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BAXNKK & BAPTIST.
Mm
“Holy Bible,—Book Divine,
Precious treasure, thou art mine.”
JESSE M. WOOD, Editor.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA:
Thursday, June 28, 1860.
Our terms of Subscription, S 2 00
per Annum, always in advance.
For our terms for advertising, see Ist
column of Ist page.
A WORD TO FRIENDS.
The Editor of the Banner, and the book
keeper, who attends to the business affairs
of the office, are two persons. Will our
friends, in writing us, remember this and
address all business letters to the “Banner
& Baptist” ? And if you wish to whisper
a private word in borother Wood’S ear, at
the same time, just write two letters : the
a» abi'»ve stated, the
otner uireci to r.iuer J. Al. Wood. Now,
friends, don’t forget this, and you will save
us a great deal of trouble and some con
fusion. R.
4t.
FOURTH OF JULY.
Wednesday of next week being the fourth
day of July, we shall issue no paper next
week. We issue fifty numbers a year. The
4th of July week, and Christmass week we
give our hands for recreation. And friends
must not complain of this, for aside from
being customary, it is absolutely neces
sary that the Printer should have some re
lief from his monotonous toil of type stick
ing. July and Christmas is therefore the
printers vacation.
PASTORAL TALK—No. 38.
GRACE.
At all times, and under all circumstan
ces, we need the free favor of God. It is
impossible to conceive of a race of beings
in more abject dependence, in a more
wretched condition. In ourselves we have
not the shadow of a claim upon the Divine
Being. Condemned sinners were we, lov
ing our sins and not regarding our con
demnation, until grace, sovereign grace,
interposed to save us. By this we were
enabled to see the worst of our condition,
and by it plucked as a brand from the eter
nal burning, and a new song placed in our
mouths, even praises to God.
“Grace, 'tis a charming sound,
Harmonious to the ear,
Heaven with the echo shall resound,
And all the earth shall hear.
“Uratx* ii.wt vi.M Oi» wy -
To save rebellious man,
And all the steps that grace display,
Winch drew the wondrous plan.”
If we are in poverty, affliction, distress
and anguish, we certainly need it to cheer
and console us. If in prosperity, affluence,
health, and surrounded with those who
flatter us, we need it but the more. It is
not the chastened child that likely becomes
rebellious, but the one that is praised and
caressed. The poor widow, at her cottage
home, which barely affords shelter and sub
sistence for herself and little ones, needs
grace to bear with the ills of poverty, and
the insults of the affluent; but the widow'
who has her hundreds of thousands in gold,
landed estates and servants, as a Christian,
needs it vastly more.
The orphan, among strangers, without
food or comfortable raiment, needs it, in
deed he does; but the orphan with mil
lions, surrounded with flatterers, having
spread before him the multiform tempta
tions of the world, needs it yet the more.
Yea, brethren, at home and abroad, upon
land and upon sen, in life and in death, we
need the grace of our Almighty Friend.
“Amazing grace! how sweet the sound.
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found.
Was blind, but now I see.
“'Twas grace that taught my roving ft-et
To tread the heavenly road;
And new supplies, each hour I meet
While pressing on to God."
SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST.
In the issue of this paper of June the
7th are three editorials, two of which ap
pear to have been intended almost wholly
tnr our benefit, and the other partly so.—
They were headed respectively as follows:
“The Finality.” “Small things largely Mag
nified,” “Vexatious.” These several arti
cles we read when they first appeared, and
decided to wait a few weeks before answer
ing, for the simple reasons. Ist. That some
times "haste makes waste,” and might pro
duce excitement, which could be avoided by
delay. 2. Because we could afford to wait
without injury to the cause, and ourself.
The first article was intended to show
that there were three questions of some
importance before the public—the Land
mark question, the Board question, and the
“Church Polity” question. The editor
claims that the two former of these are
pretty well settled, and that large majorities
are on his aide. Let this be as it may, we
suppose that the masses of Baptists of
Alabama aad Georgia have never taken a
vote upon the questions, and whenever
they shall speak out, they may make a
different impression, or at least may show
thetnseh j* entitied to seme respect as re
gards num lM»rs, even though, in the judg
ment of some people, their position and in
telligvDce may not be very commanding
\’o <k>ubt th. ;- would compare favorably
will th»u nctghb respecting s-uindness
a doctrim*, church polity . cCMNbtency of
practice, purity of life, &c., &c. “The
church polity question,” is called the new
theory of church polity, new polity, new
theory, &c., in contradistinction to the old
church polity, old theory, &c. As this same
thought runs through the other two articles
we shall say more of it after awhile; and
only say now that we have been watching
this game for some time. If the public can
be made to believe that Landmarkers have
adopted a new system of church polity, of
course they are driven from the ranks of
old-fashioned Baptists. If you cry “mad
dog” the people W’ill run from him, or turn
about and kill him, without taking time to
inform themselves whether he be really
mad. Who does not know that we deny
adopting a new theory, and that we claim
to plant ourselves upon the time-honored
principles of the Bible, and of the denomi
nation. “Corrective Church Discipline,”
indorsed by the S. W. Baptist, claiming (as
we understand it) that there is no remedy
for unscripturally excluded members, and
minorities, contains a theory decidedly new,
and adverse to the past teachings and prac
tice of brother Dawson. So that he does
not do all that is usually implied in an in
dorsement, or has found a theory new to
him, though it may be old to brother Mell.
To our mind it is new to them both, and
new to the denomination.
“SMALL THINGS LARGELY MAGNI
FIED.”
This article, is mainly da voted to some
me Manner in relation to breth
ren Meli and Mallary. We do not com
plain at what bro. D. says, but he evidently
is under misapprehension and so others ap
pear to be, especeially in Charleston.
April the 12th there appeared in the Ban
ner an article headed, “Corrective Church
Discipline—Special Notice.” In said arti
cle it was our purpose to show that the
course pursued by four or five Baptist pa
pers (in publishing bro. Mell’s articles, and
refusing to publish the review by A. S.
Worrell, although repeatedly and respect
fully requested to do so, while they were
clamoring for the publication, of bro. M.’s
series, in book form, by S. B. P. Society,)
was calculated to raise certain suspicions.
The clause which referred to brother Mell
was as follows:
3. With honest, thinking men, it will
place brother Mell in an unenviable, mis
erably awkward position before the public.
The conduct of these papers raises the
belief that brother Mell’s articles were pre
pared expressly to meet a certain case, and
to accomplish a cherished end ; and that it
was a master stroke of policy to use the
entire Southern Boptist press at the same
time, and that those who desired this end
accomplished, should publish nothing ad
verse to his articles, but simply to be ad
vertising mediums until the series should
pass the S. B. P. Society, in book form,
having thereby the denominational sanc
tion. Brother Mell has not publicly made
even an intimation that his articles were so
designed. Surely he is not afraid to avow
his purposes. As an act of justice to him,
these papers should have pursued a differ
ent course, and have shown “fair play.”
But if he is willing to let the course of
these papers fasten this suspicion, of course,
the Banner should not complain. He will
not say that it has not given him a fair
——— — ■—
The article was written deliberately, and
intentionally, just as a marksman would
take deliberate aim at a distant mark.—
We, with aforethought, wilfully intended
to place the onus upon those papers, com
mencing with the Standard, which had pub
lished everything they could get hold of
against a certain minority, and persistently
refused to publish any thing to the contra
ry. We distinctly stated that Prof. Mell
had not avowed what he was suspicioned
of, and that justice to him demanded a dif
ferent course; that both sides should be
published. In publishing brother Mell’s
disavowal, we have been credited by some
for changing the force of the article of
April 12th, and blamed by others. The
public is now informed that we are entitled
to neither blame nor credit in that respect.
We neither intended, nor did we change the
article in any particular. We had not
charged, at any time, bro. M. with design,
but showed that the surroundings placed
him in an awkward position and raised cer
tain suspicions. This we knew to be true,
and now know to be intensely true. But
as an act of justice to him ujx>n his disa
vowal, we published the subetance of the
interview in Macon, thereby placing the
onus more emphatically where our article
had already located it. Anybody can see
this who wishes to see the truth. Nor did
we say that “de facto" there was complici
ty with these editors, but that their unfair,
one-sided course, all seeming to drive to
one point, raised the suspicion that a certain
end was to be accomplished. We said so
then, we say so still, and repeat our pro
test against it.
We regret exceedingly that in the mind
of some there is a discrepancy between our
self and Professor Mell. There is none
but what can be explained, but as some use
is made of it we shall set the matter at
rest, so far as we are concerned, by drop
ping a personal card giving an unvarnished
statement of the matter, to the best of
our recollection.
THE DISAVOWAL.
While in Macon attending the Georgia
j Baptist Convention, by invitation I went to
I dine with brother J. Deloache. When 1
! entered his parlor there were present Gov.
J. E. Brown, Eld. R. Holman, Eld. Rus
sei, (I believe) Agent Revision Association,
Eld. Toon, Sec. S. B. P. Society, and Eld.
IJ. P. Boyce, of South Carolina. By some
j means the conversation turned upon the de
> nomination*! agitations, and I said to bro.
; Toon that the S. B. P. Society would be
• come involved. He asked me how or
j why. I told him that the Society had pule
j lishovl "Corrective Church Discipline” with
! out bro. Worrell’s Review, which, as many
thought, ought to accompany it; that the
i Review would probably be offered, and if
' rejected the Society would feel it; that
‘ Corrective Church Discipline was regarded
| as having been written in reference to the <
Nashville difficulties. After bro. Toon had
made some reply, brother Boyce observed
that he had heard brother Mell say that his
work was not written in regard to that or
any particular case, nor had he had any cor
respondence with certain editors, prior to
commencing the series. In reference to its
not having been written to meet any partic
ular case, I replied to bro. Boyce with some
emphasis, “O, bro. Boyce, the case is too
plain /” About this time bro. Mell came
in, and I told him the topic of conversation,
and that we could talk over such matters
calmly. He replied yes, that he had re
peatedly said I had acted fairly towards
him, and that he did not think me capable
of doing him intentional injustice, but that
in a recent number of the Banner I had in
a single clause, done him injustice, yet was
satisfied that I would correct it when point
ed out. After thanking him for his good
opinions, I asked him what it was. He
said it was the charge of complicity with
editors and others to accomplish a certain
end. I replied to him that I had done no
such thing, that he had misconstrued the
article, and stated distinctly that the article
would show that 1 had placed the onus upon
certain editors; that their one-sided course
would raise certain suspicions, and place
him in an awkward position. The article
was then produced, and by the plainest,
easiest, only possibly legitimate construct
ion, sustained my position. Brother Mell
then said that he was not responsible for
what these editors did ;>for the coincidence*,
which happened among them ; that he was
perfectly willing for both sides to appear,
and that there had been coincidences in the
Tennessee Baptist and the Banner calcula
ted to raise suspicion of collusion, &c. All
which I granted.
He then made a disavowal, as . I under
stood him, as brother Boyce had made for
him before he came in. Whereupon I told
him that upon his disavowal I would pub
lish it in the Banner, never once intending
to change my own article in any particular,
for the sufficient reason that I had made no
charge upon him, but on the contrary
claimed that justice demanded that the
press should have pursued a different
course. It is proper to say that in all this
I did not understand brother M. to design
to reflect upon any editor or the Publica
tion Society. This is left for others.
I have thus attempted to give an unvar
nished statement of all important particu
lars of this conversation and disavowal.—
If my memory is at fault there were enough
brethren present to give a correct version
of the whole matter.
In more than one paper, it has appeared
to me that there is an attempt to make my
veracity suffer, which really has induced
this card. Il is worth more to me than gold,
or diamonds, and the future must have temp
tations, forces, and emergencies, beyond what
the past has had, before the public or any
living man shall have occasion to call it in
question. On the other hand brother Mell
knows better than 1, brother Boyce or any
one else what he intended to disavow, and
what he did not.
J. M. WOOD.
So much then for thin pas t of tbo m+ivle
of brother Dawson. Do we now, bro. D.,
understand you to think that brother Mell
did write “Corrective Church Discipline”
in direct reference to the Nashville difficul
ty ? And do you understand brother Mell
to admit it ? If so, that troublesome ar
ticle of April 12th has increased impor
tance. If so, then the four papers have
given publicity to a series of articles in
tended to sustain the majority at Nashville,
and have not bad the fairness, the soul to
publish a line in favor of an oppressed mi
nority. If so, the S. B. P. Society has
published a work thus designed, thereby
becoming partisans to this affair. He eith
er did or he did not have that case as a
model. Surely the editor of the S. W.
Baptist is not afraid to say whether he
thinks he did or did not. If he is, per
haps the bold brother “M.,” while he re
mains “incognito'' will not be.
As regards brother Mallary, we only
say, if he has any real complaints, we stand
ready to meet them even with penitence, if
need be.
Bro, D. also wishes us to define the ec
clesiastical position <>f this famed minority,
but is willing to wait until we get into our
new building in the center-of the world.—
We are glad to have that much time allow
ed us; but as our new building is not yet
done and as some may Im? anxious to see
an intimation, at. an earlier day, we give it
as follows. The ecclesiastical position is
just such a one as lias always been assigned
minorities in the right that withdraw from
majorities in the wrong —just such a one as
brother Dawson, and many others of his
way of thinking, have assigned to minori
ties holding the truth of Jesus firmly for
conscience sake, against majorities who
have oppressed and non-fellowshipped them
—just such a position as Baptists have ap
proved since the days that Catholicism
came into power, and the order of Pruvi-
I deuce has made minorities the depository
of the truth, while still, as a matter of fact,
■ majorities existed, who have resisted the
- plain teaching of Christ. As regards the
' case at Nashville, it is significant that all,
i or nearly all, of the churches of Christ,
; over a large scope of country around them,
who know the facts. recognize the minority
! as in the right, and consider the majority
i in gross disorder —just as we have said
—while it has been the work of foreigners
J to demur, and take an adverse position.
Yet as a matter of fact, as a matter of
• history, the two parties do exist. After all
| we cannot see why A., who honestly thinks
as we do of this matter, should non-fellow
ship 8., who as honestly differs with us.—
This i* the true issue between brother D.
and oaraelt, and between “M." and the
public. Baptists can not divide, unless
one shall disallow tin* right of opinion to
the other, in which event a division can be
had vary promptly.
We have written calmly, without feeliag
other than that which urges to maintain the
truth.
THE UNKNOWN.
An article appeared in the S. W. Bap
tist, June 21st, over the famous signature
“M.”—
He modestly claims that,“the disclosure
of his name would give additional force to
his article.” We supposq'he means the
disunion article which a short
time since. All we have to say to this, is
that he should give his article all the force
of his name, or he should not have written
it. Possibly if the arHfffe had appeared
with this additional we should have
said less than we did. As to guessing, we
have no disposition to make the third, un
til the second guess is denied.
Bro. D. has intimated.jhat the author is
in sight of our-office (then at Rome,) but
we can safely say that if he lives North of
Atlanta, in Georgia, his sentiments hitherto,
like his name, have been kept in the back
ground. As regards division arising from
what he calls “New Theajy,” we say —Ist
That we have seen no such theory as he
presents, except as it has been tortured
into existence by the Standard and S. B r .
Baptist. 2nd It will bedtime enough to
divide when a new theory has been origin
ated by somebody, and endorsed by others.
We are opposed to counting chickens be
fore they are hatched.
We have no disposition to say aught
against the personal clams of “Al” but it
is delicate in him to put|>efore the public
an odious theory as k
• Bap t i
10 M!H L\'l t .ITI oi.
FOR THE HANNER & BAPTIST.
THE LONE BAPTIST.
ARTICLE 1.
“The testimony of the Lord is sure, mak
ing wise the limple." Ps. xix, 7.
“Every word ofGod is pure.”
Prov. xxx, 5.
“The word of G«d is quick and powerful.”
Heb. iv, 12.
“Not my will, Hit thine be done.”
Jesvs. Luck xxn, 42.
To all who desire to know and do the
will of God, the writer of these pages sends
Christian salutation. Blezsed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
by his eternal spirit hath enkindled this
desire within you.
“And this desire is something good
Por which our praise is due.”
It is an indication of your heavenly
Father’s willingness to fillfill the promise
of his well beloved Son. and “guide you
into all truth.” (Jno. xvi: 13.) Cherish it
as you would the breath of life. Breathe
upon it with the breath of prayer, that it
may be increased in intensity. Daily delve
for truth as for hidden treasure. As the
tiny limbs of the little infant by daily
exercise acquires strength, so will the holy
impulses within us be strengthened by
being daily exercised aright. Beware that
you do not act like the man who, sitting by
the side of a gushing fountain with a cup
in his hand, says, “I thirst,” and yet sits
still —stretches not forth his hand to catch
the waters of the profluent stream.
The word of God is a fountain of “living
Waters.” From itjowa streams
of divine truth, unmingled with the wild
speculations of the scholiast, and uncorrupt
ed by the vain and false traditions of erring
mortals. He who drinks thereat—and
thereat only —shall never die. He shall
find its truths springing up within him as
a well of water, (Jno. iv: 14.) affording
quietude amid the cares of life, consolation
amid its discomforts, strength to bear its
ills, courage to encounter the fiercest of his
foes, skill to overcome every enemy,
triumph in death, and glory, honor, and
immortality beyond the boundaries of time,
in that blissful world “where the wicked
cease from troubling and the. weary are at
rest.”
Observe that I predicate what I affirm
upon the supposition that the individual
seeks for divine truth from the word of
God, and from that only. Many recur to
the word of God and drink in its truths,
then turn to the polluted fotifltains of world
ly wisdom and drink in error. But these—
truth and error—like the law of the spirit,
and the law in our members, of which the
Apostle Paul speaks (Rom. vn. 23) are
contrary the one to the other. They mutually
repel each other. They can never coalesce.
We cannot act under the influence of both
at the same time ; and, as frail human na
ture ever imbil»es error more readily than
' truth, the consequence is the latter is too
i often expelled, and the former is left to
rule within and reign OWT us to our
serious injury, whether we are aware of it
■ or not.
Error is congenial to our depraved na
tures. Men prefer darkness to light, error
to truth. (Jno. m: 19.) They we represent
ed as going forth from t lierrt&Otlier's womb,
speaking, not truth, but lies. (Ps. lviii: 3.)
The human heart stands ever oj>en to er
. ror; but it is barred, and doubly barred,
against truth—barred by an evil nature,
and barred by sinful practice. “The carnal
mind is enmity against God ; for it is not
subject to the law of God, neither, indeed,
can be.” (Rom. vni: 7.) “The natural man
reeeiveth not the things of the spirit of
God ; for they are foolishness unto him :
neither can he know them, because they
are spiritually discerned.” (1. Cbr. ii: 14.)
These are very common place remarks,
some may say, and the inquiry may be
made, Why do you repeat them here? I
answer, l*?cause it is evident that they have
not yet made a due impression upon the
hearts of all, even of God’s eiart. If the
mind assent to their truth, the heart rejects
it, and the lives of too many unequivocally
deny that.
THE WORD OF SOD IS TUE ONLY SOCKCE OF
FIRE AND rNADVLTERATED TRITR ACCES-
SIBLE TO rs.
Tliat even Christians are not duly con
vinced of this truth, is evident from the
means to which they not unfrequently re
sort to satisfy their minds, when involved
in doubt in reference to any d<x-trine taught
or duty enjoined in the ward of God.
Instead of vbeiug the divine command.
to “search the Scriptures,” (Jno. v: S 9)
and testing every thing by “the law and
the testimony,” (Js. vn: 20) they recur to
the writings of men as frail and fallible as
they are, and are very sure to read first
the writings of those authors whose views
are known to be congenial to their own pre
dictions.
“And loud they extol the man who routs
The thoughts that till’d their minds with doubts.
’Tis ease, not truth they anxious sought:
They obtain it—but ’tis dearly bought.”
Alas! they know not what they do. —
Their error may not prove an unpardon
able one—it may not bar them out of
heaven —but the smallest error imbibed
impairs one’s moral vision, and bars out of
the heart much of that peace and consola
tion of which the man who is betrayed into
error knows nothing.
Error may act as an opiate to a troubled
conscience. It is truth alone that excites an
inward rejoicing in a full assurance of faith.
The man who adopts error may possibly
say, I believe I am right. He who embraces
the truth and acts it out can say more:
He can say, I know I am right.
In our belief we may err ; —in the as
surance of truth there can be no mistake.
Such an assurance is as attainable in the
present day as ever it was. Job could say,
t“l know that my Redeemer liveth,” &c. —
Job xix: 25. Solomon declares that “the
lips of the righteous know what is accept
able.”—Prov. x: 32. Jeremiah said, on
one occasion, “Then I that this was
the word of the Lord.”—Jer. xxxn: 8. The
Savior said to his disciples, “It is given
unto you to know the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven,” (Matt, xn: 11.) and
again : “If a man will do his will, he shall
know of the doctrine, whether it be of God
or whether I speak of myself.” —Jno. vn:
17. Paul speaks of those who not only
“believe" but “Jtnow the truth”; (I Tim.
iv: 3.) and this is spoken in reference to
some of the practical duties of the Chris
tian.
If I could I would write indelibly in
flaming capitals, on the retina of every
man’s eye, the declaration of the Savior
last cited, so that, let him turn in whatever
direction he might, he would see before
him: “If a man will do his w.ll, he shall
KNOW OF THE DOCTRINE, WHETHER IT BE OF
God.”
Revolve this declaration of the Savior in
your mind. Seek to comprehend its full
import. If a man will do his will—the will
of God—if he will faithfully conform to
that will, as far as it has been revealed to
him, he will know assuredly that it is the
will of God and not the will of man that
he is doing. So, too, with reference to any
future act. The man who is ready both to
learn and do the will of his God—whose
heart responds, when the Lord calls to
him, “speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth
thee”—will never find it necessary to sit
down in idleness, or to inquire of the pas
ser by, what shall Ido next? If we look
alone to God, he will “reveal even this
unto us.”—Phil, in: 15. “Then shall we
know, if we follow on to know' the Lord.”
Hos. vi: 3. “If our gospel be hid,” says
the Apostle Paul, (2 Cor. iv: 3,) “it is hid
to them that are lost.” It may be laid
down, therefore, as an incontestable truth,
that if the truths of the gospel (or God’s
will in reference to us) are hid from us, it
is because we have lost our w'ay —have
strayed from the path of duty—the path of
God’s commandments.
HABKKEBB, DOUBTS AND FEARS NEVER
OPPRESS ONE WHO IS LIVING IN THE Dlll
< lIARGF. OF HIS DUTY. *
To the disquieted wanderer, God says,
“() that thou hadst hearkened to my com
mandments, then had thy peace been as a
river, and thy rightehusness as the waves
of the sea.” —Is. 48: 18.
His peace, instead of dying out, would
have continued to augment; as the river
deepens and widens as it rolls onward
toward the ocean; and there would have
been no cessation, no halting in his duty
for the want, of light. His acts of right
eousness, like the waves of the sea, would
have followed each other in one uninter
rupted succession. Hear the word of the
Lord again: “Oh, that my people had
hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked
in rny ways! I should soon have subdued
their enemies, and turned my hand against
their adversaries. The haters of the Lord
should have submitted themselves unto
him: but. their time should have endured
forever. He should have fed them also with
the finest of the wheat: and with honey
out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.”
Ps. lxxxi: 13, 16.
While we keep the words of the Savior,
and do the will of God, we will have the
spirit of Christ, the Comforter, within us.
Jesus w ill manifest himself unto us as he
does not to those who stray from the path
of his commandments; and he and the
Father will take up their abode within us.
Jno. xiv: 23. Such is the purpose of God,
and such are the promises of the Savior;
and every purpose and every promise shall
assuredly be fulfilled, even though
“The seas may waste, the skies in smoke decay,
Rocks tarn to dust, and mountain.’ melt away.”
Dear reader, what think you ? May we
credit the words of the Savior ? Can you
say with the Apostle Paul, “I believe God,
that it shall be even as it was told me;?”
(Acts xxvn: 25.) Answer not hastily.—
Reflect, well, and let your nets report your
answer.
But allow me to ask a few more ques
tions: Will the Father and the Son take
up their abode within us and neglect to
give assurance of their presence? What
would their presence avail us if not mani
fested to us ? Will they take up their
abode with us, and hold no communion
w ith us? If they hold communion with us,
mav we not have the same assurance of
i
i their presence with us that we have of the
i presence of those wbo commune with us in
our fiimily circle? If present, will they not
I communicate to us their will when we ask
to be taught it? Will the Savior not re
spond as readily to us as he did to Saul of
Tarsus, when we inquire, “Lord, what wilt
thou have me to do ?”
Reader! reader! deceive not yourself.
If you are in doubt about the presence of
God in your heart—about the path of duty
—about the will of God in reference to you;
or if you lack the assurance of faith, or the
“answer of a good conscience,” it is because
you have neglected faithfully to keep your
Savior’s sayings. “He that loveth me not,
keepeth not my sayings.”—Jno. xiv: 24.
“If a man love me, he will keep my words.”
(v. 23.) “And he that loveth me shall be
loved of my Father; and I will love him,
and will manifest myself to him.”—v. 21.
Our departure from Christ and neglect of
his sayings is the cause, I repeat, of all the
doubts and fears that mar our peace.
I dismiss you for the present. Retire to
your closet,Tand upon your bended knee,
with the Word of God open before you,
inquire honestly, “Lord arc these things
so?” Let the language, of your heart be,
“ O that the Lord would guide my ways
To keep his statutes still!
O that my God would grant me grace
To know and do his will!”
Commit that entire hymn to memory.
Repeat it daily, not to yourself, but to your
God. Throw, as it were, your whole soul
into it, and be very sure that you have in
your heart every desire of which the words
of that hymn Divine guid
ance, when sought sincerely, wns never sought
in vain.
Allow me. to group together important
truths brought to view in the foregoing ar
ticle, that you may the more readily store
them away in your mind, and retain them
in memory.
1. The word oLGod is the only source of
pure and unadulterated truth accessible
to us.
2. God is as willing in the present day,
as ever he was, to make his will known
to those, who desire to learn it.
3. In the path of God’s commandments
there are no clouds of doubt to ob
struct our view, no fears like fiery
serpents to assail us.
Inference. If we meet with these,
we may rest assured that we have
wandered from that path, and should
make haste and delay not to regain it.
4. Error is more congenial to the natural
man than truth.
Inference. Os a creed •: r act that
is congenial to our natural feelings, we
should ever be suspicious; and be care
ful to withhold our sanction from it,
until we have subjected it to the rigid
tests of God’s word, and found it to be
correct.
♦
For the Banner & Baptist.
THE LAND MARKB.-NO. 4.
Dear Brother Wood :
I have promised to call attention to the
fact that, Pedo Baptists themselves admit,
nay, earnestly contend for the main princi
ples advocated in this series. That Baptism
is a pre-requisite to Church fellowship—to
the Lord’s Supper, and to the Gospel Min
istry. I have already alluded to the de
claration of the Presbyterian Elder in 1858,
that they, (they Presbyterians,) would not
admit any one as a Minister, nor in any
way recognize him imeh, it+tiess in their
estimation he had beer, baptized.
Is the position of this Elder sustained
by the recognized authorities of the Pres
byterian denomination? I open the Con
fession of Faith, and, page 144, I read as
follows: “Baptism is a sacrament of the
New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ,
for the solemn admission of the party bap
tized into the visible Church." Here it is
affirmed that, “without baptism there can
be no such thing as admission into the vis
ible Church." So say Baptists. Now,
where does this Confession of Faith locate
the Ministry? On page 135, I read the
following: “ Unto this Catholic visible
Church, Christ hath given the Ministry,
Oracles, and Ordinances of God, for the
gathering and perfecting of the Saints in
this life, to the end of the world.” (Italics
mine.) Here we see it plainly and une
quivocally set forth in the recognized stan
dard of Presbyterianism. That “the Min
istry, Oracles,” and all the “ Ordinances of
God," are given to the Church by Divine
authority. Not to the invisible Church—
if such a thing exists —but to the visible
Church. That visible Church into which
baptism solemnly admits the party baptized.
There is no such thing as mistaking the
Confession of Faith on this subject. Ac
cording to its plain teachings where there
is no baptism, there can be no visible Church.
Again, where there is no visble Church,
there can be no “Ministry," nor any of
“ the Ordinances of Gods." For these are
all the gifts of Christ to the visible Church.
The most ultra Baptist never took higher
grounds than this. If infant sprinkling as
practiced by Presbyterians, is not Gospel
baptism, then, according to the honest Con
fession, Presbyterianism is not the Church
of Christ, nor a branch of the Church.—
Neither are her Ministers Gospel Ministers.
Neither has she any of the Ordiances of
God. The same may be said of all Pedo
Baptist sects.
Savs Dr. Griffin, a distinguished Pedo
Baptist, “I agree with the advocates of
close communion in two points: 1. That
baptism is the initiatory ordinance which
introduces us into the visible Church, of
course where there is no baptism there is
no visible Churches. 2. That we ought
not to commune with those that are not
baptized, and of course are no Church
members, even if we regard them as Chris
tians. Should a pious Quaker so far de
part from his principles as to wish to com
mune with me at the Lord’s table, while he
yet refused to be baptized, i could not re
ceive him, because there is such a relation
ship established between the ordinances,
that I have no right to separate them; in
other words, I have no right to send the
sacred elements out of the Church. The
only question, then, is whether those asso
ciations of evangelical Christians that call
themselves Churches, and that practice
sprinkling, are real Churches of Christ.—
In other words, whether baptism by sprink
ling is valid baptism.” (See Landmark
Reset, page 7.) Dr. Griffin further ad-
mits that, “Il nothing but immersion is
baptism, there is no visible Church except
among the Baptists.”
AX hat Dr. Griffin has said in reference
to the C'ommw/ifon, i 8 equally applicable to
the Ministry. He here admits that he
would refuse to commune with the unbap
tized, even though he esteemed them as Chris
tians. This is precisely what Baptists do.
We refuse to commune with Pedo Baptists,
or recognize their Ministers as Gospel Min
isters for the reason that we regard them
as wabaptized, and consequently not Church
members, although we esteem many of
them as Christians; as regenerate persons,
and would rejoice to see them follow Christ
into the liquid grave. And the same rea
sons assigned by Dr. Griffin are urged by
Baptists. “Because there is such a rela
tionship established \wt\veen the ordinances,
that I (we) have no right to separate them.
In other words, I (we) have no right to
send the sacred elements out of the Church."
And we may add, neither have we any
right to look out of the Church for the
Gospel Ministry.
Dr. Wall says, “No Church ever gave
the Communion to any persons before they
were baptized. Among all the absurdities
that ever were held, none ever maintained
that any person should partake of the
Communion before they were baptized.”
AVill not the same remarks apply to the
Ministry? Has any Church ever admitted
the unbaptized to the Gospel Ministry?—
“Among all the absurdities that, ever were
heldf has it ever been maintained that any
one should be recognized as a Gospel Min
ister “before he was baptized?"
I might multiply quotations almost in
definitely, showing that the main princi
ples advocated in this series, is admitted bv
Pedo Baptists, as being correct.
They admit—l mean all candid Pedo
Baptists—that the landmark principles are
the legitimate results of our principles as
Baptists. They acknowledge that we are
consistent—that ours is the on ly consistent
position sot Baptists to occupy.
Now, will Baptists be consistent? Are
we willing to follow our principles to their
legitimate results? Or will wo sacrifice
principle to expediency? Or, rather, is it
not most expedient, all things considered,
to do right? Do we p ace a higher esti
mate upon the flatteries of the world, or
of false friends, than we do upon the smiles
of Jesus? Will He not approve us if we
observe all his precepts?
Os what we have written, this is the
sum:
1. That the work of the Ministry be
longs to the official acts of the Church, and
that there is a manifest impropriety in re
cognizing any one as an officer of the Church
before he becomes a member.
2. We have seen that all who were au
thorized to preach the Gospel were also
authorized to partake of the Lord’s Sup
per.
3. We have seen that our Saviour hath
by precept and example recognized the
principle that Baptism was a pre-requisite
to the Ministry, as well as the Comniun
ion. Tho Saviour himself never went out.
as a public teacher, to preach the Gospel
until after his baptism.
4. We have seen that all those commis
sioned by the Saviour to preach the Gos
pel, were first baptized.
5. We have seen thnt the inspired Apos
tles, under the great commission, first
Preached the Gospel, second, Baptized the
believers, and, third, Taught them all oth
er duties commanded by the Saviour.
6. We have seen that the Ministry is
the gift of Christ to His Church, and con
sequently, that the Minister must be a.
member of the Church.
7. We have seen that the Confession of
Faith, and distinguished Pedo Baptist wri
ters, acknowledge the soundness of these
principles. 1. That where there is no Bap
tism there is no visible Church. 2. Where
there is no visible Church, there is no Min
istry; no Ordinances of GOD.
In reasoning with Baptists, I have a right
to assume that., immersion alone is Baptism.
And Dr. Griffin has admitted that “If
nothing but immersion is Baptism, there is
no visible Church except, among the Bap
tists.”
By communing with Pedo Baptists, and
recognizing their Ministers as Gospel Min
isters, we are called upon to acknowledge,
and virtually do acknowledge:
Ist. That Pedo Baptist Societies aru
Gospel Churches.
2. If Pedo Baptist. Societies are Gospel
Churches, then infant Baptism is a Gospel
institution.
3. Thon, also, sprinkling and pouring are
to lie recognized as Scriptural Baptism.
Are Baptists prepared to make these
concessions? For one, my answer is »«-
tensely NO.
I now' drop this subject, humbly praying
for the influences of the Holy Spirit; that
all who love the Saviour in sincerity, may
be led into all truth. That we may all lie
of the same mind, and of the same judg
ment. WM. NEWTON.
Elder W. T RUSSEL.
This Brother is Agent for tho Revision
Association, and will visit the people (D.
V.) at —
Cedar Town, on the Ist Sab. in July;
Mt. Zion, Cass Co., on Tuesday ;
Kingston, on Thursday;
Cartersville, on Saturday & 2nd Sab.;
Cassville and neighborhood, the week fol
lowing ;
Rome, on Saturday & 3rd Sab.;
Pleasant Grove, Chattooga Co., Ga., on
Tuesday following;
Bush Arbor, Floyd Co., on Thursday ;
Pisgah, on Friday;
Cave Spring, on Saturday and 4th Sab.
He is engaged in the greatest work of
the age, and we ask for him full congrega
tions. Eo.
4t.
“I’m in the wrong,” is said to be
the most difficult sentence to pronounce in
the English language.