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TheGhristianlndex
T. P. BELL, I Editors.
I J. VAN NESS, f * DIT °
THE PERMANENT COUNCIL.
Sometime ago a number of the
Baptist churches of New York
City inaugurated a brand new de
parture in our denominational
cooperation. Many evils have
undoubtedly existed in connec
tion with our Baptist work in the
great city of New York. Much of
this grows out of tin* peculiar life
of that city. Even Brooklyn has
not suffered to the same extent.
To correct these evils and at the
same time make a forward move
ment. what is known as the Per
manent Council was devised.
Councils are the common method
of advice and admonition among
the Northern Baptists rather
than presbyteries. '1 he plan was
to constitute a council on the
basis of the ordinary council of
ordination or advice, but to let
this be a permanent body.
Churches instead of asking for a
council come to this already con
stituted body for advice, cither
as to the ordination of preachers
or the settlement of vexing ques
tions. 'The churches entering
into this arrangement restrict
their calls to the already existing
permanent council. We presume
these churches would also decline
to sit in councils asked for by
churches not cooperating in the
Permanent Council.
In his review of the Baptist
life for the last year. Dr. 11. C.
Vedder mentions this new depart
ure, which has also been intro
duced in Detroit, as one of the
most notable occurrences of the
year, ami one likely to influence
the future policy of the denomi
nation. It will be of interest
then for us to look at the annual
series of recommendations. Dur
ing the year the Council has as
sisted in several ordinations and
considered one or two matters of
dispute. Here are the recommen
dations, as we find them in (he
Standard, of Chicago:
The following recommendations pass
ed by the New York City Permanent
Council at its last meeting will be of
interest to Baptists throughout the
country:
While the Permanent Council of
Baptist churches of New York City and
vicinity does not deem it wise to pre
sent anything so formal as a definite
denominational policy, it offers to the
churches represented in it the follow
ing recommendations for the promo
tion of their common interests:
(1) That churches having any un
usual trials, present to the council a
statement of their difficulties and bur
dens, and the condition of their fields,
in order that the brethren may learn
of their needs and peculiar circum
stances, and consult and advise regard
ing the best methods of relief.
(2) That prompt attention be given
in all cases to requests for letters of
dismission; that members of our
churches who reside at a distance from
their places of worship, anil are there
by prevented from attending them, be
requested to unite with some Baptist
church in their vicinity, where they
can be of service; and that their names
and addresses be given to the pastor
of-the church nearest to them, with the
hope that they may be induced to
join it.
(3) That exchanges between pastors
be arranged so that they may lie of
mutual service, especially in evangelis
tic work for a number of days.
(4) That our policy be that of
strengthening existing interests on
promising fields, rather than that of
hastily beginning new enterprises.
(5) That the needs and opportunities
of the annexed district be specially con
sidered and fostered, without, however,
overlooking or neglecting the peculiar
necessities of the down town fields.
(6) That the consolidation of
churches practically occupying the
same field be encouraged, rather than
the continued maintenance of separate
organizations, which cannot secure
adequate support.
(7) That the irresponsible establish
ment of mission stations be discourag
ed, and that in all cases the previous
concurrence, and supervision of some
neighboring church, or of the New
York City Baptist Mission Society, be
secured.
Os the wisdom of these recom
mendations no one can be in
doubt. Leaving out, for a mo
ment, the first, that invites the
submission of “unusual trials’' to
the Permanent Council, we most
heartily commend all the others—
not the source from which they
come, but the great wisdom they
display. In a city too much em
phasis cannot be placed on mem
bership in accessible churches.
Cities need some large, strong
churches, but the mu>ds are fully
met only when with these each
neighborhood has its substantial
church. It is not well to allow
any large number of our Baptist
people to be without effective pas
toral oversight. Then again,
every city presents a present need
for the strengthening of existing
interests. Our cities have grown
rapidly in the last decade or so,
and it is necessary to establish
what we already have. It is
as necessary to strengthen our
stakes as to lengthen our cords.
In fact, the lengthening of our
cords is made effective by the
strengthening of the stakes.’ The
consolidation of churches on the
same territory is also wise. We
gain in effectiveness.
So much for the wisdom dis
played by this new body, as its
first contribution to the progress
of denominational life. The first
year of its history has at least
seen no disasters. But was it to
be expected that the bad would
come out so soon? History does
not reveal that ecclesiastical in
novations ever started out as dan
gerous. Their inauguration us
ually had usefulness as an ex
cuse. It is only when such new
schemes become old and familiar
that they do harm.
There are, however, objections
to such permanent bodies for the
direct purpose of influencing
churches. In the first place it is
absolutely unscriptural. Councils
have Scripture warrant in the
meeting of the church at Jerusa
lem to advise the brethren from
Antioch. But for such a perma
nent body sending out invitation
to be consulted, not the least
warrant exists. We of course
recognize the existence of certain
extra scriptural methods of co
operation, but these all proceed
from a standpoint entirely differ
ent. They are not constituted by
the churches to control the
churches, but are constituted by
the churches to do work that
these churches recognize can
thus be better done.
Nor does it seem at all neces
sary to set up such a permanent
council. Every bit of this advice
could have come from a Church
Extension Society with equal
force. These recommendations
will affect weak or obstreperous
churches only as they need
money. The same (‘fleet will be
produced by a combination for
cooperative work in the City Mis
sion Society. Unless managed
with great wisdom such a council
will be a combination of (he
strong against the weak and the
poor against the rich. Those who
have anything to gain will be its
friends: when there is gain by
staying out it will be done.
The (ruth is, there will always
be certain defects in our Bap
tist system, from a purely hu
man standpoint. Only a deep re
ligious life, and the cultivation of
the spirit of love, mutual interest
and kindly helpfulness, can keep
us on right terms with each other.
The chief factor in the unification
of our city forces is the pastors.
For ourselves, we believe an in
fluence of untold good is being de
veloped by our Pastors’ Confer
ences. These have practically no
organization, but in them are ma
tured, by the freedom of familiar
ity and friendship, far reaching
plans and most effective influ
ences. When the pastors in a city
are friends and mutually helpful
and loving, there is no trouble in
working along common lines.
FAITH IN US.
We are often exhorted to have
faith in Jesus. Does it often oc
cur to us that Jesus must also
have faith in us? As the Bible
narrative gives us the incidents
connected with the coming of
Nicodemus, at night, to Jesus, it
mentions that Jesus did not com
mit himself to every one, because
reading their hearts he found
them half hearted or untrue. In
Nicodemus, on the contrary, he
did have faith, and because of it
he confided to him the truth he
desired to teach. Nicodemus had
but an incipient faith in Jesus,
but Jesus had faith in Nicodemus,
and because he did, greatly
blessed him.
It is thus when Jesus bestows
pardoning grace on a sinner. An
insincere repentance and an in
sincere purpose to quit sin and
surernder to Christ, bring little
response. The risk must be taken
ami the heart given. We search
and find when we search with all
our hearts. Jesus never turned
away a soul in whom he had
faith. So the Bible exhorts com
plete surrender. Jesus wants us
to show that we are actually in
earnest.
It may well be in our minds as
we ask favors of God. Jesus
asked of the beggar at Bethesda,
“Wilt thou be made whole?” It
was a pertinent question. Did the
man who had always begged
want to be able to work Could
he be trusted with health and
strength? Once assured of this
Jesus heals him. May Jesus not
well ask the same of us, as we
come for blessings? We talk
much aljout our faith in him, may
it not be that he has no faith in
us and dare not trust to us what
we desire? The same is doubtless
true of prayer. Our faith is one
thing. Jesus’ faith in us another.
We must remember as we come
praying that this is one of its
conditions. We must be in a po
sition to be trusted by Jesus.
So, possibly, it is in our efforts
to work. We are lacking in faith,
perhaps, but we accept the prom
ises and attempt to do. In how
many cases, however, are we so
that no faith can be reposed in
us. Jesus is a never-failing re
liance for faith. We are very
uncertain terms ourselves. Mr.
Moody is said to have determined
to show the world what God
could do with a man wholly given
up to him. Not a little of success
may be attributed to that un
flinching faithfulness that has
characterized him. Success could
be intrusted to him.
It may not be amiss for us to
consider this more frequently in
our approaches to Christ and our
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX: THURSDAY. JANUARY 24. 1897.
requests from him. Let us not
only seek to trust, but be so sin
cere and earnest that we may ask
him to trust us. When those who
can be trusted, trust him, there is
no limit but his will to either
blessing or power.
Our friend, Dr. C. C. Brown, of
South Carolina, sent us an expia
tion of the largely increased re
ceipts of the Sunday School
Board, when he had predicted its
great discomfiture owing to the
cut in prices by the Publication
Society. We excused his desire
to get out of a rather bad plight
as a predictor of events, but real
ly did not like to expose him to
the good-natured smiles of his
enemies. He insists, however,
that the increase came because
of some arrangement with the
negroes by which they use por
tions of our series. This arrange
ment does not seem to be well
understood by our brother, but
he supposes the increase of near
ly SI,OOO in a month's business
came from the negro conspiracy.
Knowing very positively that
whatever arrangement exists
does not, and did not, give our
Board a cent, we hated to expose
our brother. We have been in
tight places ourselves. He seems
hurt, however, that his “discred
ited guess” was not given public
ity. In the last Baptist Courier
he waxes eloquent over the Janu
ary numbers of the Kind Words
and counts the number of articles
on work among the colored peo
ple. Os course those who are in
terested in the work of the South
ern Baptist Convention, know
that January was the month in
which all the Woman’s Unions,
the Young People’s Unions and
the Sunbeam Societies studied
this particular phase of our mis
sion work. It was very natural,
however, for our brother to have
been ignorant, and we must ex
cuse him, as we would any one in
New England or Minnesota. We
recommend to Bro. Brown one
year of good, hearty, all around,
up and down support of the
Southern Baptist Convention in
all its work. This, with a read
ing of the Christian Index, ought
to tone him up. Really, as friends
of the Publication Society, we
would suggest to them that they
send Dr. Brown along on Dr.
Blackall's tour to Palestine. He
predicts too much, and makes is
sues that are calculated to work
against them. We are inclined
Io think he did theSundaySchool
Board more good this year than
any other one cause. We love
Bro. Brown, and it is always a
joy to pass compliments with
him. May he live long and pros
per, even as the Sunday School
Board is prospering. May he,
like them, soon dwell under his
own vine and fig tree and have no
one any longer molest him or
make him afraid. May he, like the
Sunday School Board, grow in
usefulness and favor. We are
sure he will appreciate such
abundant good wishes. As for
the arrangement with our colored
brethren, we are very sure that
no wrong has been done to any
one. We have seen some papers
on the subject ourselves, but
there seemed to be two opinions
expressed. As we have known
our esteemed colored friends to
sometimes see things differently
we have learned to be cautious in
judging their affairs. But that
Southern Baptists are at all like
ly to do too much for the negro
we seriously doubt. Come, Bro.
Brown, you have sent on your
contribution to our Foreign and
Home Boards, now send on a
little to the Sunday School Board
for Bible work, and be a fully or
ganized Baptist, called by provi
dence to dwell in the South. You
will feel just like a genuine New
Englander does when he gives to
the Missionary Union, the Home
Mission Society and the Publica
tion Society, and as fervently
prays for the Southern Baptists
and their prosperity. The best
union for the Baptists of this
country is hearty loyalty to their
common faith, and a cordial sup
port of the institutions over
against them.
Few lecturers in Atlanta have
been given a more cordial recep
tion than Dr. Russell 11. Con
well. He was formally greeted
by a number of representative
Baptists at the Aragon Hotel
previous to his lecture. The lec
ture brought an audience of un
usual size, and they listened for
two hours and then were not
tired. The subject was “Acres of
Diamonds.” It was an intensely
practical enforcement of the idea
that wealth, usefulness and great
ness are to be sought near at
hand in our ordinary surround
ings. We fancy the lecture will
bear fruit in many lives.
The special meetings in the At
lanta churches continue. The
four already started, at Central,
Capitol Avenue, Third and Jack
son Hill, all go on another week.
It is probable that a meeting will
be started at the Fifth church
this week. The noonday prayer
meeting will be held at the
Second church this present week.
Let is be remembered that this is
a common work and will finally
end in a union of all the Baptist
forces at the Second and First
churches.
GEORGIA'S LIQUOR DISGRACE
The blush of shame should
come to every Georgian's face as
he reads the reports in the daily
papers of the trial, before a legis
lative committee, of two judges,
on the charge of drunkenness.
Whatever opinion one may enter
tain concerning the finding of the
committee, yet sure it is that one
judge, in open committee, in his
own defense, tells the shameful
story of his having been drunk,
having been so drunk as to vomit,
and pleads only that thus reliev
ed, he was sober enough to hold
court without exhibiting his in
toxication. Alas!
And in a tone that implies con
tempt for the whole investigation,
the leading daily of the State
says of the other judge, that all
that was proved was that he oc
casionally took “a snap.” In the
very paper in which much of this
abominable stuff was paraded be
fore the public was a long an
nouncement of a banquet to be
held in this city. The menu of
the banquet was given in full.
Three kinds of liquors were in
cluded and the announcement
made of toasts to be drunk. As
responding to some of these
toasts were given the names of
Atlanta’s Mayor and Georgia’s
Governor. And even the name,
sacred to many, of Robt. E. Lee,
was dragged into this drinking
spree; for at the mention of his
name, the guests were to arise
and drink the toast in silence.
What a picture for our chil
dren to look upon. The public
schools are suspended in honor of
Gen. Lee and his name is dishon
ored by the leading men of the
State associating it with liquor
drinking. An object lesson truly
of evil in which the men that
Georgia’s good people have hon
ored with their votes, are the
most prominent figures.
“Woe unto them that are
mighty to drink wine, and men of
strength to mingle strong drink.”
Verily, there is work for the
temperance people of this State
to do.
We have to apologize for some
peculiarly atrocious typographi
cal mistakes in a portion of our
last issue. Tht> forms for the pa
per are usually made up Tuesday
and proofs from the press fur
nished before the edition is print
ed. In this case the forms were
prepared for the press with the
expectation that early the follow
ing morning the final proofs could
be read. Owing to pressure of
work, our printers went ahead
at night and before the next
morning came had printed a
thousand copies. To make it
worse, a whole column or more
of editorial was slipped in with
out having been read at all by us
until we got hold of a copy in the
morning. Os course that one
thousand copies will get to every
one critically inclined. We are
sorry. It was not our fault.
Printing offices, like homes, will
go w rong sometimes.
Mercer is to have an alumni
commencement this year. Dr.
Kerr B. Tupper, of Philadelphia,
an alumnus, will be the preacher,
and ex-Governor Hubbard the
orator of the occasion. A ban
quet for the alumni will be held
and special efforts are being
made to get a large number to
attend. This is a move in the right
direction. In fact, Prof. Pollock
is doing so many things along
the right line, that after a little
none of us will have any further
suggestions to make. We will
just sit around and see Mercer go
on toward her rightful place.
We anticipate much pleasure
from a trip to Louisville the com
ing week. By request of the
Woman’s Missionary Union offi
cials we go to address the stu
dents of the Seminary on the gen
eral subject of the work of this
Union. The Seminary, under the
leadrof Dr. Harris, gives one day
eacK month to the consideration
of ikissions. In this connection
the different lines of work car
ried on by the Southern Baptists
are presented to the students.
We anticipate many other inter
esting experiences among the
Louisville Baptists.
The First Baptist church, of
Atlanta, has recently adopted
the plan of weekly contributions
by the envelope system. It is
working wonders. Last Sunday
we met a good brother on his way
from Sunday-school before its
dismissal. He said as he passed,
“This envelope system is a great
thing, it is making me walk three
quarters of a mile.” He had for
gotten his envelope but did not
propose to miss c'oing his duty
for that day. A system like this
does double good. It gets money
and it gets hold of the people, too.
Either result justifies it as wise,
both combined make it the wis
est system.
gpiutt the saptUt
The Journal and Messenger: It
seems to us that such a presentation
of the question of mystery is whole
some, and that it ought to be less com
mon in our theological schools. On the
contrary, it seems to be uppermost in
the thought of most teachers that they
are not only expected to solve all the
mysteries of God, but are to fill the
minds of their students with the idea
that they also should undertake the
same task, for the people to whom
they are sent. They are taught to re
ject, as untrue, whatever of the Word
of God does not yield to their manipu
lations, whatever cannot be analyzed
in their laboratory. We do not mean
to say that the student should not be
brought face to face with mysteries;
on the other hand we believe that he
should be confronted by them, and he
should be bidden and encouraged to
try his hand on them, to solve them if
he can; but he should not be allowed
to go away with the absurd idea that
he has solved them when he has not,
or that he i* only to go on along the
line marked out for him, and he will
be likely to attain to his object. He
should be plainly told that, while a
greater intellect, a rapt saint in the
glory land, will probably be able to
understand what is now mystery, there
is no probability that he, while here,
will be able to do more than his pre
decessors have done, and that there
will probably be mysteries after he
has passed on with all his marvellous
wisdom and ingenuity. In a word, the
student in theology, as well as the
Christian in common life, should be
told distinctly where the bound of hu
man knowledge seems to be, what he
ought to know, and when he has
reached the probable limit of his at
tainments and achievements in that
direction. There is a science of elec
tricity, even though men do not know
what electricity is; so there is a sci
ence of theology, even though men do
not know how a man can be "born
when he is old.”
The Western Recorder; We know
of no Baptists who hold that the valid
ity of baptism depends on our ability
to trace a succession of administrators
back to the days of the apostles. That
would involve sacramentalism, which
Baptists have ever resisted to their ut
most. All Baptists make their appeal
to Scripture; and in so far as a man
appeals away from the Bible to his
tory, to establish the validity of obedi
ence to any of God’s commands, just
so far he is not a Baptist. Many Bap
tists (and we are among the number)
believe unfalteringly that there have
been those who were essentially Bap
tists (by whatever name they may
have been called), “from the days of
John the Baptist until now.” We be
lieve this because the Bible so teaches,
and would believe it if all history were
a blank from the days of Paul to the
days of Judson. God has promised the
continuity of his people, but he has
not promised to give us a continuous
record of their existence. The fact
rests on God’s promise, while the rec
ord rests on historic research. Since
such research is the work of man. to
build on that would be to build on a
human foundation; and this no Bap
tist can do. It is, to be sure, gratify
ing to know that the more historic re
search is prosecuted, the more evidence
is found that God has fulfilled his
promise through the centuries and has
never left himself without witnesses.
Our denomination ought to press such
research with all vigor. We have
much to gain and nothing to lose by
such investigation.
The Religious Herald: How is this?
In the comments on the Sunday-school
lesson in the Western Recorder of Jan
uary 7th, we find the following re
markable utterance on a well-known
passage:
“For the remission of sins.” “If they
would repent of their sins and show
by their obedience that they had faith
in the great doctrines of the blood and
of regeneration which- baptism sym
bolized, God would pardon their sins,
and they, too, would receive the gift
of baptismal regeneration in Peter’s
words.”
“Baptismal regeneration,” “baptis
mal regeneration”—what under the
sun does this mean? “The gift of
baptismal regeneration in Peter’s
words.” Really this is too much.
Whither is the Western Recorder
drifting? What new doctrine is it
promulgating? We are bewildered.
We are sure such doctrine as this
could not have escaped the watchful
eye of Dr. Hall, lately on the editorial
staff of the Recorder, now editing the
American Baptist. But, alas! he is in
St. Louis. Still Dr. Spencer is in Ken
tucky, and there are others. Our Louis
ville friends must not become so ab
sorbed in the question of the Kiffin
manuscripts as to let such rank Camp
bellism as this pass muster. “They,
too, would receive the gift of baptismal
regeneration in Peter’s words.” Think
of such heresy in the Western Re
corder!
The Watchman: If this diagnosis is
correct, the question naturally arises,
What kind of appeal is best adapted
to arouse these low-toned Christians?
We are not doubtful of the answer.
It is that presentation of the Gospel
which makes it supremely desirable,
which makes its blessings, its privi
leges and opportunities supereminent.
When the man finds “a pearl of great
price” or stumbles on “a treasure hid
in a field,” he is ready at once to "sell
all that he has” to possess it. We
need preachers who shall be able to
present the Gospel as the most desira
ble thing in the universe. That was
one great excellence of Phillips Brooks
as a preacher. His doctrinal positions
were not always beyond criticism, but
he made the Christian life great and
noble, and worthy, supremely attract
ive to the highest desires. He pre
sented it so that the service of Christ,
and the reward of his fellowship, ap
peared as the one supremely worthy
thing in life. In response to that ap
peal the spiritual horizon cleared and
widened, and men went down to their
homes less worldly, more vividly con
scious of the eternal life.
The Baptist News: The kingdom of
God when first it comes into a man
is like a grain of mustard seed planted
in the field. The seed planted in the
field is all right and has in it the
mustard life, but in the field are weeds
and briers. They are indigenous to
the soil. They will cover and choke
the plant which comes from the mus
tard seed, if they are left alone. So
the man in whom the kingdom of God
is planted has in his nature the old
appetites, the old passions, the old ten
dencies. These are liable to hinder
the growth of the kingdom more or
less. They must be constantly watched
and kept under.
The Baptist Courier. A common,
unvarying moral standard is of in
finitely greater significance. Such a
standard is set up once for all in the
Gospel. In its beauty, symmetry, love- t
liness and power it shines there, stea-‘"
dying human thought amid the dizzy
whirls of our narrow little reflections,
fixing a great sun-lllte, full orbed glory
in our sky that casts its splendor to the
utmost limits of our destiny, so that we
can see our way. We know henceforth
what to approve and what to condemn;
we know what to be like. The perfect
manhood of Jesus Christ is destined
to unify man’s moral conceptions the
world over, and displace every partial,
human, inferior ideal. Let us labor in
this sublime hope of our calling. The
example and the character of our Lord
instantly commend themselves to those
acquainted with them. And when all
come into the faith of Christ, and unto
the stature of the fulness of the Christ
we shall not see a dead, unbroken uni
formity of character, tiresome to be
hold, but the profoundest, richest, most
blessed variety of character and of
Christian manhood. Christ-likeness
does not mean sameness, dreary mon
otony, but the richness of life, just as
we have it in nature, life manifold and
boundless in its upspringing and forth
reaching. Christian unity does not nec
essarily involve sameness of thought
on a dogmatic basis. Forcing similar
ity of thought on the basis of dogma
has always been a futile, unprofitable
business. The grandest unity is that
formed in an agreement to be like
Christ, to apprehend as best finite be
ings may, the thought, the inner
most, sacredest life of the Lord. Where
this aim is present and operative in its
full vigor, there will be that spiritual
unity for which the Lord prays in his
well-known intercessory prayer.
The Alabama Baptist: To preach
before the Queen of England is the
ambition of many a young clergyman,
but very few attain the coveted honor.
Dr. Macleod, when he preached his
first sermon in the presence of the
queen, not only did well, but captured
her to so great a degree that in speak
ing of it she said, “Anything finer I
never heard; the sermon, entirely ex
tempore, was quite admirable; so sim
ple and yet so elegant, and so beauti
fully argued and put.” This was cer
tainly a fine compliment. Here now
is the reason why it so impressed her
majesty—listen to Dr. Macleod’s own
account of it: “I preached without a
note —and I never looked once at the
royal seat, but solely at the congrega
tion. I tried to forget the great ones I
saw, and remember the great ones I
saw not.” These last words tell the
marvelous strength and power and
effectiveness of evangelical preaching.
Forget self, forget the rich, the learn
ed, the famous, and remember the
great ones you see not. Worldly
minded, ambitious, aspiring preachers
may tickle the fancy, captivate the
superficial, charm the pleasure seeker,
without ever proclaiming a single Gos
pel truth. What we need is more
simple portrayal of the truths of the
blessed Son of God. Tell the old, old
story so that the most ignorant and
unlearned can grasp it. Learn of the
Great Teacher, as he preached that
memorable Sermon on the Mount with
so much earnestness and simplicity.
The Standard: In a meeting re
cently held in Chicago to consider
plans for a general evangelistic move
ment, two different opinions were ex
pressed as to the degree of publicity
to be given to revival meetings. Some
of those who had been asked to be
present at the conference replied that
they doubted the wisdom of bringing
the preliminary arrangements of such
an enterprise before the public, just as
they doubted the value of the news
paper reports, often sensational and
misleading, of such meetings as those
held by Mr. Moody in New York and
Boston. A son-in-law of Mr. Moody,
on the other hand, who has been asso
ciated with the evangelist, expressed
the opinion that the good accomplished
by these newspaper reports is far
greater than any incidental misunder
standing due to errors. He did not
except even the metropolitan journals,
notorious for their ability to turn
everything into a jest; some of them
have been the means of doing great
good.
The Biblical Recorder: Men say
they wish their occupations Were not
secular—such as farming, blacksmith
ing, manufacturing, store-keeping and
the like. They profess and probably
believe, that they would be very happy
if their entire time were given to re
ligious work. They make a great
mistake. The all-wise Father intend
ed that there should be more farmers
than preachers, and he did not intend
that there should be less witnesses
for Christ than there are Christian
farmers. Any man who makes an
honest living and also witnesses for
Christ does his duty just as fully as
the preacher who answers the call to
preach. To Christians there should
be no secular occupation. Christ made
his carpenter-shop sacred; Paul made
his business of tent-making sacred. So
can any modern worker. The trouble
with those who fail to do this is not in
their work, but in them; they do not
disobey God as to their work, but they
do disobey him in refusing also to wit
ness for Christ.
The Baptist Outlook: What a pecu
liarly Christian motive for industry is
that which the apostle gives in his
letter to the Ephesian church when he
exhorts —“Rather let him labor, work
ing with his hands the thing which is
good, that he may have whereof to give
to him that needeth”! That a man
should be industrious and thrifty and
prudent not for his own or his family's
sake, or to keep the wolf from his own
door, or that he may be able to spend
money upon luxurious indulgences, but
that he may have something to give
away to others in charity, is in full ac
cord with the spirit of Christianity,
though not by any means the usual
motive. It illustrates from a some
what novel point of view the moral
power and benevolent impulses of the
Gospel. *
The Examiner: We have received
information that the arbitration treaty
is in serious peril. The contemptible
spite of senators promises to defeat
this most righteous agreement between
the two leading Christian nations of
the world, unless tremendous pressure
is brought to bear upon them to ratify
it. We therefore urge our readers to
send letters or telegrams to their sen
ators at once, protesting vehemently
against the defeat or postponement of
the treaty. Failure to ratify it would
be a colossal disgrace. Let the Senate
know that the country will not pa
tiently submit to its petty objections
to this crowning achievement of the
century.
yews.
HELD NOTES.
The farmers are turning up the soil
in a hurry in South Georgia for the
new crop.
Brother farmers in Georgia: Plant an
abundance of corn this year, so that
there may be bread and to spare in ’97.
Errata, last week’s field notes. sth
note, R. H. Baskin and not N. H. Bas
kin. 14th note, ourself and not our
selves. In 16th note, Kollock St.
church and not Hollock St. church. In
18th note, predestinated-medium and
not medicine-twice.
In a private letter from Pastor B. B.
Williams, of Girard, Ala., we learn
that our church there had a prosper
ous year last year—twenty-nine new
members received, seventeen by bap
tism. We wish pastor and church a
prosperous new year.
At Americus, Ga., Pastor J. B. Tur
pin is in deep sympatny with the State
paper—the Index. He prepared his
people for the coming of the Index
man, by giving his brethren and sis
ters a good Index talk the Sabbath be
fore our coming.
Two sad deaths occurred in the
Americus church while we were there.
They were Mr. Bloom Brown, and
young Mr. Hart. We sympathize hear
tily with their loved ones who are left
behind.
Brother and Sister J. W. Harris, of
Americus, gave us a royal welcome,
and helped us in our work much by
lending us their horse and buggy, and
giving us good cheer. We are very
grateful.
Brother Ben Worthey, bookkeeper
for J. W. Harris in Americus, made the
field editor a present of a splendid I.
X. L. pocket-knife last week. Thank
you, Bro. Ben.
Since our last visit to Americus Bro.
Robert L. Maynard has been elevated
to the county judgeship, and Bro.
Frank A. Hooper to the position of so
licitor-general.
We enjoyed worshiping with the
Americus saints at their mid-week ser
vice last week. Pastor Turpin was
sick and could not attend. He was bet
ter on Friday.
At Buena Vista we found Pastor
N. R. Sanborn sick with grip, but
able to sit up. The pastor’s home
is a thing of beauty since it has re
ceived a new jacket of new paint. Sis
ter Sanborn is a charming housewife,
and preacher’s helper. The church is
delighted With their new pastor and
his family.
Prof. J. H. Melson Is principal of
the high school at Buena Vista.
has a fine school, and his patrons have
a fine teacher. The grip is greatly in
terferring with the attendance there
and everywhere.
Deacon E. M. Thorpe, of Buena Vis
ta, together with his dear family, have
suffered much with grip, but are im
proving. We are grateful to Bro.
Thorpe for keeping our Index folks
stirred np. We did a fine work in a
short time.
At Ellaville Ga., we missed Uncle
Jimmie and Aunt Bess. It was not their
meeting day. Pastor J. A. Griffin and
his flock at Ellaville are sun in love*
with each other; may it ever be thus.
Brother Charley Chambliss, of Ella
ville, Ga., will act as our Index agent
for that office. The brothers out in the
country will please leave their reve
nues with him.
The citizens of Ellaville are building
themselves a fine, new, commodious
academy. The town and villages all
over Georgia are building elegant
school-houses, and in most instances,
have fine schools.
Deacon Cullen L. Battle, of Ella
ville, is eighty years old; he has
been a constant subscriber to the In
dex for more than fifty years. He has
been a deacon for about the same
length of time. He acted as pastor pro
tem, and helped us much.
Dear Cousins in the Corner: Did
you read Uncle Jimmie’s suggestions in
last week’s field notes? We hope you
did, and. that his fatherly advice may
do you much good in this new year.
Now, everyone of you ought to read
the New Testament through in this
new year. Suppose every one of you
qommences right now and read a chap
ter every day. Be sure and
study hard, so you may un
derstand what you read about. Sup
pose each one of you begins now and
sees how many chapters of Scripture
you can commit to memory in ’97; it
will help you so much. The Scriptures
we committed to memory' when we
were young, are still fresh in our
mind, and they have done us so much
good. Try it, won’t you?
We hear quite a lot of complaint
among the good old brethren and sis
ters in many churches in Georgia, be
cause their pastors do not preach
enough about the grand old doctrines
of grace. They say that they are al
most starving for the bread and meat
of the Gospel. Wake up, brother pas
tors, and feed the flock.
In traveling over Georgia and taking
a careful look at men and things, we
are powerfully convinced that the
greatest opportunity the Baptists have
ever had in this State is upon them
now—to give no uncertain Gospel
sound, but to preach a whole Gospel.
Salvation by grace, through faith, in
many pulpits, is almost an unheard-of
thing. We are sure that the Lord is
looking to Baptists to give the Gospel
to this State, the truth as it is—in Je
sus Christ. Shall we fail to do it?
Shall the Lord look to us in vain? We
feel quite sure that there are too many
of our preachers in dear old Georgia
who are proclaiming from their pul
pits, from Sabbath to Sabbath, every
thing else but the Gospel of the grace
of God as it is found only in the New
Testament? What is the matter with us
preacners anyhow? Have we become
apes? Are we afraid of the Philis
tines? or have we taken up the union
cry, that it don’t make any difference
what church we belong to, or that it
don’t make any difference which road
we take. Are there Lords many, and
ways many, and Gospels many, and
salvations many, and baptisms many?
We, for one, don’t think so, but like
Paul, we believe that there is but “one
Lord, one faith, and one baptism.”
Now, brother preachers, let us wake up
and give the lost sinners of Georgia
the whole truth, and nothing but the
truth. Let us be loyal to God and his
precious word of grace, or—well, just
quit, and don’t be called a preacher of
the Gospel any more.
JAMES F. EDENS,
380 Woodward Ave., Atlanta, Ga.