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TURNWOLD, GA., OCTOBER 20, 1862.
Stonewall and the Sacrament.
“ On the morning of a recent battle near
Harper’s Ferry, after a sermon by one of
liis chaplains, Stonwall Jackson, who, by
the way, is an elder in the Presbyteiiar.
church, administered the sacrament to the
church-members in his army. He invited
all Christians to participate in this ceremo
ny. A Baptist, the straightest of his sect,
thoroughly imbued with the idea of close
communion, was seen to hesitate : but the
occasion, and the man who presided, over
came his scruples, and thus it was that the
prospect of a fight and the eloquence of
Jackson, made a Baptist forget that bap
tism is the door into the church.”—.The
foregoing is going the rounds of all the
papers.
Here is another case for brother Wood of
the Banner & Baptist. He has been after
brothers Lee and I vie with a sharp stick
for the same, or a similar offence, to that of
the Baptist mentioned above, and I think
he will not have done his whole dutv until
he shall have gotten after the 3rd offending
Baptist brother, for communing with those
who are not rnembeis of “the church,”
though they may belong to the various
sects, such as Methodists, Presbyterians,
Episcopalians, &c., and he very good Chris
tians.
Brother Wood must not “think hard” of
me for the good-natured squibs I may throw
at birr, occasionally. I think there are fol
lies and foibles in all the “ churches,” and
I am not going to shoot at those of the Bap
tist denomination any more than I do at
those of the other denominations. J think
brother Wood's peculiar views of baptism
and close communion are two great foibles
of his “ church,” and I wish they could he
done away with.
It does seem to the outside worldling
that men whose creed is based upon univer
sal lovo and toleration, should have some
common ground on which all might meet,
and give the world an example of Christian
love and fellowship. And if that ground is
not to be found around the Lord’s table,
where is it to he found 1
r I he intolerance and bigotry, creedism
and narrow-mindedness of many profes
sing Christians, present their religion in a
very forbidding aspect to those who are not
. members of “ the church”—so much so that
they dont see that much is to be gained
(except as a money making business) by
“joining the church.”
Now if professing Christians would, even
once in awhile, give the world an example
of enlarged toleration and Christian fellow-
THE ‘COUNTRYMAN.
ship, by all of every name and denomina*
tion gathering around the Lord’s table in
holy communion, there would be something
lovely and commendable in this. When
will “ the church” learn not to do exactly
contrary to what Christ taught them they
sliould do ?
But let us return to the erring Baptist
brother who went to the communion Table
with such outsiders as Stonwall . Jackson,
Methodists, Presbyterians, &c. What
should be done with him ? I leave that
for brother Wood to determine. At the
same time, I would suggest that Stonewall
in his next despatch should give the name
of this erring Baptist, so that that name
may he of record in the archives of the
Confederate Government, and be held up
to scorn in all the Baptist papers,
But lei us turn from this bantering, to a
more serious contemplation. “On the morn
ing of a recent battle near Harper’s Perry,
after a sermon by one of his chaplains,
Stonewall Jackson, who, by the way, is an
elder in the Presbyterian church, adminis
tered the sacrament to the church-members
in his army. He invited all christians to
participate in this ceremony.” And all
christians, or all church-members, did par
ticipate. In view of death, with a prospect
of battle staring them in the face, these
Christians, with the probability that many
of them were about to do so for the last
time, gathered around the Lord’s table.
The scene must have been lovely, noble,
and sublime.
There is only one thing l blaine Stone
wall Jackson for, and that is for .confining
his invitation to members of “ the church.”
He should have invited all to the table who
felt duly impressed with the solemnity of
rhe occasion, and who were ready and wil
ling in their hearts to render homage to the
great God of heaven and of earth. No
scoffer, nor no mocker should have been
there. But where would you have found
one on such an occasion 1 •
I would have liked myself, even I, who am
no cliurch-memhei’, and never expect to be
one—I would have liked to have the privi
lege granted me of communing with Chris
tians—not only on that occasion, but would
like it on any other occasion when I could
get my mind in a devotional frame. I never
yet found any difficulty in uniting in heart
with any proper worship of my Maker. I
say proper worship,because a great deal that
goes by the name of worship is not only not
proper worship hut is highly sinful, such
as hallooing, screaming, and indulging in
such other mad orgies.
Well, the point I was upon was that I
would like sometimes to he permitted to go
to the Lord's table. But living in the age
which I do, this will never be permitted
me, by “the churches” now in existence.
And in this they rob me of a part of the
heritage which my Lord and Master left for
me. The Baptists deprive some of them, and
they rob me and other‘sinners.’ But with
tlie eye of faith, I look forward to a time
when my children's children shall have se
cured to them even upon earth, that of
which “ the orthodox” deprived their
father.
Some one may say I am not worthy td
go to the Lord’s table. Well, who is 1
This matter goes by grace, and not worth.
My idea is that Christ came to bring re
ligion and salvation to all mankind. His
word says so, at any rate. But those who
profess to he his vicegerents on earth seize
upon .this religion and salvation, and lrtde it
away in some pent-up, narrow, intolerant,
bigoted, mean little meeting-house, or creed,
and dribble it out, too often only to hypo
crites, drcp By drop, in the littleness of stin
giness, and stinginess of littleness, all min
gled with the poison of sectarian bigotry
and prejudice. But it will not always be
so. Let us hope that the day approaches
when the broad, pure stream of Christ’s
love, religion, and salvation, will come like
a torrent, s weeping aw r ay all bigotry and
intolerance, first of all cleansing “ the
churches,” which need it more than any
thing or anybody else.
To Keep Apples lor Winter Use.
“Put them in casks, or bins, in layers,
well covered with dry sand, each layer
being covered. This preserves them from
the air, moisture, and from frost: it pre
vents their perishing by their own perspi
ration, their moisture being absorbed by
the sand, at the same time it preserves the
flavor of the apples, and prevents their
wilting. Pippins have been kept in this
manner, sound and fresh, till midsummer,
and liow much longer they would have
kept, is not known. An), kind of sand will
answer, hut it must be perfectly dry.”
Hannibal.
“ Prom the speech for peace which Livy
makes Hannibal deliver to the senate of
Carthage, li6 must, as Mr. Fox once ob
served, have been as eloquent a man
as ever spoke. The figure which he made
on that occasion, "was extraordinary. Af
ter all the warlike declarations he had
made, he felt the singularity of Ins situation
and thus shortly expressed it : ‘Ego Han
nibal, peto pacem /’ ”