents. Whatever are to be the
results, all Arkansas wishes the best
tor Bro. Jordan.
FORT SMITH.
We have held quietly on our way,
with some encouragement, but with no
little anxiety; for this is -a very impor
tant field, and occupies a strategic
point. We have held no special meet
ings yet, as the pastorate began at the
close of a meeting. We are girding our
loins for that work now. There is an
additional reason for enlarged activities
here.
The Frisco road has within the week
decided to move their round house and
repair shops to this place- They are to
come at once. That means 1,000 or
1,200 additions to our population and all
the opportunities that come with it. If
hose who read this would pray for us
we should be strengthened for the work
Sept. 4th, 1896.
Opening of the Seminary.
A large number of brethren have ap
plied for admission to the Theological
Seminary. Itishojed that very many
of these will mike it a point to be pres
ent at the opening of the new session at
10 a m Thursday. Oct. 1. New Yrrk
Hall will be ready for the reception of
students on tbe evening of Tuesday,
S«nt. 29th. Brethren rhould bring cer
tificate of licensure or ordination; but,
if that is not convenient, they ckn
make arrangements to have the neces
rary papers forwarded to them in
Louisville Nobody should delay his
coming for lack of these.
We entreat that fervent prayers be
made by the people of God in all sec
tions of the country on behalf of our
school Wm. H Whitsitt.
Louisville, Sept. 17. 1896.
THE DEVIL IN THE SALOON
WE < AW WOT WHITE IT I>OWM, WE
CAN NOT TALK IT DOWN.
No hicki or Bar* or Padded Cell-,
I he*e Are NuperMedeo by the Com
fortw, Privacy and Freedom of
Home- It In h Haven of KeM.
Yon ask me to give you my views on
the Keeley cure so far as the same has
come within my own obiervation and
experience. You seem to make this re
quest with some timidity lest I be un
willing to testify in public to the merits
of the remedies nsed and applied in the
Keeley Institute. I assure you that I
have no false modesty about the mat
ter, and that 1 am willing to testify as
• a
SR3 $ •
Hon. T. W. Brown, Memphis, Tenn.
to the virtues of a treatment which I
have found of such infinite service to
myself. Indeed, I regard it as my
duty to my neighbors, and to the public
generally, to use whatever influence I
can to exploit the Keeley enre. I have
seen so much’ destruction—wanton de
struetion of body and of fortune—so
many wrecked opportunities resulting
from alcoholic and morphine habits
that to withhold, on any proper occa
sion, my tribute to the great benefi
cence of the Keeley treatment would be
a cold and selfish indifference to the
happiness and good of my fellow citi
zens I have not this indifference
Whatever I have within my knowledge
of good to tbe public is always at their
service.
I will observe right here that the
Keeley system is based on true science,
in my opinion It recognizes and so
treats the inebriate, either of alcohol or
morphine, as diseased. Excess in the
use of either is. beyond all question, a
disease both of body and mind. I have
become satisfied, in my long practice as
a lawyer, that men have been hung
who should h vs been rent to an
asylum, and treated as any other case
of lunacy; but, in the administration of
the law, there is scant if any recogni
tion that the long use of alcoholic stim
ulants, or of opiates, does produce de
rangement of mind to the extent of ir
responsibility for crime. I believe,
however, that the time is not far dis
tant when the insanity of the accused,
at the commission of the deed, will be
as closely traced to excesses in the use
of alcohol and opiates as insanity re
suiting from any other cause This, it
is true, will present most troublesome
and difficult questions for juries and
judges, but it is no more humane to
hang a culprit whose deed is the result
of a mind-diseased by the excesses re
ferred to than insani-y resulting from
other causes. The time will certainly
come-when the Keeley cure will be used
in asylum treatment for the recovery
of lost minds.
From my own experience and obser
vation there is no harm resulting to the
general health of one taking the cure.
I am 66 years of age and have taken the
remedies, which can always be best ad
ministered at the Institutes I had been
the user, for long over twenty years, of
alcoholic stimulants, and from my long
habituation to the use, necessarily pre
sented a difficult case, as I thought, and
still think, for the successful operation
of these remedies. The fact is, how
ever, that I did not find it difficult to
tike the remedies, and their operation
on me was perfect—without the slight
est inconvenience to my health, but
rit her to its general advantage. It cer
tainly destroys the appetite for stimu
lants. That no one who has taken these
remedies as prescribed cannot drink if
he will, again, is not true; but, if he
does, it is the result of a perverse will,
and he will have to com tnence his sec
ond experience of inebriety as he com
menced his first, and he will find it
quite as hard to take to “ the bottle ” in
his second experience as he did in the
first.
I do not want to write a treatise, and
therefore close this letter, hoping that
it may give you the satisfaction of
knowing that, at least in my opinion,
you are connected with a work that
goes beyond ail mercenary aspects and
becomes indeed a charity to your fel
low man. Yours respectfully,
T. W. Brown.
The great Talmage says: “ I have
now in my mind a young man who had
broken his father’s heart and his moth
er’s heart. As splendid a young fellow
as there is in the land to-day. He was
bolstered up and fell. Put in inebriate
asylums and he fell, and everything
tried with him possible. He became a
converted man and joined the church.
Don’t let any man scoff and say ‘ He
was not a Christian.’ He was as much
as any one in this house, but his awful
disease drove him down, and after a
while I said, ‘Where is So and So?’ And
they said, ‘He is trying the Keeley cure.’
To make a long story short, he is re
deemed and is as fine a man as there is
in New York. The Keeley cure saved
him and nothing else under heaven
would. So I extol the grace of God, and
at the same time extol the common, sci
entific, earnest aid. There is no resist
ing it. We cannot write it down; we
cannot talk it down. It will become
triumphant. It will be recognized in
all the lands of the world.”
Rev Sam Jones says: " I have met
hundreds of Keeley 'graduates.' and I
can only recall three who have ever
gone back to romp with the tiger. My
brother-in--law was the worst drnndard
that ever lived I sent him to the Keely
Institute, and I never look at him now
without saying. What a marvelous
work of the Keely Cure ’
“I believe that God is in the Keeley
Cure, as much as I believe the devil is
in thetaloon. The Memphis Keeley In
stitute is the best managed, best
equipped and best located institute in
the United States, and I recommend it
to all who need the treatment." — Mem
phis Commercial Appeal.
How To Get Good Teach* ra.
Write J. M. Dewberry, Manager of
the "School Agency,” Birmingham,
Ala , stating fully the kind of teacher
desired and what you will pay. Mr.
Dewberry will probably recommend to
you, free of charge, the kind of teacher
asks-d for and-you may rely upon his
recommendations. He will recommend
only competent teachers.
Guarantee Position. Acceptnow4 fw
money In baOl till position la aeenred. For Cat* logo a addrcac
Nashvil>e,Tenn. Tndoraed by Bankers, Merchants, and others
Bookkeeping, Penmanship, Shorthand, Typewriting,
Telegraphy, etc.; 12 teachers. 4 we«ks in Bookkeeping
with ua equals 12 elsewhere. 600 students past year. No
vacation. Enter any time. Cheap boaid. Car tare paid.
To order our b<x>ka for home Htuav is next best thing te
eatcriug our twbooi. Write on. (Mention thia
Atlanta Medical College
(oitcsitb qiunv hospital,)
ATLANTA, . . GEORGIA.
The Thirty-ninth Annual Course of
Lectures will commence on
Wednesday, Oct. 7, 1896.
To eny one desiring a iindi'cul education, the
advantages oft r <1 are unequaled in the South,
and the reputation of over th'rty yean will be
fully maintained. The bent talent, most ap
proved facilities an<i favorable environments all
blend toward ihe |>er < c neaa of jnedicid science
here. More information can be obtained by ad
dressing W. S. KENDRICK, M. 1).,
Dean Atlanta Medical <.olk*ge, Atlanta, Ga.
His First Testimonial
GIVEN FOR THE
goa
READ THIS.
Eear Sir:—l have never be
fore given a testimonial but find
the poise so valuable that I glad
ly commend it. Severil friends
ha ?e bought and all speak high
ly of it. For me it has cured
Obstinate Sore Throat, Colds,
Fevers, Indigestion, Headache
and Wakefullness after preach
ing. I regard it as a safe and
efectual remedy. Have never
had it to fail when used accord
ing to directions.
Yours truly,
(Rev.) Chas. A. G. Thomas,
Now of Fayetteville, N. C
SIO.OO
..BUYS
One until Oct. Ist, when the old
terms will be resumed.
Circulars and particulars by
GRAHAM & DUBOIS,
Electric Building, Atlanta, Ga.
Wholesalejand Retail.
fW- Car-load lots at Mine Rates. Special
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OFFICE, 45 MARIETTA ST..
Phones its Atlanta, Ga.
Our Want Column.
A\ r ANTED.—Position ,y BaptlstaTpastor
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Has 1500 in school appliances, would furnish
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ATEACHERof several yea-s experience
desires a position. Best of refences.
Address Miss Y, care Christian Index.
2t
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General and Special Agents Wanted!
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No. 000 The Grand, Atlanta, Ga. auglStf
■