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TheChristianlndex
T P. BELL. I Editors
I J. VAN NESS, f
BIBLE WORK
The Religious Herald has called
attention to the decline in gifts
for Bible distribution among
Southern Baptists. At the re
quest of the Herald, Dr. Lansing
Burrows has examined the sta
tistics of the Associations, and
reports practically no gifts for
this object. Indeed, all the Bap
tists of the country do but little
comparatively. The American
Bible Society has never been
popular among Baptists for rea
sons well known. These reasons
have fully justified Baptists in
•withholding’ their support from
this institution. Since the Amer
ican and Foreign Bible Society
■was done away with, Southern
Baptists have given little for the
direct distribution of the Scrip
tures.
As Baptists, we surely cannot
afford to let the work of furnish
ing Bibles be neglected. South
ern Baptists are proud of their
loyalty to the Word of God, and
they ought to be foremost in its
distribution Alongside of every
missionary effort we ought to put
an equal effort to send the printed
Word of God. In hundreds of
districts in our own and other
States, can be found a destitution
that would be appalling if we
could but realize it. < )ur cities
are not exempt from this great
need. We have well organized
mediums of distribution in con
nection with our general mission
forces, at home and abroad.
A great point is that we can
make a little go a great ways in
this work. Our Sunday School
Board has already done no little,
at an expenditure so insigniti
cant that it has hardly been a
feature attracting attention in
their reports. Appreciating the
needs they have already made
arrangements to extend this
work. No additional force would
be needed toconduct this depart
ment in a most extensive way.
They have every facility, so that
practically every dollar would go
into a Bible. A few dollars from
each of our churches would equip
an agency of untold power. We
doubt that any present oppor
tunity can be pointed out where
so little can be made to do so
very much.
We commend this to the breth
ren everywhere. The Sunday
School Board has not asked
contributions for this cause, but
they will gladly receive any vol
untarily sent. We hope the next
Southern Baptist Convention
will, in some way, give shape to
this Bible work and instruct the
Sunday School Board to solicit
contributions for this purpose.
The Sunday School Board has
sometimes boasted that it did not
ask for collections, but we have
never sympathized with this. It
is not good for Boards to forego
collections. The Sunday School
Board would be greatly strength
ened in the hearts of the people
by such a course. No measure, we
feel sure, would be more popular.
In closing, we would suggest,
to any one desirious of doing con
tinual good, that they present
the Sunday School Board with a
sufficient endowment, on condi
tion that a plant, capable of
printing copies of the Scriptures,
be established, and Bibles, to the
amount of a fair interest thereon,
be freely distributed every year.
Such a plant would not only give
us a source of Bible supply of
our own, but could be used in
publishing our literature. If one
man or woman cannot give a sum
large enough, why cannot sev
eral give on condition that an
adequate sum be raised.
THE BAPTIST CONGRESS
We called attention to this
meeting a week or -so ago and
desire once more to bring it into
prominence. The Congress meets
in Nashville, November 10th,
11th and 12th. The Congress
deals only with set themes and
transacts no denominational busi
ness. It simply furnishes a
forum for free discussion. At
times this liberty may have been
abused, but from a reading of the
proceedings of past meetings, we
are persuaded that even this has
been exaggerated. The Congress
has lived long enough to show
that it must be of value. The
novelty of a set program on
themes of sterling value ought to
attract Southern Baptists.
The attendance is rarely large,
but it always includes men of
national reputation. We believe
that our country pastors would
especially enjoy the thoughtful
addresses and the associations of
such a meeting. It ought to
f .rnish a mental stimulus for
all. Now and then it is good for
us to become listeners again. It
is to be hoped also that the
attendance will be fully up to the
usual mark, as indicating the in
terest of Southern Baptists in
such discussions. Our observa
tion is that Southern Baptist
preachers are as well informed
and read as good books as any
preachers. We should like to
see this session of the Congress
give tangible evidence of our
high degree. It is our one place
of common meeting just now.
The Nashville brethren offer
free entertainment to any who
desire it, and have arranged re
duced rates at all of the hotels.
The railroads will also probably
offer a reduced rate for tne round
trip. Tne Western and A Jan tic
have trains leaving Atlanta 8
a. m. and 8:20 p. m., reaching
Nashville at 7:30 p. m. and 7
a. m. The grounds and buildings
for the Centennial Exposition are
in fine shape and well worth a
visit. We presume many other
excursions will be provided, as
Nashville is now very hospitably
inclined.
THE PLAIN WORDS OF SCRIP
TORE.
Very much of modern theolog
ical thought is based upon what
is called the general trend of
Scripture teaching. Instead of
proof texts, we are given impres
sions made by a summing up of
the broad outlines of Christ’s life
or of Christ’s teachings. We are
told that it is not the letter, but
the Spirit that claims our allegi
ance. This is prominent in all
the liberalizing tendencies of our
day.
There is much of delusion in
this idea, beautiful as it is, in
many of its results. It is apt to
have intermingled with it impres
sions from other books than the
Bible. Poets and others, who
deal with religious thoughts, get
confused in our mind, and their
trend is as powerful as the Scrip
lure trend. It is an attitude also
that brings a prejudging mind to
Scripture truth. We make the
exegeses to fit the mental con
ceptions we already have. Even
when we disabuse our minds of
these outside impressions, it is
very difficult to avoid the ob
scuring of some important sides
of truth, in our effort to get at
the general trend. It is very
seldom that this general tenden
cy of Scripture produces the same
result in different minds. It is
simply human minds guessing at
divine truth.
Revelation has been embodied
in words. Whatever our theory
of inspiration, it comes at last to
the conviction that the actual
Scripture words,as we have them,
are essential to the best ex pression
of the revealed truth. One verse
of Scripture, stated in the lan
guage of the Bible writers, is
more certain than all the restate
ments that men can make. No
verse of Scripture can be ignored.
A theory that can put back of
each of its parts a passage cor
rectly used and interpreted, is
the best theory. A theory that
has to appeal not to definite
verses, but to the general trend,
is to be watched very carefully.
We have been impressed with
this anew by the discussion
among our Methodist brethren
of the theories of one of their
number. This discussion is of
little moment to others, as its
advocacy has but little to com
mend it. The theory vaguely
presents the church, the family,
or the community, as the mother
in regeneration. The best an
swer would be to ask for a text
of Scripture to prove such an
idea. Os course none would be
foithcoming. It is but agener
alization, and a very flimsy one
at that. To be sure the whole
pedobaptist position as to infant
baptism is based on the same
avoidance of direct Scripture re
ference.
We are not altogether con
demning efforts to catch the great
general trend of Scripture histo
ry and teaching. We are simply
trying to show that we must al
ways be subject to the individual
texts of Scripture as a test of
our generalizations. After we
have made our efforts to catch
the general sweep of Bible truth
we must not ignore single texts.
In fact, we must always test and
prove our theories by the Bible
words. We can be saved from
the vagaries of our own and other
minds only by adhering to the
words as recorded.
BIBLE INSTITUTE AT EASTMAN.
This school for preachers and
Christian workers will begin at
Eastman on Dec. Ist, and con
tinue two months. Rev. B. D.
Ragsdale will give his time for
the entire two months, and sev
eral able brethren will lend help
from time to time.
Quarters in the magnificent
Upland Hotel, with furnishings,
are at the free disposal of the
brethren. There are a hundred
bedrooms, and extra large office,
dining room, etc. Brethren-will
take along sheets, blankets,. pil
lows and a few toilet articles.
They will arrange for their own
board on co-operative plan, at a
cost not exceeding $7 or $8 per
month. The books that will be
actually needed, in addition to
the Bible, will cost only $2 or $3.
There will be no charges for tui
tion.
This school is arranged for by
the New Eoenezer Association,
but is open to brethren from all
parts of the State. A fine op
portunity is presented in this
school for brethren who cannot
take the more extended course
of college or seminary.
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX : THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1896.
Eastman is a delightful town,
58 miles below Macon. Write to
Pastor J C. Brewton, at East
man, for any special information,
and send in your name to him as
soon as you decide to attend.
A DANGEROUS ARGUMENT.
It is well in the heat of one
controversy to remember that
there may be other controversies,
and not use methods of argument
that may be turned against us.
We have been reminded of this
by reading some arguments used
to overthrow the position that
immersion was introduced in
England in 1641. It is contended,
to offset the quotations seeming
ly favorable to that view, that if
we knew more of the period we
should find the practice of im
mersion. It is stated that the
Baptists were everywhere per
secuted and opposed, and that
these records were not preserved.
All of this may be true. Yet it is
very dangerous to use it, any fur
ther than to modify the positive
ness of the stated facts.
As an example, suppose it is
urged against the Baptist claim of
t ie participation of only imne sed
believers in the Lird’s sup
per. Our argument takes all the
known cases of observance in the
Scripture as its basis, and sub
stantiates them by the logic of
the relationship between the or
di nances. Suppose now some
one rises up against us with the
charge that these cases are but
few, and that the indications are
plain that the ordinance was
constantly observed. If these
cases were recorded, he will
claim, the opposite observance to
that which we claim might be
shown. Os course the answer is
that the cases that are given are
all one way, and that what we do
have is stronger evidence than
supposed evidence that we do not
have. This answer is a good one,
and it is incontrovertible.
Our contention, however, is
that the pedobaptist argument
from silence as to the historical
facts about the Lord’s supper has
no value, and that the tame ar
gument from silence about the
Baptists of the seventeenth cen
tury has little value either. It
may lead us to a less positive
statement about the 1641 episode,
but that question can only be set
tled by facts produced, not by im
aginations as to what the facts
would be if they were obtaina
ble. We hope efforts to exam
ine all the available literature
will be made and facts produced.
We have received a letter from
two of the most honored brethren
in the State in which is the fol
lowing paragraph :
You call attention in your columns to
the fact that the presidential candidates
of both the Democratic and Republican
parties were men of good personal char
acter-members of evangelical
churches, etc. We would kindly ask
that you mention in the same way the
Hon. Joshua Layering, the candidate of
the Prohibition party for the presidency.
Surely you could not recommend him
too highly. He is a man that stands like
a tower for all that is pure, true and
noble—one of the South's leading Bap
tist layman, noted for philanthropy and
liberality towards all benevolent ob
jects—a God-fearing and eminently
successful business man.
It did not seem to us necessary
to say these things in the edito
rial in question, as we had said
practically the same more than
once. Bro. Levering well de
serves all that is said of him here,
and more, if more can be said,
and as invividuals, the editors of
the Index would be glad did they
have the privilege of casting a
vote for him. They are disfran
ehised, however, by reason of in
sufficient time of residence in the
State. But while their personal
preferences would lead them to
such action, they have not felt
that it would be wise to open
the columns of the Index to arti
cles advocating even the election
of one whom they would so
gladly see in the White House. It
is our purose to keep the Index
absolutely clear of politics, or
advocacy of any individual's elec
tion, or party’s triumph.
We appreciate the fact that this
question of prohibition is in a
large sense a moral one, but so it
is claimed by many follower of
Mr. Bryan, for free silver,
and by those of Mr. McKinley,
for gold. Just now the Christian
pulpits of the North and West
are sounding out the party claims
on the ground that the question
of silver or gold is one of honesty
or dishonesty. The margin be
tween all great political issues
and great moral issues is so
small that it is hard to distinguish
often. We must keep the Index
clear of any possibility of being
made the arena for political dis
cussions. Let us have one paper
in our homes which we can read,
and our families enjoy, which is
absolutely free from the vexed
and vexing questions of politics.
There is now before the people
of Georgia a full electoral ticket
for the Prohibition party, as
well as the other parties. It con
tains the names of such well
known Baptists as C. B. Wil
lingham, T. H. Stout, and R. E
L. Harris. We can only say to
our brethren, when you vote,
vote in the fear of God, after
prayer, and as far as you can
see it, for the best interests of
the home, the State and the na
tion.
The more we have seen of the
pulpit political, or rather party,
utterances of ministers at the
North, and the comments thereon
of newspapers, both religious
and secular, the more firmly are
we persuaded that a minister
makes a grie/ous mistake when
he leaves the preaching of Christ
and him crucified to discuss
political issues. And it does not
materially alter the case to say
that these political issues involve
moral questions. So they may,
and the moral questions ought to
be discussed, but not in such a
way as to cause such discussion
to degenerate into political
speech-making, or party ha
ranguing, largely denunciatory
of political opponents. Neither
Paul, who was brought into close
contact with very abominable
political conditions, nor Paul’s
Master, ever set any such exam
pie to be followed by ministers
of thia or any other country.
They were busy trying to save
men's souls, not determining
whether their dollars should te
silver or gold. Not a few
preachers are making very un
seemly exhibitions of themselves,
as, forsaking the preaching of
salvation, they are hurling anath
ema’s against their fellows be
caui-e they dislike their politico
financial creeds. If the Holy
Spirit moves ministers to this
sort of thing, he must have
changed since the time when he
anointed the great preacher to
preach the Gospel to the poor, to
heal the broken-hearted, to
preach deliverance to the cap
tives, to announce the acceptable
year of the Lord. When human
hate takes the place of divine
love in the message of the minis
ters of Jesus, it is an evil day.
And this seems to be the case
whenever these ministers de
scend to political discussion in
their pulpits.
Although somewhat late, we
desire to congratulate Dr. A. J.
Rowland and the American Bap
tist Publication Society, on the
recently completed building for
the manufacturing purposes of
the society. It was opened with
appropriate ceremonies a short
time ago. The statement is made
that it has the most perfect
equipment of any similar concern
in the country. We are glad to
record this fact. The last few
years has seen a great advance
in the mechanical work of book
making part of the Socie
only
beautiful
in appearance. The work now
done is surpassed by no one.
That is a most suggestive in
cident related by Dr. Holt, as oc
curing at the Tennessee Conven
tion. Our good brother, as will
be seen on another page, came
fora rumpus, and was so disgust
ed with the praying and singing
spirit displayed that he left
hurriedly for home. He was an
editor, and the last two or three
months would demoralize almost
any ordinary editor. The broth
er’s name was not mentioned,but
of course it was not Dr. Gambrell,
or Dr. Folk, or Dr. Harvey.
They do say that Rev. J. N. Hall,
one of the editors of the Western
Recorder, was atjthe Convention
and that he left early.
We hope at some future time
to give some impression of a
short trip to New York. We de
sire to commend to those con
templating such a trip the Sea
board Air Line and the Old Do
minion Steamship Co. via Nor
folk. If a hasty trip is not es
sential, this is an ideal journey.
The Seaboard Air Line gives a
rapid and comfortable journey
to Norfolk. Norfolk well repays
a day’s stop, and when Norfolk
gets tiresome, a short sail takes
you to Old Point Comfort. The
sail by steamer to New York is
made in twenty hours. The
steamers are among the best.
It seems that Christianity is
not to have exclusive use of “Al
phabet Societies.” Buddhism in
Japan already flaunts its Y. P. S.
B. E., and its Y. M. B. A. It is
organizing Young Men’s Bud
dhist Associations and Young
People's Societies of Buddhist
Endeavor.
Not even the Kohinoor dia
mond is worth a fraud. Fraud is
the highest price that we can pay
for anything, and yet a price that
can never make anything truly
our own. We gain nothing by it;
nay, we lose ourselves.
Bishop Hendrix, on his recent visit
to Southern Methodist Mission fields
in the East, held an interview with Li
Hung-Chang, whom he pronounces
“the greatest living Asiatic,” and who
charged him with this message: "Say
to the American people for me to send
over more men for the schools and
hospitals, and I hope to be in a po
sition both to protect and to aid
them.” We hope for a more general
response to the older and higher mes
sage from Christ to American Chris
tians, for men a»d women for the ce
lestial State. To prepare for it in the
fullest degree and to the best effect,
we need here the things which will be
ours in heaven, the things which
make it heavenly to us in proportion
as we possess them —love and truth.
yDhat the gtaptUt
(Editors
The Baptist Layman: A danger like
to this confronts us now, brought
about mainly by the utterances of one
of our Baptist papers. The Baptist
public mind has been kept for months
feverishly apprehensive of disloyalty
and treachery within our own lines.
The object of this suspicion is the
President of our Seminary; and many
associations, especially in Kentucky,
have passed resolutions condemning
him and asking for his removal. If
he is guilty of disloyalty to the truth,
he ought most surely to be removed
from the presidency of our great
school; and, more than that, from all
connection with the Seminary. But
we ought not to condemn him un
heard; we cannot afford to do our
selves that great wrong. All the
while this clamor has been about his
head, he has been silent, until lately
he has spoken through his book—-
“A Question in Baptist History.”
Now that he has uttered himself in
answer to much that has been said
against him, we owe it to ourselves
to hear him first and then to judge
him. Have you read his book? Do
you know what his personal belief as
a Baptist is? Do you understand
clearly what he has attempted to do,
and how he has done it? From these
considerations have you decided in
your own mind whether or not he is
worthy of the confidence of the de
nomination? Loyalty to Christ does
not demand injustice to our brother;
neither does it absolve us from the
obligation to hear him before we de
nounce him.
The Word and Way: God is not ar
bitrary in his requirements. The
tasks he gives us are given in love.
There is nothing, nothing given his
people to do, that they do not need to
do. There is a reflex influence in all
doing and giving and living for God,
that is health to the soul of him who
thus does and gives and lives. In the
absolute sense, there is nothing we
can do for God. We can make no
contribution to his fulness. When we
serve God we serve ourselves. Our
best service to God is our best ser
vice to ourselves. And this is the only
way in which we can render to our
selves a real service. But self must
not be thought of in the doing. Only
as we work for God, does it react help
fully on us. While the Christian lite,
in this world, is a pilgrimage to an
other life, it is a disciplinary pilgrim
age. The earthly father who imposes
labor-exercise and study on his child,
does so for the child’s good. The
child is inclined to play rather than
study, and may think his father se
vere, but the father knows best and
his love for his child determines for
the child what is best. Do let us re
member that God is our Father, and
that our labor, our gifts, our self-de
nials, our afflictions are imposed by
him. We are in school. We must be
educated. We must pay the price.
The Standard: Mr. Geistweit has
made a telling point in his first page
article. Who of us has not felt indig
nant as he noticed how a speaker de
liberately took the time which, accord
ing to the program, belonged to an
other. Yet no one of us has called,
“Stop thief.” While he was at it he
might have indicated one or two other
ways by which a speaker may un
fairly treat his fellow upon a pro
gram. As it seems to us, it is not
fair, not to describe the action in more
forcible terms, when two speakers are
assigned each to a separate division
of one subject for the first speaker to
deliberately discuss the other speak
er’s topic in order to introduce his
own. Nor is it fair, either, after a
first speaker has conscientiously kept
within the time limit, for the second
speaker then to consume two or three
times the allotted period in order to
show how well he can “handle” the
topic. In each instance the offender
shows selfishness, even if he is not a
breaker of the eighth commandment.
It is by no manner of means in re
ligious conventions alone that such
unfair conduct is exemplified. Some
of us have attended political meetings
this fall.
The Western Recorder: It is a mis
take to say that the whole life of
Christ was redemptive. A good many
preachers are “transferring the em
phasis,” as they call it, from the death
of Christ to the incarnation of Christ;
and the result is they are preaching a
Gospel of the manger instead of the
Gospel of the cross. Paul said, by
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “God
forbid that I should glory, save in the
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The
life of Christ was to obey the law for
us. His righteousness (i. e. his right
doing) is imputed to us, and thus we
are justified. He did right and we
did wrong. His right-doing is im
puted to us, and our wrong-doing is
imputed to him. The life of Christ
was indispensable in the scheme of
salvation, but it was not redemptive.
It is not written that Christ lived for
our sins, according to the Scriptures;
any more than it is written that
Christ was born for our sins, accord
ing to the Scriptures. But it is writ
ten "Christ died for our sins according
to the Scriptures.”
The Watchman: If we do not mis
take, one of the serious perils of the
specialist work, that is just now so
popular, is that the specialist by the
very law of his being is a man of re
stricted outlook. He lacks "the com
prehensive head.” He goes to work
in Biblical archeology, criticism or
history, and from one point of view
reaches certain conclusions. These are
put forth as authoritative. It is as
sumed that those who do not accept
them are hopelessly obtuse or ignor
ant, but the fact may be that it is the
man who is not a specialist who has
the wider outlook, a juster sense of
proportion and a more trustworthy
faculty of co-ordinating results. There
is no such hopeless provincialism as
that which is often found in men who
have devoted themselves to one de
partment of work, and have not been
in the habit of looking at things in
the large, and co-ordinating their re
sults with the conclusions of other
workers in other departments.
The Journal and Messenger: Speak
ing, at a recent meeting of Church of
England people at Shrewsbury, Lord
Halifax declared that “there can be no
hope of reunion (between the Church
of Rome and the Church of England)
so far as the Church of England is
concerned, except on the basis of the
recognition of our orders.” And so we
can as confidently say to Lord Hali
fax and to the world that there can
be no hope of "reunion,” so far as
Baptists are concerned, except on the
basis of the recognition of our orders.
Perhaps—probably—we should de
mand a good deal more than that —
even that State churchism give place
to the Gospel of Christ.
The Central Baptist: Educated men,
sincere it may be but not free from
the weakness which corrupt the other
exercises of life, undertake to recon
struct not only the Bible, but to de
termine on grounds of reason and to
define the principles of divine govern
ment. Intellectual pride is having its
inning. Philosophies without number
and Biblical criticisms of all grades
demand recognition and acceptance.
Whatever men may be in other exer
cises of their powers, infallibility is
claimed for them in deciding what the
Word of God ought to say, and what
ought to be the methods which heaven
follows in guiding the affairs of this
world. It has grown very easy to con
vict God of blundering. A sophomore
can point out the mistakes of Moses
and of all the other inspired writers.
In order to make the conclusions
easier, the conception of inspiration
has been diluted so as not to interfere
with the oppositions or criticisms.
Not the least dangerous feature of this
intellectual pride is the patronizing
air which it puts on. It professes to
honor God and explain his govern
ment so as to make it acceptable to
reason. By and by the world will
learn that God was speaking the truth
when he said that as the heavens are
higher than the earth so are his ways
and his thoughts higher than the ways
and thoughts of men.
The Commonwealth: The death is
announced of a generous man of
wealth, who gave away all he had and
ended his life in a poor-house. A
monument ought to be erected to
his memory by his beneficiaries. A
man who has received Senators and
Presidents, and who afterwards dies
in a poor-house through his generosi
ty, ought to be remembered now that
he has gone, even though his name
was Smith. The case is rare enough.
If any one is tempted to be frightened
by it, let him, before he tightens his
purse strings, take a careful inventory
of what he has really given away in
the last year. It might be good for
us perhaps to be alarmed just long
enough to complete such an exercise
in arithmetic. A thousand men die
before their time from a hardened
heart to one who steps from the poor
house to heaven because he had given
away all he possessed.
The Evangel: But while we do not
wish to champion long prayers, we
are wishing to defend them. They are
not to be scowled out of existence be
cause they are unusually long. The
fact is, that the crusade against long
prayers is led by prayerless people.
They do not pray and do not listen
to the prayers of others. They retain
barely enough decorum to bow their
heads on the back of the bench, and
play the part of worshipers. But they
do not worship. They do nothing but
wait for the end of the prayer. They
get tired of holding their heads down
and thinking about nothing, and the
time drags on their hands. The
prayer seems long to them, but it is
only the prejudice of an outsider.
They have taken no part in it. Pray
ing people do not often quarrel about
the length of other people’s prayers.
The Baptist Inquirer: If you do not
see the way, go as far as you do see and
the way will open up before you. We
are more and more convinced that the
way to find out the whole truth is to
be true to the partial task you have.
He who wills to do the right will find
out the right. This fact has repre
sented itself upon us in the study of
Baptist history, that the whole truth
did not flash upon our forefathers all
at once. It was only as they sep
arated themselves from this or that
wrong doctrine or practice that the
way opened up before them. First of
all they became "separate.” They
would have no fellowship with that
which was wrong no matter what the
world said, or how fiercely they were
persecuted. And therefore more and
more clearly every day they saw the
truth because they were true.
The Religious Herald: Ail right,
most estimable Index! If you can in
duce Baptists throughout the whole
territory of the Southern Convention
to understand that they own the For
eign Board, and that they ought to
rally to its support at this crisis, we
will forgive and forget your tempo
rary lapse, and will do what we can
to induce a similar feeling with refer
ence to the Home Board. But we
cannot forbear to remark that the
chief difficulty in our work does not
seem to us to lie in the assumption
of ownership by the communities in
which the boards are located, so much
as m the disposition of other commu
nities to renounce ownership and con
sequent responsibility. But Bell and
Van Ness are beloved brethren none
the less.
The Alabama Baptist: In his brief
address of welcome at the opening of
the Seminary Dr. Whitsitt is reported
as saying that he did not know wheth
er there would be an increase in num
bers or not, but he hoped to see an
increase in other directions. He sin
cerely hoped to see "an increase of
studious exertion, an increase of pious
fervor, an increase of real Holy Ghost
religion in our hearts.” “I will count
the session the greatest success if it is
characterized by gentleness, love and
earnest zeal. We stand for good learn
ing,” he said, "as good as anybody has.
Let us also stand for good religion. We
want you to be scholars; but, above
ters.” The words were certainly
all, we want you to be efficient minis
timely and "fitly spoken”—"like ap
ples of gold in pictures of silver.”
The Baptist and Reflector: America
is the land of freedom. We want no
"tyrants” here, even though they
“come in the garb of shepherds,” and
when such persons begin to exercise
“arbitrary power” and “lord it over
their clergy and laity,” then the
American people will rebel every
time. The only difference between
this Roman Catholic priest and the
great body of the people in this coun
try is that the light is just beginning
to dawn upon his mind, and the free
air of America has evidently just be
gun to affect his system. We hope
that he will say with us, “Down with
tyrants, in whatever garb they come.”
The Baptist News: Some people say,
“Do not emphasize denominational
differences.” This means that a Bap
tist must not emphasize the doctrine
of salvation by grace through faith,
nor the doctrine of a converted
church membership, nor the form and
design of Christian baptism, nor the
relative order of baptism and the
Lord’s Supper. When Baptists con
sent to such a requirement they might
as well shut up shop. Wherein we
differ from others furnishes the only
reason for our separate existence as a
people.
FIELD NOTES.
Brother R. B. Taylor, of Richmond,
Va.: We thank you much. O. K.
Brother B. D. Ragsdale begins a
Bible Institute at Nashville, Berrien
county, on the fourth of November.
Now let every preacher, deacon and
Sunday-school worker In fifty miles at
tend.
There are twenty students In Mer
cer who will have to leave college on
the first day of January next unless
sufficient help Is sent to continue
them. Now let every pastor in Geor
gia bring this matter before their
churches in dead earnest, and help
now.
Brethren and sisters, you whom
God has blessed with money: God has
called from the plow-handle, the plane
and saw-handle, and from the humble
walks of life some twenty-five young
men to preach his glorious Gospel.
They are at Mercer; God wants you
to help them now. How many of you
will adopt one of these and pay their
; way through Mercer? Won’t you?
j Pray over it and write me at once;
take action now.
Errata. —The types made us say
that the Georgia Association met in
its one hundred and "twentieth” ses
sion last week. It should have been
I “twelfth” instead of “twentieth,” and
brethren J. H. Kilpatrick and Albert
; Cummings w’ere not "selected,” but
' “re-elected” moderator and clerk.
The field editor of The Index most
i heartily agrees with the answer given
by brother F. C. McConnell in The
i Baptist Leader—a few weeks back —
to the following question:
Ques.—ls there any impropriety or
danger of uniting Church and State
for a church or an association to pe
tition the legislature of a State to
pass certain temperance measures?
Ans. —Most assuredly not. Any pe
tition of this kind is only in the na
ture of a demand for protection
against the influences of dealers and
drinkers. I cannot see how a petition
; could be so framed as to violate the
principles of separation between
Church and State. If the petition
I should contain anything that implored
the legislature to establish any law
of temperance in the churches or make
: any provisional test of church mem
bership, that would be violative of the
I constitutional liberties of our country,
i But if I understand the question it is
’ proposed that the churches and asso
ciations shall send to the legislature
a document setting forth their desire
I to have legislation on the whisky traf
fic favorable to good morality and
j consequently favorable to good citi
zenship. In this I can see nothing
Improper. It is of exactly the same
nature as the memorials sent to the
Congress of our country in olden
times making a plea for laws grant-
I ing religious liberty. Law is meant
to protect the citizen in the exercise
I of his rights as a citizen, and the right
I of petition to that end belongs to all
: the citizens in all their several capaci-
I ties.
Pastor W. S. Rogers, of Lake City,
Fla., has resigned the care of our
church there and has accepted the
care of our churches at Waynesboro
and Millen, Georgia—left vacant by
the death of brother W. L. Kilpatrick.
Brother Rogers will live at Waynes
boro.
Brother Julian S. Rodgers, of Ma
con, has given up all secular business,
■ and has entered into the ministry. He
is a full graduate of Mercer. He is
about thirty years old. Pastor E. B.
I Carroll, of Vineville, says he is a fine
; preacher, and recommends him to the
! churches.
HEPHZIBAH ASSOCIATION.
This old body of Baptists met in its
one hundred and second annual ses
sion at Davisboro, Ga., last Tuesday.
The opening sermon was preached by
brother J. H. Carswell from I Cor.
6:19-20. The sermon was a good and
I timely one, and was well received.
Brother Lansing Burrows, of Augusta,
was elected moderator. He made one
i of the best in the world. Brother W.
M. Verdery, of Martinez, was re-elect
ed clerk. Brethren R. H. Smith and
I H. R. Bernard were on hand and rep
resented the orphans and Mercer in
first-class style. Brother H. Hatcher
was stepping around among the breth-
I ren.
Wednesday at 10 a. m. a special
memorial service was had in honor of
the memory of brother W. L. Kilpat
rick, deceased. Brother Burrows
| called Professor C. H. S. Jackson, of
Hephzibah, to the chair to conduct
the solemn exercises. “Asleep in Je
sus" was sweetly sang, lining out the
verses in the old way. Brother W.
J. Rogers, of Steelville, led in prayer.
Brethren Lansing Burrows and W. M.
Verdery were the chosen speakers
present. Brother Burrows read a mas
i terly paper descriptive of the life and
. character of brother Kilpatrick. The
paper was requested for publication in
The Index by the field editor. It was
referred to a special committee, who
! will make such disposition of it as will
satisfy the body; it may be put in
tract form. Brother W. M. Verdery
read and spoke next, confining his re
marks mostly to the whole Kilpatrick
■ family, living and dead. Short ad
’ dresses were delivered by brethren
James F. Edens, W. H. Norton, H.
| Hatcher, C. M. Wilkinson, R. E. L.
Harris, Joshua Smith and W. S.
Rogers. Thus ended one of the sweet
j est and most profoundly tender me
j mortals we ever participated in. We
left the meeting Wednesday at noon
; for the Ebenezer Association. Breth
ren Alonzo Holmes and Jackson Orr,
with their dear families at Davisboro,
lodged and cared for this scribe most
graciously. We are very grateful.
The Davisboro saints gave the associa
! tion a royal welcome and entertain
ment.
EBENEZER ASSOCIATION.
This body met in its annual session
with the Oconee church, twelve miles
from Dublin, on last Wednesday. We
did not reach the meeting until Thurs
day at 10 a. m. Brother F. B. Asbell
preached the opening sermon. The
brethren reported favorably of its
merits. Brother H. Turner Smith, of
Dublin, preached a fine sermon at the
stand on Wednesday afternoon.
Brethren W. S. Ramsey and H. F.
Carswell were re-elected moderator
and clerk; both make fine officers.
Mercer, the orphans, the A. B. P. So
ciety and The Index were represented
by the usual field men of these insti
tutions. Each cause was well re
ceived and responded to. The report
on missions was presented and spoken
to by brother J. Ware Brown. Both
the report and speech were very fine.
We feel sure that the cause of mis
sions will move forward in the Ebe
nezer Association after this meeting