Newspaper Page Text
2
period, according to more favor
able conditions. The continuity
of the Gospel and of God’s people
through every age is indubitable;
Christ has never been without
true witnesses; but so far as his
toric proof is concerned, the or
derly and organized form of the
Gospel or Baptist churches is not
apparent through the dim mazes
of those centuries which were
dominated by Romanism and its
subsequent modifications.
The Jewish temple and its ser
vice—God’s organized govern
ment over Israel—was lost dur
ing the seventy years captivity,
and often seriously disturbed and
broken before and since that pe
riod; but a small remnant re
turned and restored the temple
service and the Theocratic gov
ernment of Israel which, though
often usurped, barely continued
until the coming of Christ. What
was true of the type seems to
have proven true of the antitype.
Objectively the gates of hell seem
sometimes to have prevailed
against the church of Christ, even
for centuries; but subjectively,
and among the hidden ones of
God, there never was a time when
the “seven thousand bowed the
knee to Baal." This was true
even when the organic ami or
derly embodiment of Christ’s
kingdom had been usurped or de
stroyed.
It is easy enough to see that
Baptist churches, as now consti
tuted, are identical with the apos
tolic and post apostolic churches,
including the first ami second
centuries; but midway the second
century the predicted anti Christ
began to take shape; and by the
seventh century Romanism domi
nated the world witli its supersti
tion and despotism. The apos
tolic churches themselves had
long since been swallowed up in
the general apostasy; and noth
ing was left of primitive Chris
tianity but the revolting leaders
and sects who protested against
Rome, such as the Manichaeans,
the Montanists, Novations, I)o
--natists, Peterines, i’aulicians,
Cathari, Albigenses and others
who developed between the sec
ond and twelfth centuries, ami
some of whom extended their de
pleted existence down to the Ref
ormation. Through these sects
there is a trace of Baptist princi
ples and practices—of God’s true
people—but such were their er
rors and irregularities in doctrine
and policy that they would not
now be recognized as orderly or
script orally organized Baptist
churches. They were Anabap
tists of whom the world was not
worthy—with whom Baptists
may be proud to claim kin; and
through these sects the seeds of
Baptist history were sown to
come up in a later day in the pro
duetion of the Baptist denomina
tion.
From the twelfth century to
the Reformation other leaders and
sects developed in new and fresh
revolts against Rome, which were
more distinctly Baptist; and Pe
ter de Bruys and the Petrobras
sians, Peter Waldo and the Wai
denses, were substantially Bap
tistic in their creeds and prac
tices, bating the divisions which
took place among the later Wal
denses in which they seem to
have become both Baptistic and
pedobaptistic under the influence
of the Genevan theology. From
the Waldenses evidently sprung
the Anabaptists of Germany,
Switzerland and Holland; and
from the Anabaptists of Holland
sprang the English Anabaptists
and finally the English Baptists,
who, between 1500 and 1640, or
ganized into regular churches and
began the famous history of that
denomination which won for the
world religious liberty, put on
foot the greatest missionary
movement in history, and which
to-day is the mightiest and only
representative of New Testament
doctrine and polity on the earth.
Since 1644 we have been known
by the name of Baptists—that is,
baptized people—and Baptist
churches —that is, baptized
churches; and it is needless to
say that up to that time or shortly
before it, Baptist churches had no
regularly organized succession
from the days of the apostles. It
is even in doubt as to whether
their Anabaptist predecessors
practiced immersion or affusion
between the sixteenth and seven
teenth centuries; and it is certain
that some of them were affusion
ists.
Nevertheless, these Anabap
tists, with all their errors and
vagaries, held to the great lead
ing Baptistic ideas of a converted
and pure church membership—lo
cal and independent in govern
ment —and they held to believers’
baptism as opposed to infant bap
tism. They protested against
Rome; opposed the union of
Church and State; and were the
authors of the doctrine of relig
ious liberty. They planted the
seed of Baptist history which was
a long continued and universally
opposed development from the
chaos of Romanism; and this evo
lution was thus made permanent
by the long suffering conflict
through which the processes of
our development lead to victory.
Even since we have assumed the
name of Baptist we have con
tinued to evolve from whatever of
error or malpractice we inher
ited. We have, like a great ana
conda, shed off Arminianism,
and then anti-nomianism, anti
missionism, foot-washing and the
like; and as we have, by develop
ment, taken on the Sunday-school
and missionary enterprises, wo
man’s and young people’s work,
enlarged benevolence and educa
tion, our progress is still con
fronted with traditionalism as to
history and mossbackism as to
methods of work. Baptist his
tory means progress—the master
piece of the centuries —ami we
shall have to shed again. It is
possilde for us even to divide
again, as in 1832 on the mission
question, so upon progressive
methods, but our history means
progress. Thousands of our conn
try churches have only once-a
niontli preaching, without even a
pastor, except as missionary sup
ply; ami hence we have not yet
reached the apostolic practice, in
most of our churches, the local
pastorate ami every Sabbath wor
ship. We have not yet reached
perfection.
DR. WHIISIfT VS. BAPTIST HIS
TORY.
BY W. A. .IARREL, DI), AUTHOR OF
BAPTIST CHURCH PERPETUITY.
Reader? of Dr. Whitsitt's book,
agreeing that tie makes the “Jessey
Church Records'’ the main basis of
his argument, I next notice the "Jes
sey Church Records.”
Others having so well anticipated
my argument, and in one or two in
stances having improved upon it for
convenience, 1 reply in their words.
Says The Central Baptist, of St. Louis:
"What may be called the strategic
point of his position and his chief ar
gument is found in bis sixth chapter
and is based upon two documents.
He prints in p r llel columns the
'Jessey Church Records' and the so
called ‘Kiflln Manuscript.’ The decla
ration of the former is that in 1640
Richard Blunt was sent by Mr. Jes
sey’s church over to Holland with let
ters of commendation, as it is affirmed,
to receive baptism, ‘none having then
so practiced in England to professed
believers.’ On this point the Kiflln
Manuscript says, ‘they had not as they
knew of revived the ancient custom of
immersion.’ This was done because
Mr. Blunt, and others were 'convinced
of baptism yt also it ought to be by
diping ye Body into ye Water resem
bling Burial and riseing again.’ Os
course the assumption is that immer
sion was not practiced in England at
this time, and that this was the intro
duction of the practice upon which all
Baptist churches in the island were
founded. Upon this record Dr. Whit
sitt relies with absolute certainty, and
liis other proofs are to corroborate
this statement or to show that it is
consistent with the situation. The
Kiflln Manuscript, which he places be
side this, is regarded and treated as
inferior in weight, and the two are ad
mitted to contradict each other on a
good many points.
“We regret that more explicit in
formation is not given concerning the
•lessey Church Records. Dr. Whitsitt
thinks they are still in existence, and
he is surely right in thinking that it
would be an important service to Bap
tist history to have them brought out.
The extracts he gives appear to be
only ‘certain entries’ made by Mr.
Gould, who professes to have copied
them from the original. We protest
that the structure built upon these
vague records is rather a massive
building for so narrow a base, espe
cially since ‘certain entries’ are ex
ceedingly brief, are taken out of their
context and were made by a man who
had another object in view. Particu
larly is doubt thrown upon this record
by the Kiflln Manuscript, which pro
fesses to relate the same facts, but
contradicts the ‘Records' on several
important points. This Kiflln Manu
script itself is out of existence, and
only parts of it are preserved to us
in limited quotations. Dr. Whitsitt is
compelled to impeach his own witness
and to reject the following statement
of the Kiflln Manuscript: Tn the year
1639 another congregation of Baptists
was formed whose place of meeting
was in Crutched-Fryars; the chief pro
moters of which were Mr. Green, Mr.
Paul Hobson and Captain Spencer.'
This quotation has a still further in
terest in the use of the word ‘Baptist’
which Dr. Whitsitt elsewhere says
was not used until some years later.
Now, considering our limited informa
tion about these documents and the
fragmentary portions preserved to us.
we suggest that it is unsafe to rely
upon them with that certainty neces
sary to build a theory and write a
book. Moreover, it may be true that
the facts occurred just as related, and
the conclusions drawn therefrom still
bt unwarranted. Mr. Jessey’s church
was located in the south of London.
It was a small body of people not very
widely known. There were no rail
roads. telegraphs, daily papers or re
ligious weeklies to facilitate general
information. There was not a print
ing press in the land that dared print
a book or pamphlet advocating Bap
tist views. As Dr. Whitsitt's own wit
nesses testify, those who held any
thing like Baptist views were com
pelled to meet by night in private
houses or out on the green, and to
conduct their services in secret. There
may have been scores of little congre
gations all over the kingdom banded
together in secret, possibly unable to
meet oftener than once or twice a year,
and then limited in their gatherings
to half a dozen people. An associa
tion of Baptist churches or anything
like a correspondence among them was
impossible. Under these circumstances
Mr. Jessey’s church could hardly be
expected to know of the existence of
Baptist churches, especially since, ac
cording to Dr. Whitsitt, Mr. Jessey’s
church was of the Brownist persua
sion.
“The action of the Jessey church pro
duced a division in the congregation
with which it was associated and a
heated controversy followed. Praise
god Barebone, who became pastor of
the anti-Jessey party, wrote a heated
pamphlet, to which Mr. Blunt replied.
The conditions were all local and the
controversy was local. Very different
conditions may have prevailed in
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX: THURSDAY. OCTOBER 22. 1896.
other parts of the kingdom with which
Barebone was or was not acquainted.
A cross-roads debate in one of our ru
ral districts, where the people are en
tirely cut off from communication
with the rest of the world, will only
poorly illustrate the situation in this
excited little district. That a congre
gation of pedobaptlsts should have
adopted the idea of immersion, and
that they should have sent to a foreign
country for an administrator, either
because they knew of no Baptists near
them, or possibly because former enmi
ties, would have made them too stout
to humble themselves before the de
spised adversary, was calculated to stir
up the community. We grant that all
this is not proof of the existence of
immersion in the kingdom, but we
contend that it is not conclusive as to
its absence.
“Dr. Whitsitt does not seem to us
to have given sufficient regard to the
situation throughout England with re
gard to baptism. As he himself says,
the queen, as late as 1584, sanctioned a
book Insisting that Immersion be re
tained and not be allowed to give place
to sprinkling. Thus his favorite date
is brought within a little over fifty
years of the time when immersion
was so prevalent and so popular that
it received royal sanction as against
sprinkling. There must have been
great numbers of people still living
who had been immersed in their in
fancy, and it Is almost impossible to
doubt that many English communities
noted for conservatism were still in
the practice of Immersion. This con
dition of things would very materially
alter the situation in 1641. Even later
than this the Presbyterians were about
evenly divided as to propriety of
placing immersion on an equality with
sprinkling. If there were Baptist con
gregations practicing immersion se
cretly here and there through the
country their practice of the ordinance
excited no surprise and called out no
emphatic opposition.”
Professor A. H. Newman, who is to
follow me in this paper on this sub
ject, writing The Western Recorder as
to what it is doing on this controversy,
says: "I appreciate very highly your
services to denominational history in
ringing within the reach of the masses
of our people so much valuable docu
mentary matter.” Replying to Dr.
Whitsitt, The Western Recorder says:
"The ‘Jessey Church Records’ do
not say at all 'none having then so
practiced in England to professed be
lievers.’ The very language of the
phrase contradicts Dr. Whitsitt’s
claim. That ‘then’ gives the whole
case away. A record of 1640, written
at that time, would never have referred
to 1640 as 'then.' internal evi
dences could be given, but they are un
necessary. Even if these ‘Records'
were genuine, all they would prove
would be that there were no immer
sions in England within the knowl
edge of that particular church. Such
negative evidence could not set aside
any positive evidence of the practice
of immersion prior to 1641.
“Dr. Whitsitt (pp. 81-82) quotes these
‘Jessey Cnurch Records’ from Gould’s
'Open Communion and the Baptists
of Norwich’ as follows:
“ ‘1633. There haveing been much
discussing. These denying Truth of ye
Parish Churches, and ye Church be
ing now become so large yt it might
be prejudicial. These following de
sired dismission, that they might Be
come an Entire Church, and further ye
Communion of those churches, In Or
der amongst themselves, wch at last
was granted to them, aitd performed
Sept. 12, 1633, viz.:
Henry Parker Jo. Milburn,
and wife, Arnold,
Widd. Fearne, Mr. Wilson,
(Green) Hatmaker, Tho. Allen,
Mark Luker, Mary Milburn.
“ 'To these Joyned Rich. Blunt, Tho.
Hubert, Rich. Tredweli, and his wife,
Kath., John Timber, Wm. Jennings
and Sam Eaton, Mary Greenway. Mr
Eaton with some others receiving a
further baptism.
“ ‘Others Joyned to them.
“ ‘1638. These also being of ye same
Judgment with Sam Eaton, and desir
ing to depart and not to be censured,
our interest in them was remitted,
with Prayer made in their behalf, June
8, 1638. They haveing first forsaken
Us, and Joyned with Mr. Spilsbury,
viz.:
Mr. Peti Ferrer, Wm. Batty,
Hen Pen, Mrs. Allen
(died 1639),
Tho. Wilson, Mr. Norwood.
“ ‘Gould Open Communion and the
Baptists of Norwich.’ Intro, p. exxii.
“ ‘1640, 3d Mo. (May). The Church
[whereof Mr. Jacob and Mr. John
Lathrop had been Pastors], became
two by mutual consent, just half being
with Mr. P. Barebone, and ye other
halfe with Mr. H. Jessey. Mr. Rich'd.
Blunt with him being convinced of
Bapusm.ytalsoitoughttobeby dipping
ye Body into ye Water, resembling
Burial and riseing again, Col. 11., 12;
Rom. VI., 4; had sober Conference
about it in ye Church, and then with
some of the forenamed, who also were
so convinced. And after Prayer and
Conference about their so enjoying it,
none having then so practiced in Eng
land to professed Believers, and hear
ing that some in the Nether Lands
had so practiced, they agreed and sent
over Mr. Rich'd Blunt (who under
stood Dutch with Letters of Commend
ation. who was kindly accepted there,
and returned with Letters from them,
Jo Batten a tea. her there, and from
that church to such as sent him.
“‘1641. They proceed on therein,
viz., Those persons yt ware perswaded
baptism should be by dipping ye Body,
had mett in two Companies, and did
intend so to meet after this; all these
agreed to proceed alike together; and
then Manifesting (not by any formal
Words) a Covenant (wch Word was
Scrupled by some of them) but by mu
tual desires and agreement each testi
fied: These two Companyes did set
apart one to Baptize the rest, so it
was Solemnly performed by them.
“ ‘Mr. Blunt baptized Mr. Blacklock,
yt was a Teacher among them, and
Mr. Blunt being baptized, he and Mr.
Blacklock baptized ye rest of theii
friends yt ware so minded, and many
being added to them they increased
much.
“ ‘Gould Open Communion and the
Baptists of America.’ Intro, pp. exxili,
exxiv.'
“Now, the part of this quotation be
ginning with ‘1633’ and ending with
‘Mr. Norwood,’ is given by Gould as
belonging to the ‘Jessey Church Rec
ords;’ but the latter part, beginning
with ‘1640’ and ending with ‘increased
much,’ he gives, with considerable
space between the two, as belonging
to the so-called Kiflln Manuscript. Dr.
Whitsitt has taken this second part
and has used it as if it were a part of
the ‘Jessey Church Records,’ while
Gould quotes It from the ‘Kiflln’ Manu
script. The language reiterated and
dwelt on —‘none having then so prac
ticed in England to -professed believ
ers’ —is found in the second part, and
therefore belongs to the ‘Kiffin’ docu
ment, and not to the Records.’ Gould
saya, as Is below given in full, that
Crosby gave ‘the substance’ of this
MS., and adds: ‘As I have the same
document now lying before me, I shall
allow the writer to tell his own story *
Evidently Gould does not believe that
Kiflln was the writer. Now Dr. Whit-
Bitt uses this quotation from the Kif
fln (?) MS. as part of the ‘Jessey
Church Records.’ He gives Crosby's
‘substance’ as the original Kiflln (?)
MS., and lays alongside it the quota
tion of Gould from the copy of said
MS lying before him, and concludes
that the one is supported by the other.
Os course, there is a resemblance be
tween the two. There must always be
a resemblance between a document and
a statement of its ‘substance.’ So far,
then, from having any testimony in
regard to immersion from the ‘Jessey
Church Records,' we have simply a
double statement concerning the Kif
fin (?) MS. Mr. Gould, who is the only
witness Dr. Whitsitt has in the case,
says this second part belongs m the
Kiflln (?) MS. So this alleged testi
mony of the ‘Jessey Church Recoids’
falls to the ground, and with it fails
the whole superstructure erected
upon it.
“To make this perfectly apparent,
we give what precedes each of these
quotations in Mr. Gould's book, from
which they are taken; a copy of the
book now lying open before us. On
pages exxi ff we read:
“ ‘Among the MSS. of Mr. H. Jessey,
who in -u37 became pastor of the
church from which these persons had
seceded, are, “The Records of an An
tient Congregation of Dissenters, from
wch many of ye Independent and Bap
tist Churches in London took their
first rise,” and there I find these en
tries.'
"Here follows the first part of Dr.
Whitsitt’s quotation, beginning with
‘1633’ and ending with ‘Mr. Norwood.'
..ir. Gould then goes on: “From
these minutes, I infer that Mr. Spils
bury, believing chat baptizedness is
not essential to the administrator,”
felt no difficulty in administering the
rite of baptism to “Sam Eaton with
some others.” This would account for
his vindication of such a course in
tne following terms as quoted by
Crosby:
“ ‘ “And because some make It such
an error, and so far from any rule or
example for a man to baptize others,
who is himself unbaptized, and so
think thereby to shut up the ordi
nance of God in such a strait, that none
can come by it but thro’ the authority
of the Popedom of Rome; let the
reader consider who baptized John the
Baptist, before he baptized others, and
if no man did, then whether he aid
not baptize others, he being himself
(inbaptized. We are taught by this
what to do upon the like occasions.
“ ‘ “Further, says he, I fear that
men put more than is of right due to
it, that so prefer it above the church,
and all other ordinances besides; take
in and cast out members, elect and
ordain officers, and administer the Sup
per, and all a-new, without any look
ing after succession, any further than
the Scriptures. But as for baptism,
they must have that successively from
the apostles, though it comes thro’
the hands of Pope Joan. What is the
cause of this, that men can do all from
the Word but only baptism?”
“ ‘lt is evident, therefore, that some
persons scrupled the correctness of
Mr. Spilsbury’s conduct. Edward
Hutchinson, In his "Treatise Concern
ing the Baptism,” inci
dentally confirilM»s conclusion, for
he says that, -.Wui several persons
resolved to practice the baptism of be
lievers according to their light,
‘ "The groat objection was the want
of an administrator, which, as I have
heard, was removed by sending cer
tain messengers to Holland, whence
they were supplied."
“ ‘Crosby appeals for confirmation of
Hutchinson’s account to “an ancient
manuscript, said to have been written
by Mr. William Kiffin,” of which he
proceeds to give the substance. As I
have the same document now lying
before me, I shall allow the writer to
tell his own tale.’
“Now, Dr. Whitsitt avowedly makes
his quotations from this book of
Gould, who wrote in 1860. Dr. Whit
sitt does not claim to have ever seen
those ‘Records,’ or that he knows of
any one else who ever saw them, ex
cept Mr. Gould. Thus the only witness
says that the second, and the impor
tant part of the quotation is from the
so-called Kiffin MS.; and he gives it
some distance away (with other quo
tations between) from the entries of
the 'Jessey Church Records.’ Yet Dr.
Whitsitt, omitting all that lies between
these two quotations, sets aside the
positive statement of his only witness,
and boldly presents to his readers this
quotation from the ‘Kiflln MS.’ ”
by reference to Armitage, pp. 967,
441, that Armitage takes the view that
Dr. Eaton takes of it is apparent. In
truth, Dr. Eaton's position is so self
evident that Dr. Whitsitt’s blunder
here is equaled only by his strange and
desperate effort to sustain his plainly
indefensible assault on Baptist his
tory.
but, as The Central Baptist has so
clearly shown, Dr. Whitsitt’s confu
sion of this Jessey Church Record,
admitted as a basis of argument, his
conclusion from it is utterly inadmissi
ble.
The “Kiffin MS.” is neither authentic
nor authoritative. As Armitage says,
“Although this MS. is signed by fifty
three persons, it is evident that its
authorship was only guessed at from
the beginning. It may not have been
written by Kiffin.” Armitage, p. 440.
Crosby and others take the same view
that .Armitage takes. But admitting all
that is claimed for the so-called Kiffin
MS., the reply of The Central Baptist
is sufficient as to its statement that
immersion was not practiced in Eng
land before loti. As to the argument
that Dr. Whitsitt makes on the state
ment that they sent out of England for
immersion, as Edward Hutchinson
said: “The great objection was the
want of an administrator, which, as I
have heard, was removed by sending
certain messengers to Holland, whence
they were supplied.” So also says
Neal: “They w’ere at a loss for an
administrator to begin with.”—Neal’s
Hist. Puritans, vol. 2, p. 361.
I close this argument by reminding
the reader that its purpose has not
been to prove anything, but only to
show that the “Jessey Church Rec
ords” afford Dr. Whitsitt no proof of
his position. Inasmuch as Dr. Whit
sitt refers to these Records over
twenty times and Dr. Robertson, of the
Seminary, says, this “is his strongest
argument and strikes rock bottom,” we
are justified in concluding Dr. Whit
sitt has no foundation for his posi
tion.
Hot Springs, Ark.
With but little care and no trouble, the
beard and mustache can be kept a uni
form brown or black color by using
Buckingham’s Dye for the Whiskers.
the
Any publication mentioned in this de
partment may be obtained of the
American Baptist Publication So
ciety. 98 Whitehall St., Atlanta, Ga.
When prices are named they include
postage.
The Editors of the Christian Index
desire to make this column of service
to their readers. They will gladly
answer, or have answered, any qnee
tions regarding books. If you desire
books for certain lines of reading, or
desire to find out the worth or pub
lisher of any book, write to them.
The Forum. October. The Forum
Publishing Co., New York. Price
|3 00 a year 25c. a copy.
The Forum also presents unusually
fine articles on the money question.
Under the general head of What Free
Coinage Means, are grouped four strong
articles. The first is by ex President
Harrison, on Compulsory Dishonesty.
Free Coinage and Life Insurance, Free
Coinage and Trust Companies, Free
Coinage and Farmers, are the titles of
other articles, all by men of ability and
information Other articles of great val
neare, The Creed of the Sultan: Its Fut
tnre.KingOs l ar of Sweden and|Norway,
Princeton College and Patriotism, and
The American Ballot. The last con
trasts our systems of balloting with the
genuine Australian. It will be surpris
ing tomost to see how the game of pol
itics has influenced our modification for
the worse of this admirable system
The whole table of contents is attrac
tive.
The Atlantic Monthly. October.
Houghton, Mifllin& Co , Boston,Mass.
Price |4.00 a year, 35c a copy.
As usual, the Atlantic is fall of good
things along almost every line. It is
hard to make a selection for mention.
Five American Contributions to Civili
zation, by President Eliot, will easily
be singled out, however. The Political
Menace of the Discontented, leads to
thoughtfulness. Bunday in New Neth
erland and Old New York is quaintly
interesting. Marn Lieaby Kate Doug
las Wiggin, develops interest as it goes
along. The other fiction in the number
is of great excellence. The depart
ments are fully up to the standard.
The Arena. October. The Arena
Publishing Co., Boston, Mass. Price
$3.00 a year. 25c a copy.
This magazine has its own peculiar
character as the medium through
which all sorts of ideas get into circu
lation. It is worth reading to keep
up with the special tendencies of our
day. Free silver has long been one
of its objects and this number contains
articles on that line. The most no
ticeable is Senator Jones’ “What the
Remonetization of Silver Would Do
for the Republic.” There is a little
more attention to orthodox Christian
ity than usual in this present num
ber. “Are Our Christian Missionaries
in India Friends?” is really most com
mendable. An unusual article is en
titled "Japanesque Elements in the
Last Days of Pompeii.” This draws
various parallels between the life pic
tured by Bulwer and the life in Japan
to-uay.
The Holy spirit in the New Testa
ment Scriptures. W. C. Scofield.
Fleming H. Revell Co., Chicago and
New York.
Another boo., on the general subject
of the Holy Spirit must have some
special thing to recommend it, or it
will not be received when we have so
many standard books. Gordon’s “Min
istry of the Spir..’ and Cumming's
“Through the Eternal Spirit” are the
Lest we have seen. We give the above
volume a place, however. It only
claims to be a recapitulation in Scrip
ture order of the texts bearing on the
Holy Spoil. All others that we have
seen make a classification. Here the
texts are put by themselves and very
briefly commented on. The book will
be tounu most useful for reference and
to use with the others we have men
tioned.
Official Report of the Fifteenth Chris
tian Endeavor Convention, 1896.
Publishers’ Department United So
ciety of Christian Endeavor, Bos
ton, Mass. Price 50c.
We have here most of the speeches,
addresses, papers and sermons deliv
ered at the great Christian Endeavor
meeting in Washington last May. It
is a wonderful array of themes and
familiar names. Judging from the
hurried reading we could give to such
a large volume, we should say it must
have been a convention of unusual
power. There are sermons by great
evangelists, notable among them by
Rev. J. Wilbur Chapman. Tne ad
dresses touch largely on the subject
of citizenship. Many papers bearing
on the actual practical work of a
young people’s society are given. Al
together, it is an unusually stimulat
ing and suggestive volume. We regret
the address of Dr. P. S. Henson was
omitted. The description only aroused
us to a greater desire to have it.
McClure’s Magazine. October. The S.
S. McClure Co., New York. Price
SI.OO a year. 10c a copy.
This is one of the cheap magazines,
but it is no. cheap in its contents. It
is a compliment, we think, to say that
in the midst of so many magazines
we always read everything in Mc-
Clure’s. The Lincoln papers deal with
the famous debate between Lincoln and
Douglas. There is an illustrated arti
cle on Dr. John Watson (lan Macla
ren) that will interest all in the per
sonality of the now famous writer.
Rudyard Kipling contributes a story.
"Cholera Camp.” “Phroso,” by Anthony
Hope, ends with interest unabated.
Elizabeth Stuart Phelps continues her
reminiscences. Some other fiction,
an article on Li Hung Chang, and the
contribution of “A Century of Paint
ing” complete the number.
Mother, Home, Jesus. H. M. Wharton,
D.D. Wharton & Barron, Baltimore,
Md. Price 75c.
This is by far the best thing Dr.
Wharton has given us on the literary
side of his life. It can haruiy be class
ified. It has twenty chapters. The
earlier deal with the general subject
of home and the home-makers. Then
follow a few chapters of personal al
lusions. The closing chapters again
are of a sermonic character. Through
out the book is interesting, and always
pure, clean and helpful. We wish it
the widest circulation. It is sold by
subscription through agents or by the
publishers in Baltimore. We think an
agent would do well with it and a
pastor could well afford to keep some
one to be an agent for it. The me
chanical get-up of the book is very
fine.
Maurice Thompson. W. M. Basker
ville. Barbee & Smith, Nashville,
Tenn. Price 10c.
The second in the series dealing with
Southern writers. Thompson, while
now living in the North, was reared
in the South and has made the best
of bls writing breathe the life to which
he was born. Dr. Baskerville shows
unusual power himself aa a literary
man, and If the rest of his series shows
the same critical taste some one will
have to write a supplementary volume
about him.
Chrysanthemums. Fac-slmlle of Wa
ter Colors by Paul De Longpre.
Frederick A. Stokes & Co., New
*ork. Through American Baptist
Publication Society, Atlanta. Price
$2.50.
This is a most beautiful gift book.
It contains six reproductions from
paintings by the famous artist, Paul
De Longpre, of celebrated types of the
chrysanthemum. The reproduction is
on heavy toned paper and Is superbly
done. The whole is bound in an orna
mented cover and comes in a box. For
a gift book to one interested in art
or in flowers it is exceptionally appro
priate. The chrysanthemum is a pop
ular favorite and great exhibitions
alone let us see the more famous
types. Here we have them brought
to us.
Adolph—And How He Found the Beau
tiful Lady. Fannie J. Taylor.
Fleming H. Revell Co., New York
and Chicago. Price 50c.
This is a most delightful story of an
emigrant family from North Germany.
Owing to cholera the passengers of the
snip get separated and a little girl of
rich parents loses her mother and is
supposed to be the girl from the peas
ant family. She is cared for by the
poor famay, and the plot of the book
turns round the search for the “beau
tiful lady.” It is a simple story, but
touchingly told. It makes the heart
lighter for a reading. Kindness and
helpfulness are emphasized rather
than the trials of such a stranger life.
Five Lumps of Su?ar.
When Ethel May waked Monday
morning, her mind was filled with an
idea given by her teacher in Sunday
school the day before.
She had that rare style of a teacher
who managed to interest her class in
the lesson, and who gave, in a bright,
cheerful manner, many hints which
lodged firmly in the minds and hearts
of her young hearers.
Yesterday she had said to them:
“I think almost everybody in this
world is either sugar or lemon. They
sweeten things for other people, or
make them sharp and sour. Now' I
want every girl in this class to make
up her mind to be sugar; and when
ever she sees any one in trouble, or
cross, or tired, or in any way wrong,
just pop a great, big lump into that
person’s mouth, and see what will hap
pen.”
The girls had laughed, but the im
pression remained; and Ethel May.
waking that dismal, cold Monday
morning, had quite made up her mind
to try the plan. Being an imaginative
child, she improved upon the idea to
her mind, and, by the time she was
dressed, had decided to take five lumps
of sugar with her that day, and, if
success warranted it, to double the
number to-morrow.
She soon used her first lump. Tom,
her younger brother, was grumbling
away like an ill-natured bear. It was
hard to go to school In this sleety
rain, and, somehow, things always
seemed harder for Tom than for any
one else; at least., he thought so. Just
now it was his bboks he could not find,
and he was dashing about in that help
less masculine manner which develops
so early.
Amiough a good-natured child,
Ethel never concerned herself much
with Tom’s worries. There was al
ways something for him to grumble
over; but this morning, with a little
feeling of curiosity as to the result,
she decided to give her first lump of
sugar to Tom.
"I’ll help you find them,” she said,
cneerily. “I think they are on the
table in the library.”
Notwithstanding his emphatic as
surance of having looked there “a
dozen times already,” the missing
books were found and given into his
hands without the tempting “I told
IK TO MISREPRESENTATION on the
IV p art o f our a g ents tolerated or of
DAviscHAMBEM dealers or painters necessary. You
Pittsburgh. i know just what you are getting when you
eckwzw have painting done with
ATLANTIC |
= Pure White Lead
JEWETT
ULSTER '
0!n0!t I (see list of brands, which are genuine) and.
SOUTHERN i I Pure Linseed Oil. Don't be misled by try-
> Chicago. ' J J
SHIFMAN > ing something else said to be “just as good."
mimovm An Y desired shade or color may be easily
RED SEAL f produced by using National Lead Co.’s
southern Pure White Lead Tinting Colors.
JOHN T. LEWIS & BROS.CO
Philadelphia. I Pamphlet giving valuable information and card showing sample*
MORLEY ‘ o f colors free; also cards showing pictures of twelve houses of different
salem ‘ designs painted in various styles or combinations of shades forwarded
Salem. Mam. upon application to those intending to paint.
Buffalo. NATIONAL LEAD CO.,
KENTUCKY j Broadway, New York.
COAL! COAL!! The Best on Earth.
THE VIRGINIA & ALABAMA COAL CO.
Miners and shippers of best domestic and steam coals at lowest prices. From our Atlanta yard
we deliver best coal, correct weights and give prompt attention. Send in your orders.
J. W. WILLS. Manager.
PHONE 386.
It Is Prewlotot it) The Everett la the only
Artistic foot Quality. “b“ g XFTii
//SAf Iwwl * I | the pleasing effects of the
If not for sale by your B ■■ Guitar and Mandolin, or
local dealers write us for whaiw Harpare produced at will
Catalogue and Prices. of performer.
.... CHICAGO, 1893
; ' “ Augusta, Ga.„ 1889 and 1891
Recnived West Award i 8 s 9 .
Montgomery, Ala., 1889.
ATLANTA. 1895.
And numerous other Fairs and Expositions.
Kir° The Plectrophone is a simple deviee, cannot get out of order and
actually preserves the hammer felts and adds to durability of the Piano.
THE JOHN CHURCH CO.,
CINCINNATI, or CHICAGO,
Atlanta Offlce-99 PEACHTREE STREET.
The
Bane
of
Beauty.
Beauty’s bane is®
the fading or falling of
the hair. Luxuriant
tresses are far more to the
matron than to the maid whose casket
of charms is yet uurifled by time.
Beautiful women will lie glad to be .
reminded that falling or fading hair
is unknown to those who use
Ayer’s Hair Vigor.
you so”—that slice of lemon we slip
so often into the mouth of our neigh
bor.
His looks of relief and gruff thanks
were her only rewards; but she did not
mind that, and started off with a
cheery "good-by” to mother, who stood
watching her from the window.
It was not pleasant out of doors; for
the sleety rain beat against her face,
and she had a long walk before her.
So she scarcely heeded a little child
who was timidly trying to cross a
swollen drain, and the “Please help me
over" struck her as rather an unpleas
ant interruption. Suddenly she re
membered the sugar, and took out an
other lump.
With ready hand and strong arm
she jumped the little girl over the gut
ter and helped her to cross the slip
pery pavement, landing her safely on
her own doorstep; then, not waiting
for thanks, hurried off to school.
vve all know how many opportuni
ties of sweetening are given there. A
kind word, a lesson helped, a lunch
shared, and you will not be surprised
to find mat when Ethel started for
home she had but one lump left of
the five she had taken with her in the
morning. Thinking of this as she
walked slowly along, determining to
save it up for some great occasion,
she was startled by such a prodigious
roar near by that she nearly dropped
her books in the street. The explana
tion was ludicrous. In the middle of
a sloppy, half-frozen pool a little boy
was seated; and it was wonderful to
see how much noise could come from
sucu a small cause.
Farther up the street ran a larger
boy, dragging a sled, and prancing in
imitation of half a dozen wild horses,
apparently unconscious of the fact
that there was a "passenger aboard
who had been left behind.”
“Oh, dear: ’ Ethel thought, half re
gretfully; “must my last lump go to
comfort that little rascal?”
Her hesitation was but momentary;
then, stooping down, she lifted the
small traveler to his feet and sent a
call after the runaway steed which
brought him to a full stop.
But It was not easy to comfort the
little feuow: he was completely under
way and his mouth opened again for
another roar, which closed abruptly,
for into the yawning cavern was
pushed something soft and sweet, and
th. yell could be postponed until that
was settled.
The other boy now joined them,
and to him Ethel delivered a little lec
tme, sweetened with another choco
late drop, then started the pair off
again, seemingly on the best of terms.
“Now, I am out of sugar,” she said
to herself, “and I must hurry home
as fast as I can. for fear of seeing some
one I cannot help.”
That night, while talking things
over with her mother, she told her of
the teacher’s idea, and her own man
ner of carrying it out.
"But, dear me, mother,” she added,
with a merry laugh, “it will never do
to limit one’s self to five, or ten, or
twenty lumps. One must just carry
the whole sugar bowl along.”—Sun
day-School Times.