Newspaper Page Text
ESTABLISHED 1821.
We Christian Index
Publlihel Every Thursday
«y BELL & VAN NESS
Addreaa Christian Indix, Atlanta, Ua
Organ of the Baptist Denomination In
Georgia.
Subscription Prick:
One copy, one year 13-00
One oopy, alx months 10*
▲bout ova Advbrtibbrb.—We propose
hereafter to very carefully Investigate our
advertisers. We shall exercise every care to
allow only reliable parties to use our col
unni.
Obituaribb.—One hundred words tree of
eharge. For each extra word, one cent per
word, cash with copy.
To Oorrbbpondknts—Do not use abbrevi
ations; be extra careful In writing proper
names; write with ink, on one side of paper.
Do not write oopy Intended for the editor
and business Items on same sheet. Leave
off personalities, condense.
Busin res.—Write all names, and post
Offices distinctly. In ordering achange give
the old as well as the new address. The date
of label Indicates the time your subscription
expires. If you do not wish It continued,or
der It stopped a week before. We consider
•aoh subscriber permanent until he orders
his paper discontinued. When you order It
stopped pay up to date.
Bbmittancbb by registered letter, monej
order, postal note
God’s Wondrous Word.
BY L. M. WATKRMAN.
Tby word O Lord, how wonderful
Its wisdom and Its power;
How manifold Its mightiness
To meet our need each hour !
With sound of thy sweet promises
How longing hearts beat lime:
Thy messages waft melody
Like bells at evening chime.
Thy warnings sound, how solemnly,
Alarms deep-toned and dark,
Like fog bells on the rocky coast
That guide the storm-tossed bark.
Thv piloting, how sure, how safe,
Until, all breakers passed,
We triumph o'er each hurricane
And ai ehor,home at last.
—The Standard.
What is Worth While?
Only one life to live! We all
want to do our best with it. We
all want to make the most of it.
How can we get best hold of it?
How can we accomplish the most
with the energies and powers at
our command? What is worth
while? We all ask ourselves
this question when we Iqkve our
college halls. But the firstyears
out of college are apt to be anx
ious, unsatisfactory, disappoint
ing. Time slips away in further
preparation, in experiment, in
t useless or misdirected
The world'does not prove to be
- the same that it seemed Ixs be in
the quiet college surrounditfgs.
Duty is not so clear as then, nor
work’ so well defined. Life is
harder to handle than we thought.
One finds that theories fail, and
yet one has "hot had positive ex
perience enough to know just
where the difficulty lies. It is of
a few simple things that “my
own life has proved true” that I
shall speak to day.
Life is large. We cannot pos
sibly grasp the whole of it in the
few years we have to live. What
is vital? What is essential?
What may we profitably let go?
Let us ask ourselves these ques
tions to-day.
To begin with, What may we
let go? Who shall say? By
what standard shall we measure?
By what authority decide? Each
■ of us must answer that question
for herself. In looking about for
an answer, I find only one that
satisfies me. It is this: We may
let go all things which we cannot car
ry into the eternal life. To me this is
a deep truth, and a positive one.
Surely it is not worth while for
us to cumber our lives with the
things which we can grasp at best
for but a little time, when we
may lay hold of things that shall
be ours for ten thousand times
ten thousand years.
We may drop pretense. Eter
nity is not good for shams. In
its char light the false selves
that we have wrought about us
like a garment will shrivel and
fall away. Whatever we really
are, that let us be in all fearless
ness. Whatever we are not, that
let us cease striving to seem to
be. If we can rid ourselves of all
untrathof word, manner, mode
of life and thinking, we shall rid
our lives of much rubbish, rest
lessness, and fear. Let us hide
nothing, and we shall not be
afraid of being found out. Let
us put on nothing, and we shall
never cringe. Let us assume
nothing, and we shall not be
mortified. Let us do and say
nothing untrue, and we shall not
fear to have the deepest springs
of our lives sought out, nor our
most secret motive analyzed.
Nothing gives such upright dig
nity of mien as the consciousness,
“lam what 1 pretend to be.
About me there is no make-be
lieve.”
We may drop worry. The
eternal life is serene. It is not
careworn, nor knows it any fore
boding of future ill. Can we not
take to ourselves its large spirit
of serenity and cheer? For only
the serene soul is strong. Every
moment of worry weakens the
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX.
, 'iSCRIPTION, Pea Yiab.-.-B>.OO. I
h 1.00. J
soul for its daily combat. Worry
is an infirmity; there is no virtue
in it. Worry is spiritual near
sightedness; a fumbling way of
looking at little things, and of
magnifying their value. True
spiritual vision sweeps the uni
verse and sees things in their
right proportion. The finest
landscape of Corot viewed a
squint, or out of focus, would ap
pear distorted and untrue. Let
us hang life on the line, as paint
ers say, and look at it honestly.
Seen in their true relations,
there is no experience of life over
which one has a right to worry.
Ruskin says, “God gives us al
ways strength enough, and sense
enough for every thing he wants
us to do.” Sense enough: this
thought comforts me. It is not
the lack of ability that often wor
ties us; it is the lack of a little
savoir faire. It is not our failures
that distress us so much as our
idiocies.
We may let go discontent. In
all the eternal years there is no
word of murmur from any rest
less heart. In its vast silences,
how trivial would sound the com
plainings of our harassed days!
In its great songs of praise, how
our frettings would be over
borne!
In life I find two things that
make for discontent. One is lack
of harmony with one’s environ
ment. The other is dissatisfac
tion with one’s present opportu
nities. Os these, the first may
be overcome; the second may oe
put out of one’s life. A conge
nial environment is not one of
the essentials of life: present op
portunities, if rightly used, are
as great as the soul need ask.
Which of us can sit down at the
close of a day and say, To-day, I
have done all that was in my
power to do for humanity and
righteousness? Ah, no! We
look for large things, and forget
that which is close at hand! To
take life “as God gives it, not as
we want it,” and then make the
best of it, is the hard lesson that
life puts before the human soul
to learn.
One’s environment may be very
disagreeable. It may bring con
stant hurts of heart, mortifica
tion, tears, angry rebellion, aid
wounded pride—but there is a
reason for that environment. To
become strong; the soul must
needs fight something, overcome
something It cannot gain mus
•cle on a bei? of eidei*spwn. A
great part of the strength of life
consists in the degree with which
we get into harmony with our
appointed environment. So long
as we are at war with our town,
our relatives, our family, our sta
tion, and our surroundings, so
long will much of the force of
our lives be spent uselessly, aim
lessly. A good way to get into
harmony with one’s environment
is to try to understand it first,
and then begin to adapt our
selves to it, so far as may be pos
sible. We can never work well
while there is friction in our
lives, nor gain in our work that
“beauty which is born of power,
and the sympathy which is born
of love”, of which Ruskin speaks
Let us say, God put me among
these scenes, these people, these
opportunities, these duties. He
is neither absent minded nor in
competent. This is exactly the
place he means me to be in, the
place I am capable of filling:
there is no mistake. My life is
in its proper setting.
But with this thought in mind
we need not sit down in idleness.
There are things in the circum
stances of our lives that we can
change; there are opportunities
that our own efforts may enlarge.
We can conquer many of the dif
ficulties that beset our career,
and, so conquering, be strong! I
believe more and more that there
is no impediment that cannot be
overcome, no hindrance to use
fulness that cannot be removed.
If we go through life timidly,
weakly, ineffectively, the fault is
neither with our endowment nor
our environment. It is with our
selves. It is we that are not
competent for life; we that are
lazy, cowardly, idle. When one
sets himself to live a grand life,
man cannot interrupt him, God
will not!
As for our opportunities, we
can make a heroic life out of
whatever is set before us to work
with or upon. Dr. Miller tells of
a poor artist who was regally en
tertained in a castle. He had
nothing with which to repay his
friends. But he shut himself up
in his room for some days before
he left them, locking the door,
and refusing *o come out, or to
let any one in. When he went
away the servant found the
sheets of his bed missing, and
thought that he must have stolen
them. But in searching further
they were found in one corner of
the room, and when unrolled
were discovered to have a glo
rious picture of Alexander in the
tent of Darius painted upon
them. — What is Worth While?—
Brown.
For tlie Index.
Is it Desirable to Have Few
Churches or Many Small Ones?
BY .1. C. CALDWELL.
1 regret that it was not seen fit
to assign this subject to some one
with more experience and wider
observation. I take it for grant
ed that mere theorizing is not
wanted. Most men have their
theories for the solution of all
questions. These are of little
practical value whatever. They
are valuable only as they direct
investigation or experiment. The
scientist risks little or nothing
when he sets out to establish his
theory by experiment. His chief
object is to get more information
about the things of nature; hence
there is no possibility of loss,
though his experiments be fail
ures. We cannot thus experi
ment with all things. We cannot
do this with the subject in hand.
It is one with which we cannot
afford to experiment with any
risk of loss. We ought not to
think of attempting a change un
less it is known to be for the bet
ter. Hence I say, Away with all
theory and experiment concern
ing this important question. Let
us consider what has been, what
is,and what we are commanded to
do, and ’draw practical conclu
sions.
This subject is a debatable one.
I know some men who would
readily argue one side of this
question as preferable. But I
am not prepared to say that one
or the other is preferable. If we
are to take the literal meaning of
my subject (and IJsuppose we are),
and understand that our strong
city churches are to be divided
into smaller ones that we may
have many small churches, or
that we are to unite the many
small churches throughout the
country into few central localities
that we may have few strong
churches, I-will say that I favor
neither. I wish therefore to pre
sent a few facts comparing some
what the work of strong and weak
churches. I ask your considera
tion of some statistics which I
have taken from minutes of the
Georgia Association. This As
sociation, covering as it does a
large area, may be taken as rep
resentative of the State.
In 1870 the ten largest church
es in this Association, with a
membership of 2,712, made an in
crease by baptisms of 71 per cent
of the whole. In the same year
the ton tmallset with a
membership of 078, increased
about 4 per cent of the whole. The
ten largest churches in the same
year contributed for religious
purposes about 111 cents per
member Ten smallest churches
same year contributed about 80
cents per member. Os the ten
largest churches, every one made
somegain; of ten smallest church
es, four reported no gain.
In 1880 the ten largest church
es, with a membership of 1,895,
increased by baptisms 1| percent.
In the same year the ten smallest
churches, with a membership of
393, increased 8 1-7 percent Ten
largest churches contributed
about 75 cents per member. Ten
smallest churches contributed 63
cents per member. Os ten larg
est churches five reported no in
crease; of the ten small churches
four reported no increase.
In 1890 the ten largest church
es, with a membership of 1,668,
increased by baptisms 3J per
cent. Ten smallest churches,
with a membership of 313, in
creased about3 1-5 per cent. Ten
largest churches contributed
about $11.30 per member. Ten
small churches contributed 68
cents per member.
Os ten large churches three re
ported no gain; of ten small ones
eight made no increase.
In 1895 ten largest churches,
with 1,782 members, increased
7f per cent, of whole. Ten small
est churches, with 382 members,
increased 3$ percent. Ten largest
churches contributed $1.70 per
member. Ten small churches
contributed 58 cents per mem
ber. Os the ten strong churches
every one reported a gain. Os
the small churches three reported
no gain.
I think it will be seen from this
that the strong churches are
slightly in the lead of weak
churches, both in growth and in
works. As our churches are now
distributed, it is well known that
most of the strong churches are
in the cities or villages and the
small churches in the country
districts. The large churches
thus have an advantages over
the small ones that must evident
ly lead to better results by the
large churches. The city and
village people have better oppor
tunities of attending Snnday
school and church services than
people scattered over the coun
try have. They are thus made
more active in the work; hence
more good is accomplished. This
convenience of attending church
service country people cannot
have, whether their churches be
few or many. The result is they
do not attend service as often and
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. OCTOBER 1. 1896.
accomplish as much good, seem
ingly as our city churches. The
strong churches, too, have the
advantage of more preaching
services than weak churches can
afford. This might be bettered
were the weak churches united
into strong ones
It has been charged that some
of our strong churches have so
many members that there is noth
ing for many *bf them to do;
hence a large proportion of the
membership is idle. I do not
know whether tP.j be true. I
rather think not. It may be pos
sible to have too large a force in
one body; it is certainly possible
to have too small a force. Joseph
E. Johnston did not have enough
men when he to keep
Sherman out of Georgia; Xerxes,
when he had raised 2,000,000 of
men, had too many to. conquer
little Greece. Surely we all ad
mire strong, -'Well organized
churches, and would have them
all such, would conditions allow.
I can prove no disadvantage in a
large membership in city and
village churcl.es. With the
knowledge I r</J w have of this
question, , I m ist say, let the
churches remai i as now distrib
uted.
Now, in the country districts
we have quite « different condi
tion. We must place churches in
the reach of the people—both re
ligious and irreligious—if we
would have them attend the ser
vices; yea, must be in easy
reach. Often in sparsely settled
districts it is nacessary, in order
to have a church at all in reach
of the people, to have one com
posed of few members. 1 have
heard people talk of going six,
eight or ten miles to church in
former days; but that custom
seems to baVA declined. The
brethren all know the difficulty
of attending church three or four
miles from heme. They know,
too, this is '.he excuse of so
many for net attending Sun
day sehool, and even for not
attending the monthly preach
ing service. People will not at
tend church if put to much in
convenience to do so. If people
will not come to church where we
would like to Eave the churches,
there is but one thing left to do,
and that is cai'iy the churches to
them. I think Christ must have
had the* smal church in mind
when he said. “Where" two or
three have ml together in my
name there wjAl be ahso.” Aguin
U. 3 bi’p' ti
people would nbt go far to hear
the Gospel when he said, “Go
preach the Gospel everywhere.”
He knew they would not go to
any trouble to hear the truth or
he would have said preach where
you are, and people will come to
hear you. A prominent minister
talking with me once on this sub
ject, said that weak churches and
Sunday-schools held elsewhere
than in churches ought to be
abolished. It is needless, breth
ren, for me to tell you that no
Sunday-school except at a few
ch urches means no Sunday - school
at all to thousands of children
throughout the land. And what
is true of these small Sunday
schools is true of small churches.
The farther we live from church
the worse for us. You show me
within the bounds of this district
the square mile farthest from a
church and I will show you the
square mile that has the least re
gard for the present and the fu
ture. On the other hand, a
church is surrounded by a
hallowed influence. Invaria
bly there seems to exist around
a church a moral sentiment that
you would not find otherwise.
I would have churches in reach
of the people, though small some
may be, but not one unnecessary
church.
In conclusion, I will say that I
do not think it better for the
cause that we have none but
strong churches, nor better that
we have all small ones; but that
we have strong churches where
we can and weak churches where
we must.
Not all kindness is all kind.
Much that passes for it, and
that is indeed kindly and
generous in its intention, is, in
the view of our larger obliga
tions, unkind. The boy who of
fers a cigarette to his companion
may, so far as the open-handed
generosity of the moment is con
cerned, be credited as kind. But
in the view of his larger obliga
tion, both to his companion and
to the race, he is unkindly work
ing damage. The man who
would shield his neighbor by tell
ing a lie for him, however kind
ly his motive seem, is yet unkind,
because he has set in motion an
evil force for which all human
kind must suffer. The true spir
it of kindness grows out of the
universal kinship of men. If we
cannot stop to weigh the relative
value of all our generous impulses,
we can cultivate the habit of
giving our larger obligations the
larger place among those motives
which easily grow to be habits
of the daily life.— B. 8. Times.
For the Jndrx.
Reminiscences of Georgia Baptists
BY S. a. HILLYER, D.D.
ORGANIZATION OF THE SOUTHERN
BAPTIST CONVENTION,
MAY 8-12, 1845.
The organization of the South
ern Baptist Convention was an
epoch in the history of the South
ern Baptists The cause which
led to it is clearly set forth in
our But the antece
dents of that cause are not so
well known by the present gen
eration Hence it may be well to
allude to’some of those antece
dents.
For more than a score of years,
the anti slavery sentiment,
among the Northern people of
our country, had been steadily
growing and becoming more and
more intense (and aggressive).
The religious press and pulpit
indulged in severe invectives
against slavery and slave-hold
ers. In this hostility to slavery
the Baptists of the North gener
ally shared. But, for a long
time, no overt action of hostility
was taken by any official body of
Northern Baptists which seemed
to call for any counter action on
the part of the South.
At length, however, such a case
did come. The Board of Mis
sions of the Triennial Baptist
Convention, including in its con
stituency all the missionary Bap
tists of the South, refused to ac
cept, as a missionary, a worthy
brother from the South, on the
ground that he was a slave-hold
er. Due remonstrance was made
against this action by intelligent
brethren. But to no avail —the
Board adhered to its refusal.
This fact soon became known
throughout the South; and this
was the cause that led to the
great convocation of Southern
Biptistsat Augusta in May, 1845.
The number of delegates en
rolled must have exceeded three
hundred. They included many
of the most able and best men
found among our Southern Bap
tists. All were deeply impressed
with the responsibilities that they
were about to assume. A deep
Christian spirit pervaded the de
liberations of the body. The re
suit of their deliberations was the
organiz ition of the Southern
Baptist Convention.
They closed their work with a
manifesto addressed to Baptist
brethren throughout the United
States, explaining the origin, the
principles and the objects of
’tffeu acotohiwvfunutng the Sfuib- <
ern Baptist Convention. This
document speaks for itself and
deserves to be held in perpetual
remembrance by every Southern
Baptist.
I had a personal acquaintance
with only a very few of the dele
gates who came from other
States. But I was well acquaint
ed with many of the members
who represented our own State.
Among these I may mention
Hon. Wilson Lumpkin. He was
one of Georgia’s historical char
acters. He was first a member
of Congress, then governor of
our State, and lastly he was for
six years a Senator of the United
States. I was, at one time, his
pastor. He was attentive to the
interests of the church, and
proved himself to be a wise coun
sellor in all its movements.
Another Georgia delegate was
Dr. J. L.Dagg, at that time Pres
ident of Mercer University. He
was a native of Virginia. In his
early manhood he served his
country as a soldier. The force to
which he belonged occupied the
cijy of Baltimore at the time
that the British fleet was bom
barding Fort McHenry. He was
an eye-witness of that terrific
scene; and the account which he
gave to me of that bombardment
verified the glowing description
given of it in our national song—
“ The Star spangled Banner.”
But Dr. Dagg was not long a sol
dier in an earthly war. He soon
laid aside his carnal weapons, and
clad in “the whole armor of God”,
he went forth to do battle against
the Powers of Darkness for the
glory of our great Immanuel; and
many a trophy did he lay at the
Master’s feet.
Dr. Dagg was pre eminently
distinguished by the dignity of
his manners. He impressed all
who approached him with pro
found respect. I never had the
pleasure of hearing him preach,
for I did not kno w him till after
he had lost his voice. But as a
conversationalist I never knew
his superior. He was cheerful but
never light. Without the least
ostentation,his words were words
of wisdom. Hence he was a
wise and safe counsellor, and his
influence over those with whom
he associated was almost oracu
lar. He loved the Bible and his
mind glowed with the light of its
revelations.
Os the brethren from other
States, I had the pleasure of
meeting Bro. J. L. Burrows. He
came as “a corresponding dele
gate from the American Baptist
Publication Society, and the
Pennsylvania Baptist Conven-
tion, and was invited to partici
pate with us.” He was the fath
er of our gifted brother, Dr.
Lansing Burrows, now pastor of
the Baptist church in Augusta.
In representing the Publication
Society, Bro. J. L.Burrows made
an earnest speech in its behalf.
The speech was followed by
some discussion in which several
took part, notably, Prof. Mell,
Dr. J. B. Jeter, and Judge Junius
Hillyer. Bro. Burrows had ex
pressed the desire that the Con
vention would not withdraw its
support and patronage from the
Publication Society. No action,
however, was taken at that time
either for or against the Ameri
can Baptist Publication Society.
So the minutes fail to mention
the discussion.
Some time in the “seventies”
I saw Bro. Burrows, again, at a
meeting of the Southern Baptist
Convention in New Orleans. He
had then identified himself with
the South, and, I think, was a
delegate from Virginia. I had
the pleasure of hearing him
speak. His text was: “Why
stand ye here, all the day, idle?
and they say unto him, because
no man hath hired us.” (Matt.
xx:6-7.)
He used the text to illustrate
the condition of many church
members who are idle as to
church work, not because they
are unwilling to render service
bnt simply because they have
failed to find any opportunity to
doit—no man hath hired them.
So they stand, like laborers in a
market place, waiting for a job.
He then showed, with great
force, the duty of pastors to go
out and hunt up these idle ones
and find for them some depart
ment of work suited to each one’s
gifts, where he may render some
profitable service to the Master.
The sermon was practical and
very instructive. I have never
forgotten it. He is a wise pas
tor who knows how to utilize
the moral forces of his people.
There were other brethren at
the Convention in Augusta whom
I hope to notice in a future pa
per. I close this one w’ith a gen
eral remark about our Southern
Baptist Convention.
As already stated, it had its
origin in the action of our North
ern brethren towards us in re
fusing to accept as a missionary
a Southern brother, because he
was a slave-holder. This cause
of separation has passed away,
but time and experience have de
veloped other reasons that now
justify the continuance of the
Southern Baptist Convention.
It was organizea that we might
more effectually combine our
Southern churches in the propa
gation of the Gospel at home
and in foreign lands. Subsidi
ary to this primary work,
have found it needful, in addition
to the other Boards, to establish
a Sunday School Board, to pro
mote by its influence and its lit era
ture, the training of our young
people in the knowledge of the
Bible which, by the grace of
God, may make them wise unto
salvation. For the same reason
we have found it necessary to
build up for ourselves a Theolog
ical Seminary where our candi
dates for the ministry may be
qualified for any work to which
the Lord our God may call them.
We rejoice in the work of the
fathers at Augusta in 1845. And
we rejoice in the subsequent ex
pansion of that work in the
hands of their successors. And
we would render thanksgiving to
God for the success which has
crowned our past efforts. God
has made the Southern Baptist
Convention to be one of his chos
en instruments for the accom
plishment of his own purposes of
mercy and of grace towards all
mankind.
In view of these facts, let
every Baptist in the South look
to his colors; let him intensify
his loyalty to Christ our King,
and do his best to glorify his
name by supporting the efforts
of our glorious Convention.
563 S. Pryor St., Atlanta.
The Distinction Between Catholics
and Baptists in Regard to Church
Succession.
J. L. D. HILLYER.
Catholics prove identity by
heredity and infer validity.
Baptists prove identity by valid
ity, and infer heredity.
The question between them is
as to the meaning of “identity.”
Cat holies 1 say it must be physical.
Baptists say it must be dec
trinal.
If the New Testament shows
that physical identity is the es
sential element of church per
petuity, and that the teachings
of Christ may be altered or aban
doned, then the Catholics are
right. If the New Testament
shows that doctrinal identity is
the essential element of church
perpetuity, and that the physical
structure is merely to preserve
and enforce the teachings of
Christ, then the Baptists are
right.
VOL. 76-NO. 40
For the Index.
Baptist Position Stated and Contrast
ed—Visible Headlessness.
BY G. A. LOFTON, D D.
IX.
The New Testament teaches
that Christ is head over all
things to the church. He is the
head and we are the body. He
is the bridegroom and we are the
bride, and the bride is subject
to the husband, who is the head
of the woman. For the purposes
of Christ’s headship the Father
has turned over to the Son the
scepter of the universe; put all
things, except himself, under his
Son, and this special transfer of
authority and power in heaven
and earth will continue until
Christ shall I ave put down all
rule and authority now in re
bellion against God’s king
dom. The last enemy that
shall be conquered is deith;
and when this victory has been
achieved amid the transcendent
revolution of the last resurrec
tion, then, it seems, the trans
fer of the scepter is made back
io the Father who rules over
all.
The theology of every denomi
nation teaches the invisible head
ship of Christ over the church.
The Romanist maintains this
cardinal doctrine; but the cardi
nal heresy of the Romanist con
sists in the claim that the bishop
of Rome is the successor of St.
Peter, the vicar of Christ and
|;he vice-gerent of God, and hence
is the visible head of Christ’s
church on earth. This heresy
was fully developed 606 A. D.,
when Boniface 111, by the author
ity of the Emperor Phocas, was
declared universal bishop, or
pope, in the chair of St. Peter.
This “diabolical” usurpation of
Anti-Christ, as Gregory the
Great, who succeeded Boniface,
called it, had been in embryo for
five centuries in the gradual ex
altation of the bishop over the
church, and in the special claim
of the superiority and supremacy
of the Roman see over the other
patriarchates of the Roman em
pire; but it was not until 606 A. D.
that the blasphemy was consum
mated under imperial authority
and edictof the infamous Phocas.
It is hardly necessary to affirm
that the claim of the papacy to
the vice gerency of God and the
visible headship of the church on
earth is the most blasphemous
assumption and the most mon
strous usurpation diving au
thority which can be conceived;
or that the claim has been char
acterized by a whole train of dog
matic heresies essentially de
veloped from the assumption.
.The key power of St. Peter and
the sword of the secular arm
naturally followed the assump
tion, and the doctrine of papal in
fallibility became the significant
badge "of the “man of sin”, who
sits “in the place of God” and
exalts himself “above all that is
called God.” The Bible itself is
of no authority beyond the in
terpretation of his infallible holi
ness, and the traditions of Rome,
the decrees of councils and the
ex cathedra decisions of popes are
of equal authority with the Bi
ble. Mary is before Christ, and
Peter is before all; and hence all
the auxiliary superstitions and
dogmas which have made the
Romish church the synonym and
the symbol of paganized Christi
anity. Hence, too, the iron
heel of absolutism and despot
ism which Rome has put upon
the neck of the nations and
the centuries, and hence the
horrid brood of corruptions
and persecutions which have
blighted the ages and put 50,-
000,000 of human beings to death
for the assertion of the rights of
conscience in matters of faith.
The Woman in Scarlet sat with
blackened face and bloody hand
for twelve centuries upon the
seven-headed and ten-horned
beast of Revelation, with undis
puted sway over the world —the
legitimate outcome of Papal
headship over the visible king
dom of God, as claimed by Rome.
In a modified form, other de
nominations which came out of
Rome make the same claim of
headship over the church of God-]
Episcopalians and Methodists are
very much like the old mother in
their episcopal ideal of church
government. Episcopacy in any
form is modified Romanism; and
there is absolutely nothing n
God’s Word, even by inference,
to encourage the usurpation.
Neither in the New Testament
form of church government nor
in the nature and qualifications
of the New Testament minister,
can there be found the remotest
conception of the office of the
Episcopal bishop, nor of apostol
ic succession. Not even the
most dazzling apostle —noteven
Peter or Paul—ever dared to in
terfere with the functions or au
thority of a church of Christ; or
as said before, there is not the
slightest authority for a general
church organization or a general