Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

2 ©nr y nip it. BAPTISTS AND REGENERATION. PREACHED TO BROADWAY BAPTIST CHURCH, LOUISVILLE, KY., BY W. L. PICKARD, D.D., OCTOBUR 11, 189 t!. "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, 1 say unto thee, except a man be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3. "They then that received his word were baptized." Acts 2:41. In the "Introductory” to his book, “A Question in Baptist History,” Dr. Whitsitt. uses this language: “Im mersion as a religious rite was prac ticed by John the Baptist about the year 30 of our era, and was solemnly enjoined by our Savior upon all his ministers to the end of time. No other observance was in use for bap tism in New Testament times.” It is not an insignificant fact that John, who introduced the rite of bap tism, is called in the language of in spiration, John —The Baptizer. Nor is it insignificant that the world now calls John's followers in this rite Bap tists. What John did named him — what we do names us. We are Bap tists because we baptize. But it is not of baptism I wish especially to speak to-day, but that for which Bap tists stand that is greater than bap tism. A REGENERATD CHURCH MEMBER SHIP. When John the Baptizer began to preach, his message was: "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matt. 3:2. “Then went out unto all Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Phari sees and Sadducees coming to his bap tism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? bring forth, therefore, fruit worthy of repentance: and think not to say within your selves, We have Abraham to our fa ther; for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up chil dren unto Abraham. Matt. 3: 5-9. Here John insists on “repentance” and "fruit worthy of repentance” before he would baptize persons. He refused to baptize the Pharisees and Saddu cees because they had not brought forth the evidence of repentance. Further, he told these dignitaries that before they could receive the ordinance without first having repented, God would, by miracle, raise up children to Abraham, who, like their father Abraham, could have faith in God and Christ, and that these spiritual chil dren of Abraham should receive bap tism. It is evident that John the Baptizer insisted strongly on a change of heart before he would baptize any one. We then have Jesus introduced as follows: "Then corneth Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John would have hindered him, saying: 1 have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? But Jesus answering said unto him: Suffer it now, for thus it be cometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffereth him. And Jesus when he was baptized went up straightway from the water: and 10, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descend ing as a dove, and coming upon him; and 10, a voice out of the heavens, say ing, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matt. 3: 13-17. Jesus was then led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And after the temptation he began to preach, and what was the message? "Repent ye, for the king dom of heaven is at hand.” Here lie uses exactly the language of John, mightily emphasizing the necessity of repentance as an evidence of a change of heart. Later on he visits Jerusalem, and while there one Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, visits him, and in the famous interview between Jesus and Nicode mus, Jesus affirms the absolute neces sity of a regenerated heart, using these words: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3: 3. Thus our Lord, who is “head over all things to the church,” clearly teaches that the supreme need of the human soul is that it should be made new. Christ says unless a man is born anew he cannot see the kingdom of God —much less can he enter into it. Time sweeps on. Christ is cruci fied, is buried, and is raised from the dead. After this great event, and just before his ascension, he gives his "great commission” to his disciples, which is: "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every crea ture; baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have com manded you.” Then he ascends to the Father and sends the Holy Spirit, whom, before his crucifixion, he had promised. Under the direct power of the Holy Spirit Peter preached that Christ has been crucified and raised from the dead, and that men should repent of sin, and three thousand souls were added unto them. But, before they were baptized, they were "pierced in their hearts” and gladly received the word, even as the Scriptures say: "They then that received his word were baptized.” Thus the apostle on the day of Pentecost emphasized the necessity of regeneration before bap tism. In the famous case of Philip and the eunuch, Philip read the Scrip tures, explained them, the eunuch be lieved, then Philip baptized him. Acts 8: 26-39. Before Lydia’s baptism “the Lord opened her heart” to attend to the word which Saul preached. Thus in every case mentioned in the New Testament, where persons entered into Christian life and church life, the change of heart—"regeneration"—is either directly set forth or clearly Im plied. For this great teaching of our Lord, Baptists of the first century, and Bap tists of all ages have stood conspicu ously and firmly. No doctrine in con nection with church life is more clear ly taught in the New Testament, and no other doctrine is to be compared to it in importance. Without it, all other teaching is useless. Without re generation there is no salvation, no justification, no sanctification, no glo rification. Without it baptism is meaningless, and so-called worship is vain. The people, therefore, who stand for this doctrine are a necessity to the world. If there were but one man in all the world who believed this, he would be entitled to everlasting re membrance by all the balance of the race. Baptists, then, stand for the Bible doctrine of a regenerated church membership—-or a Christian unit, and a Christian union—pure individual, pure church. In nearly all efforts to define a New Testament church, we find such ex pressions as these: “A church is com posed of baptized believers,” etc. Baptists have laid much stress on fol lowing Christ's example and com mandment as to baptism, and rightly so. They are sound on the doctrine of regeneration, but have not insisted strongly enough, I think, that this is our great article of faith. The doc trine is the bedrock of Christian life. One reason why so many persons who have received the ordinance of bap tism love God so little, and serve him so indifferently is, they are not “new creatures in. Christ Jesus”—they have not been regenerated. If they were God's children by the “new birth,” they would love their Father. Those who are begotten of God love him and ilelight to do 'his will. Were Christ to come to this world in person to-day and go into the local churches—even the churches most like his pattern — it is doubtful if there is a church on earth, all of whose members would be commended as belonging to the re deemed. Even In the churches he would have to divide the sheep and the goats, and many church members would have to be put on the left be cause they are not “new creatures” in Christ. “Not every one that saith un to me Lord, Lord, but he that doeth the will of my Father.” My hearers, if you are church members, and yet have no love for Christ and his church, and have no heart interest in holy things, your condition is enough to make your question your salvation. “If ye love me ye will keep my com mandments.” The unit of church life, then, is a man or a woman whose heart has been changed. A person “born from above.” “A new creature in Christ Jesus. This exalts the idea of indi viduality. The individual is of vast worth. Christ saves men not “en masse,” but individually. He called his disciples one by one. His fruit is hand-plucked, not shaken down. The regenerated individual being the unit of the church, it follows that a church ought to be composed of tnose, and only those, who are born anew. Such a body ought to be tremendously effi cient. Regeneration lays the axe unto the root of the tree of infant baptism. If the divine word means anything when it says: “Repent and be baptized.” “believe and lie baptized," then there is no place for infant christening. And in all the Word of God there is not an example of infant baptism It is not enough to say “it can do no harm, and it is a beautiful custom.” It does no harm. It is a tremendous assumption to do in the name of the Trinity what neither person in the Trinity has authorized. The worship of saints is “beautiful” to some, but this is forbidden in God’s Word. Likewise is infant baptism prohibited. We are to do that which Christ com manded—only that, not more, not less; simply what he commanded. To fill a church with christened infants is to fill it with those who entered not for themselves —were not baptized, were not christened by any act of theirs, but only by some one else—thus crush ing out Individuality and obscuring the great doctrine of personal respon sibility. The great blessing in bap tism is not that it saves any one, but in that the saved one personally obeys his Lord. It is a grea't thing to do your duty to Christ for yourself. There is no power of attorney in matters of religion. It is a fearful mistake to ac cept as baptism some unscriptural ceremony administered to you by some one when you were an infant. Y’our conscience may be at ease on the point, but your duty to God has not been ful filled. “Repent and be baptized, every one of you,” saith God’s Word. Re generation demands that the individ ual obey- for himself, and that he shall not take the deed of father, nor mother, nor godfather, nor church — personally he must obey- for himself. Regeneration lays the axe to the root of the deadly- upas tree of bap tismal regeneration. Baptismal regeneration is the doc trine of some Who christen their in fants, and it is clearly the teaching of some in modern times who hold that baptism gives to the one who receives the ordinance, the Holy Spirit. The difference between one month old and twenty years old, and the difference between affusion and immersion, makes no difference whatever on this point. The teaching in both cases is that of baptismal regeneration. Christ said: “Go ye unto all the world and THE CHRISTIAN INDEX 4 : THURSDAY. JANUARY 21. 1897. disciple all nations, baptizing them;” “he that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be condemned.” The Gos pel is to be preached. Those who be lieve on Christ personally and who give evidence of regeneration, they, and no others, are to be baptized. Gospel preached, individual converted —individual baptized, because already saved. Let mo set in contrast to this the baptismal formula of the Church of England, which, on this point, is one in essence with that of Rome. In con nection with the baptism of infants you will find this: "Who gave you this name?” Answer: “My godfa thers and godmothers in baptism, wherein I was made a member of Christ, the child of God, and an in heritor of the kingdom of heaven.” Set this now by the side of those of our times who teach that “by baptism you receive the Holy Ghost,” and see how verily these “different commun ions" are alike on this point. The English church makes the child to say: “In baptism, wherein I was made a member of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven.” The modern school says: "Just be baptized and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost.” Now, place parallel with these, Christ’s commission: “Go ye into all the world and make disci ples of every creature, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” It is easily seen that scripturally one does not, “in baptism,” become "a member of Christ, the child of God,” nor the “inheritor of the kingdom of heaven.” Neither does the act of baptism give the Holy Spirit. But the word of God, accompanied by the Holy Spirit, does regenerate those who repent and be lieve, and then, when they are regen erated, and not till then, they are to be baptized. Baptism never has, nor can it ever regenerate a soul. The Spirit of God does this mighty work. Regenerated church membership, then, prevents the baptism and membership of unconscious infants, also the grown-up person who does not repent and believe the Gospel. Are there not many souls to-day in some Christian institutions —souls who have never re pented—souls not born again, souls not saved? Yet, somehow, satisfied because they were christened in in fancy? To me this is unutterably sad! Friend, you must believe for yourself, repent for yourself, trust for yourself, be baptized for yourself. It follows, then, that regeneration, rightly understood, places Christ where lie ought to be, and the Holy Spirit where he ought to be in the matter of salvation. And it places baptism in the right place, viz.: after the soul is saved. Has not our great sin been this, that through the centuries Christ and the Holy Spirit have been rele gated to a back seat by the prominence of rites and ceremonies? -How many persons there are who t Aik of the "beauty of christening,” and the "beautiful service,” who know nothing of “the beauty of the Lord.” Alas, the world knows by a long and painful history that the ordinance of baptism does not save souls. If so, how easily all might be saved. But baptism has no saving power. If baptism could save us, Christ died uselessly. It is not water, but blood that cleanses us from sin. The Holy Spirit convicts of sin, when we yield ourselves to Christ, believing in the atonement made by his precious blood, and this is accounted unto us for righteousness. Neither sprinkling nor immersion brings any one “into the kingdom.” Jesus is the world's hope. “He died for our sins and rose for our justifi cation.” When, by the power of his spirit, we accept him personally and feel our sins forgiven, then we ought to declare this fact by obeying him in baptism. Baptize all the world to-day, and by immersion at that, and if the world is not regenerated when it goes into the water, it is still a lost world when it comes out of the water. This would be true if Paul himself were to descend from heaven and do the bap tizing. Baptists never have, any where, in any age, believed that bap tism saved people. John the Baptizer said: "Bring forth fruit evidence of repentance.” Christ said: "Ye must be borif again;” also, “he that be lieveth and is baptized shall be saved.” Let us put Jesus and the Holy Spirit where the New Testament puts them. Let us not cover up Christ with rites and ceremonies and unscriptural “beautiful sentiment,” nor with human formula, nor “church” authority, nor “decrees,” nor “councils,” but let us say: “There is no other name given under heaven, nor among men, where by we must be saved.” Let us affirm with emphasis the Word of God which says Christ is “head over all things to the church.” And again. “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gos pel to every creature, baptizing them (that believe) in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Baptism and the “church” are not the door to Christ. But Christ is the door to bap tism and the church. Even as him self hath said: “I am the way, the truth and the life.” The New Testament idea of regen eration emphasizes the idea of person al rights. It regards churches as in struments to be used by the members for the advancement of Christ's king dom. It places Christ as lawgiver, and life-giver through the Holy Spirit. This principle laughs at popes, priests, human confessionals, human councils, rites and ceremonies as usurpers of Christ's prerogatives. Those who be lieve in it heartily must stand for Christ as against ecclesiasticism and traditions of men. Those w T ho believe in regeneration must call saint wor- ship Idolatry,the pretensions of priests usurpation, and the claims of ritualis tic salvation absurd. Regeneration is the hope of the churches local, as it is the only way to enter the church of the redeemed. It denies all human authority, and defies all usurpation of Christ's aujjhority by earthly poten tates. It is the only true basis of hu man brotherhood —that of a regener ated brotherhood. As the logical corollary of this doc trine, Baptists have ptood in history against the tyranny of kings, and the usurpations of ecclesiastical dignita ries—they have stood for the sov ereignty of the individual and the in dividual church against the assump tions of castes and world-systems. It cost John the Baptizer his head to stand for moral right. And so it has cost many a Baptist his head to stand for the moral rights of individuals, and for loyally to Christ alone as the Lawgiver in Zion. But these sacri fices have given the world what it has of religious liberty. Religious liberty and freedom of conscience are logical conclusions from the doctrine of re generation. For these noble princi ples the whole world knows the record made by Baptists. Hence we stand for the complete separation of Church and State,and for the equality of our mem bers in all our churches. Christ Is lawgiver. The churches are to carry out his laws. In the New Testament churches there are no castes and no classes, neither among ministers nor laymen. All are meant to be regen erated souls. Equally servants, equally sovereigns. I wish to speak, in conclusion, of the logical connection between regener ated church life and the growth of the spiritual kingdom of Christ. This point has not been much emphasized. The main reason why the whole earth has not been converted ty Christ long ago, is because religion has by too many been held only in form and not in substance. Christ has been covered up by the cross and baptism, both of which were meant to show the Christ. Ceremonies have taken the place of the spiritual worship. Fine display, great cathedrals, vast choirs, gilded chan cels, priestly ceremonies and crucifixes have taken the place of the simple pouring out of the heart to God. This is not strange since millions of unre generate persons have been taken into churches. Such hearts don’t know how to worship God. They simply “go through the service.” Hence they stand for forms —only forms! It is not an accident that the great est work ever written on “The Minis try of the Spirit,” Should have been written by a Baptist. No man in tae wide world whose creed runs thus: “In baptism, wherein I was made a member of Chrikt, the child of God, and the inheritor. of the kingdom of heaven,” couldlßbave written “The Ministry of as Dr. Gordon wrote Spirit and him olio of sin and who regenerate.: the heart. logical and vita] connection betwW? receiving the Holy Spirit in regeneration and receiving him for greater service in carrying out the great commission. “Church" pride may make adherents compass sea and land to make proselytes, but the whole system will be a living corpse. It took a man who had been convicted of sin and regenerated by the Spirit to so preach as to convict three thousand souls. Believing in Christ as the only head of the church; believing in the doctrine that regen eration comes before baptism and church life, Baptists ought to be the mightiest spiritual forces in the world. Unless we are true to Christ, filled with the Spirit, gladly sacrificing for the extension of Christ’s kingdom, we are not the logical results of the greatest doctrine for which we have heroically stood through the ages. If the lost are to be saved, the saved must tell them of the Christ. Baptists ought, there fore, to be the most holy, most spirit ual, most zealous, most self-sacrific ing Christians on the earth. We should “go” till the lost world “comes” to Christ. It has been noticed that there are more accidents in Switzerland in fine seasons than in stormy ones. People are apt to undertake expeditions that they would not take under less favora ble conditions, and they are less care ful in their conduct. And so it is that moral and spiritual disaster usually overtakes men when they are off their guard, careless against temptation. They become proud and self-reliant in seasons of prosperity, whereas ad versity drives them to the living God for guidance and comfort. Dr. John son once said that it is more from care lessness regarding the truth than from intentional lying that there is so much falsehood in the world. —D. L. Moody. The American Builder tells us how much is lost by the leaking of a faucet if the washer is not tight. A chemist found that about fifty drops fall every minute. This, in ninety minutes, would make four thousand five hundred drops, which is equivalent to a quart. This would make four gallons per day, or about one thousand five hundred gallons per year. Apply this principle to lost cents; to lost minutes; to lost opportunities; to lost property, by slow decay or neglect; to time worse than wasted; to life itself. Riches, knowl edge, virtue are all within the reach of those w’ho will economize. But “he that dealeth with a slack hand shall never be rich" in anything of real val ue. —New York Christian Advocate. Prevent sickness and save doctors' bills at this season by keeping your blood rich and pure with Hood's Sarsa parilla. Hood’s Should be in every family ■ ■ ■ medicine chest and every ill traveller’s grip. They are 111 Ffc invaluable when the stomach ™ is out of order; cure headache, biliousness, and all liver troubles. Mild and efficient. 25 cents. the Any publication mentioned in this de partment may be obtained of the American Baptist Publication So ciety. 93 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 ques 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. Did They Dip? or An Examination Into the Act of Baptism as Practiced by the English and American Baptists Before the Year 1641. By John T. Christian, M. A., D. D.,with an intro duction by T. T. Eaton, D. D., LL. D. Baptist Book Concern, Louisville, Ky. 12mo. pp. 231. Price 75c, cloth. In his introduction to Dr. Christian's book Dr. Eaton bestows high com mendation on the author’s remarkable talent for gathering and arraying au thorities, and on his accuracy in the use of authorities. The materials that comprise this vol ume are essentially the same as have appeared in the Western Recorder and the Baptist and Reflector, and which Dr. Jarrell used in his Index articles. All the errors that were pointed out by me in my Index articles have been per petuated and a considerable number appear to which special attention has not heretofore been called. Dr. Eaton, in the introduction, and the author in the body of the work, both make use of a passage from a modern epitome of Fox’s Book of Martyrs, according to which there were in England in the time of Edward VI. two sorts of Anabaptists, both of which insisted on immersion instead of sprinkling. I have gone carefully through an early black-letter folio edi tion of the Acts and Monuments and the modern critical edition of the work in eight large volumes by Townsend, and have failed to find the slightest basis for the statement. It appears to have been introduced by the epitomist on his own responsibility and to be absolutely worthless. This spurious notice is, I believe, the only direct evidence of the practice of immersion among English anti-pedo baptists before 1641. The large amount of material adduc ed to show the persistence of immer sion among Roman Catholics in the medieval time and in the Church of England after the Reformation is ir relevant to the discussion, except so far as it was needful to show that Dr. Whitsitt had unduly minimized the ex tent to which infant immersion was practised in the Church of England in the seventeenth century. On pp. 57-58 the author seems to mis apprehend the significance and bearing of the discussion on the mode of bap tism in the Westminster Assembly (1643). He quotes correctly Lightfoot’s account, which is the only full state ment, from a modern encyclopedia ar ticle based upon a misunderstanding of Lightfoot that puts the matter in an entirely erroneous light. According to Lightfoot the close vote (25-24) was not between immersion and sprinkling, but on the toleration of dipping as an al ternative form along with sprinkling. The majority of one definitely excluded immersion as an allowable form, and gave sole validity to sprinkling. The twenty-four who voted against the resolution would have been very far from voting for the exclusion of sprink ling. They simply contended for the toleration of immersion. The quota tion from the encyclopedia article seems to convey the impression that sprinkling and immersion were pitted against each other and that sprinkling carried the day by only a single vote. Dr. Christian seems to place this state ment on precisely the same level as re gards authoritativeness with that of Lightfoot, who was one of the chief disputants in the Assembly, and he seems content to leave on the minds of his readers the impression that nearly half of the members of the Assembly contended for immersion to the exclu sion of sprinkling. He does not say this in so many words, but the incau tious reader is, we think, likely to teach this conclusion. The statement on p. 61 that “The normal mode of baptism among the early Anabaptists was immersion,” is wholly unwarranted by the facts. The author seems to regard Robert Robinson as a high authority and quotes his exploded errors as if they were gospel truth. Robinson’s view of the practice of German and Dutch anti pedobaptists seems to have been based chiefly on the etymological significance of the German and Dutch words for baptism. These words, like “baptism” itself, came to indicate in popular use the initiatory Christian rite, involving the use of water, however it might be applied, and it would be as absurd to draw from their use an inference as to the mode of baptism in the sixteenth century, as it would be to suppose that all who at present use the term “bap tism” practice dipping. The impossible translation from Menno's works referred to in Dr. Whit sitt’s book and in one of my articles, is reproduced here (p. 65) with all con fidence. The author follows Robinson in making the wholly unwarranted as sertion that “Menno was dipped him self, and he baptized others by dip ping.” In quoting from the Muenster Con fession of 1533 the author omits the passage in which “water-sprinkling” is given a place side by side with dipping in the definition of baptism. He omits also the evidence of eye-witnesses as to how the ordinance was actually admin istered in Muenster. This was by pouring handfuls of water on the head of the kneeling candidate. On p. 76 the author quotes from Gieseler to the effect that the Anabap tists called themselves Catabaptists, Fuessli being referred to as authority for the statement. This statement is not only utterly contrary to the fact, but the passage in Fuessli has precisely the opposite bearing. In this passage the anti-pedobaptists involved declare infant baptism to be “Widertauf.” So far from being perverters of baptism, as they were charged with being, those who baptized infants were declared to be in reality chargeable with such peer version. The term Catabaptism is not used in the passage, but the term Widertauf may be regarded as equiva lent thereto, Wiedertauf being equiva lent to Anabaptism. The author quotes largely from mod ern writers without any regard to their qualification to speak authoritatively on the matters involved in the discus sion. Undue stress is laid (p. 134) on the fact that Separatists like Penry were charged by their opponents with Anabaptistry-. All that they meant was that the Separatist position, if logically carried out, would lead to Anabaptistry, which -was proved to be true a few years later, Penry was in thorough sympathy w’ith Barrowe and Green wood and w’as not a Baptist. There seems to be no historical foundation for the statement that he was an im mersionist. The author gives (against Dr. Whit sitt) the proper arrangement of the documents designated "Jessey Church Records” and “Kiffin Manuscript,” but it unjustifiably sceptical as regards the genuineness of these documents. The difficulty that he experiences from the headings of the documents vanishes when it is remembered that these were introduced by the collector of the body of materials, 1710-12. By comparison with the original texts of works quoted by Dr. Whitsitt on the authority of Dr. Dexter, Dr. Christian has been able in a few instances to show that Drs. D. and W. have in some instances failed to give the real sense of the writers quoted. Yet, as I stated in one of my Index articles, abundance of documentary evidence in support of Dr. Whitsitt’s chief contention remains unassailable to render his conclusion highly probable. The author accepts a challenge (pp. 201 onward) to name three individual believers who were dipped before 1641. Yet he fails utterly in his effort to ful fill the task assumed. His attempt to prove from Edwards that Paul Hobson was an immersionist in 1639 is a re markable specimen of reasoning. Ed wards wrote in 1645 that P. H. had been a preacher a great while, and that he subscribed the Confession of Faith of the Anabaptists in 1644. It is other wise known that P. H. assisted in the formation of a Baptist church in 1639. Ergo, he was an immersionist in 1639! On p. 215 the author quotes from Kif fin the statement “that our congrega tions were erected and framed accord ing to the rule of Christ, before we heard of any reformation, even at that time when episcopacie was in the height of its vanishing glory,” to prove that immersion had long been practised in England. By reformation he means, of course, the Puritan revolution that overthrew episcopacy in 1641. This statement does not compel the suppo sition of an earlier date than 1633, for the organization of the churches with which Kiffin was in fellowship or ex clude the possibility of improvement in the mode of administering baptism in 1641. There is nothing fresh in the au thor’s discussion of the Roger Williams question. The author quotes me as saying that Coddington, the only con temporary authority on the form of Roger Williams' baptism, “seems to have witnessed the ceremony.” It is not likely that he actually witnessed it, as he resided at Newport, some miles away, but it is reasonable to suppose that he had accurate information at the time as to what actually occurred at Providence. A. H. NEWMAN. The Review of Reviews. January. Re view of Reviews Co. New York City. 25c a number; $2.50 a year. So much of the value of this Review is to be found in its regular comments on current events that a fit notice be comes a mere repetition. In few places is such an accurate and unprejudiced statement obtainable. Dr. Shaw, the editor, has had wide training, and of course through such a powerful review has exceptional facilities for getting hold of facts. In addition Theodore Roosevelt writes on “How Not to Better Social Conditions.’ This is a courteous answer to a letter from Thos. E. Watson. Mr. Roosevelt gives due appreciation to Mr. Watson and replies to him in a dignified and manly way. The whole is a fine example of politi cal fairness, Walter Wellman discusses Mr. Kohlsaat of Chicago, who is a new and most interesting and healthy figure in our political history. Ten writers give differing suggestions rfs to ’ currency reform. Mr. Steaff writes on “Some Reputations in the Crucible of 1896.” This includes the Pope, Gladstone, Bismarck, Cecil Rhodes and others. “Model Lodging Houses for New York,” and “Voice Photography and Rational Voice Pro duction,” are well worth reading. Al together it is a useful number. The Atlantic Monthly. January. Hough ton, Mifflin & Co. Boston. $4.00 a year, 35c a copy. Os peculiar interest to Southerners will be Prof. W. P. Trent’s striking article on “The Dominant Forces in Southern Life.” This is one of the clearest anal yses of the forces about us we have seen. Especially apt is his character ization of the Georgian. Mr. Trent is becoming a leading light among South ern reviewers. John Bach McMaster contributes one of his always interest ing sketches entitled "A Century of Social Betterment." “Emerson a Cen tury After” is another strong article. Park-making receives attention. “Jug glers,” by Charles Egbert Craddock, continues interesting, as do all her stories. “Cheerful Yesterdays,” which is the charmingly appropriate title of Mr. Trowbridge's recollections, includes the period after his graduation from college in 1841. The usual fiction and departments complete a number that for all around excellence is rarely ex celled. The Presbyterian and Reformed Re view. McCalla & Co. Philadelphia, Pa. Quarterly. Price $3.00 a year. Among the religious reviews we know of none surpassing this. It is admira bly edited. There is scarcely a wasted page in the whole number. Some of the articles are of peculiar value. “Dogmatic Theology and Civilization,” by Wm. Alexander, is a fine treatment of an important theme. "Christian Supernaturalism,” by B. B, Warfield, is exceptional, while “Apostolic and Mod ern Missions,” by Chalmers Martin, is a paper of singular clearness and force. “The American Lyceum, “Philip Me lancthon,” “The Fellowship of Goods in the Apostolic Church” and “Luther and Religious Persecution” are only next in interest to the above. In book reviews this quarterly is unsurpassed. Reflect ing the solid theology of Princeton, every page of this quarterly is strong, orthodox and stimulating. The Forum. January. The Forum Publishing Co, New York. Price 25c; $3.00 a year. It is difficult to know where to begin in commending this number of the Forum. First in place is an article on Leo XIII., by Vicomte De Vogue. It is more than interesting and presents a remarkable character from the stand point of an admirer. “How Shall the Child Be Taught,” by Dr. Rice; “Pres idential Elections Paralyzing to Busi ness,” by A. B. Cornell; “The Wanton Destruction of American Property in Cuba,” by Mr. Yzaraga, will all be found of great interest. Two notable books, “The Law of Civilization and Decay,” and Dr. Eggleston on “Ameri can Origins,” receive comment at the hands respectively of Theodore Roose velt and W. P. Trent. “Inter-Collegiate Debating,” by Prof. R. C. Ringwait, ought to be widely read by educators. The Arena. January. Arena Publish ing Co. Boston. 25c a number, $3.00 a year. This is always a most curious com pound of articles. It is undoubtedly a free forum. Every form of vagary finds expression. Doctrines with a | That Pleasing £ | Paralyzing Pie I | \ How good it looks! How / ? good it is I And how it > hurts. Why not look into the \ question of Pill after Pie? J r Eat your pie and take Ayer’s > Pills after, and pie will please < ( and not paralyze. ? AYER’S J Cathartic Pills < ( CURE DYSPEPSIA. > constituency of one can get a hearing. The present number is a good sample. One or two who bear the title of Rev. write articles, but they are sorry speci mens from any orthodox point of view. There are some good articles, among them "Daniel Webster's School Days,” “Our Own Ships for Our Foreign Trade Essential to Prosperity,” "England’s Hand in Turkish Massacres,” and the "Telegraph Monopoly.” Others are ex tremely heterodox and yet not above the commonplace. The Chautauquan. January. Theodore L. Flood. Meadville, Pa. Much of the “Required Reading of the C. L. S. C. Course,” deals with “The French Academy.” Ordinary readers will want to read them. The actual John Brown is good as is also Harvey L. Biddles’ “Beginning of a Business Life.” "The Woman’s Council Table” is certainly calculated to be of value to women. It treats of many sides of a woman's life. Those who are not regular students of the Chautauqua courses will find this magazine a great help in presenting definite lines of reading. Following the outlines as laid down for these Chautauqua courses it has interest to all readers. It will do a household good. Wone Than War. Consumption is one of the most dread ful destroyers of the human (race. and uninterrn pted, means speedy and certain death. It is worse than war—more s’ealthy than India's most deadly set psi t Medial men for ages have con sidered its cure impossible. Something of a sensation has therefore been creat ed by the remarkable -discovery of an American scientist. T. A. Slocum, the great New York chemist. For all dis orders of chest, throat and lungs, bis cure has been found infallible. He has on file in his American and European laboratories thousands of testimonials. Any reader of the CHRISTIAN Index a. victum of disease, who writes to T. A. Slocum, M. C., 98 Pine street, New York City, giving express and post of fice address, will receive three free bot tles of the famous remedy. There is no better condition of mind than for a man to feel confident that he has God back of him. He is afraid of nothing. But there have been ex amplesof this confidence in which great mistakes were made, where in reality it was not God, as any one could see by observing the person’s spirit and conduct. “Good things have to be.engra on the memory,” said Charles Reade; “bad ones stick there of themselves.” The suggestion is one to be borne in mind in the education of all young people. Corn is a vigorous feeder and re sponds well to liberal fertiliza tion. On corn lands the yield increases and the soil improves if properly treated with fer tilizers containing not under 7% actual Potash. * A trial of this plan costs but little and is sure to lead to profitable culture. All about Potash—the results of its use by actual ex periment on the best farms in the United States—is told in a little book which we publish and will gladly mail free to any farmer in America who will write for it. GERMAN KALI WORKS, 93 Nassau St., New York. A Free Gift OF THE GREATEST BOTANICAL DISCOV ERY OF THE CENTURY. Merit Supported by Indisputable Proof Justifies Us in Making this Generous Offer. PERUVIANA Absolutely essential in the successful treat ment of Kidney, Liver, Bladder and Urin ary Ailments, Bright’s Disease, Rheuma tism, Gravel, Gout, Female Irregularities and all diseases caused by neglected Kid ney, Bladder and Urinary Ailments. WHAT IT IS.— lts ingredients are Peruvian herbs, (herbal remedies are Nature’s remedies) whose virtues first became known to that distin guished explorer and traveler. Prof. E. D. Mans field, on a tour of investigation in the moun tains of Peru, hence its name, Peruviana. It has cured case after caseof ten to thirty years standing, that had been given up by doctors as hopeless. This wonderful specific is founded on nature and supported by common sense. Dr. Dio Lewis, an acknowledged authority said: “Nineteen diseases out of twenty originate from diseased kidneys.” And those who have made pathology a study will agree with the eminent physician in the opinion that where the kidneys are inactive and sluggish, or fail to per form their functions, the whole system becomes enervated and the body diseased. Peruviana has proven itself to beatrue speci fic for all diseases the origin of which can be traced either directly or indirectly to deranged action of the Kidneys and Urinary'organs. The Hon. Walter Cleary, of Kentucky, writes: ‘‘lt give l ? me unbounded pleasure, unsolicited, to say to you that your great Peruviana is un doubtedly the best Kidney medicine the present century has ever seen. I can truthfully say that after months of suffering, three bottles of your wonderful medicine entirely cured me. Sidney Higgins, of Liberty, Wisconsin, a prominent Justice of the Peace, described his Bufferings as though knives were being thrust in his Kidneys. Peruvian a cured him andheasks for pamphlets that he may scatter the news. Mrs. Marcia Morse, Columbus. Ohio, writes: “ May God bless you ! I feel very grateful to you for the good the medicine has done me.” Mr. J. W. King, a prominent farmer at Dan ville, 111., writes that it cured him of Bright’s Disease which two doctors pronounced incura ble. Mrs. Serene Standley, of Shelburn, Ind., Writes that she had tried many doctorsand reme diesandwas about to give up in despair when in duced to try Peruviana, which promptly cured her. Mrs. S. W. Butler, Belle, Tenn.: Miss Alice Ramsey, Glenlock, Tenn., and many other ladies join in testifying to the wonderful restorative and curative effects in all forms of Kidney and kindred ailments and all other serious troubles peculiar to women. Write to us for this Free Gift. It Costs You Nothing to Try It. PERUVIANA HERBAL REMEDY CO., No. 244 East Fifth Stroat, • Cincinnati, Ohio.