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fßiimttr anir “Holy Bible,—Book Divine, Precious treasure, thou art mine. ” Ho C. HORNADY, iwt MtarH JESSE M. WOOD, E<mo *s. D. P. EVERETT. } ■ Assisklut Ko iur *’ ATLANTA, Gf-EOROIA: Saturday, May 10, 186a. TRADITION. Perhaps few people are aware how much the world is influenced and controlled by Tradition. In every department of real life its voice, to many, sounds like that of pro phecy, and is received for “ Proof strong as Holy Writ.” Protestant Christianity began its reform atory career with the solemn asseveration that “ The Bible alone is the religion of Protestants ”; and yet there is no escaping from the fact that in every sect Tradition still holds its sway and asserts its power.— Where is the authority to be found in God’s word for different orders in the Ministry ? Are not ‘Bishops,’ in the New Testament, simply pastors'? —and is not the word ‘ Elder ’ but another term expressive of the same office ? How comes it, then, that we have these different orders in more than one Protestant sect? The solution must be sought in the fact that Tradition still holds its place in these sects, notwithstanding the imposing sentiment with which Protestant ism began its work of reformation. Again : Where is the authority to be found in God’s blessed word for infant bap tism? Who can point out the chapter and verse containing either grant or authority for it ? From whence, then, does it come ? Who instituted it ? Upon what authority ? Tradition is responsible for its initiation, as well as for its continuance among existing realities; and when one fails the other must cease. What follows from these premises? That Protestantism is wrong either in the sentiment upon which it rests, or in retain ing the Infant rite; for if infant baptism is right, Tradition is necessary as well as the Bible. Why ? Because in that event one right thing is not sustained by the Bible, and hence the Scriptures must have the countenance and support of Tradition.— What then follows ? That Roman Catholi cism is right, and Protestantism is wrong! But are we prepared to concede this ? By no means. Then we must come back to the great Protestant axiom that “ The Bible alone is the religion of Protestants ”; and in doing so we must give up orders in the ministry, infant baptism, and a great many other things which now obtain in dif ferent sects of Christendom. It may be laid down as a principle, that every thing in religion which is not sustain ed by the scriptures of Inspired Truth is at least unnecessary, and should be given up. Every doctrine and rite not sustained by a Thus saith the Lord, is an innovation— and Tradition is responsible for it. Fast Day. Our readers will notice the proclamation of President Davis, appointing Friday, the sixteenth day of this month as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer. Let all the people appear in their places of worship on that day, and earnestly invoke the bless ing of Almighty God upon our cause. Meetings. There will be a series of meetings held iu the First Baptist Church for several days to come. Elder A. C. Dayton is expected to be present and aid in the exercises; also Elder McNutt, of Cleave!and, Tennessee. Tract Depository. Brother A. E. Dickinson has established a Tract Depository in this city. Those de sirous of distributing Tracts in our hospitals can obtain them by applying at the office of The Banner and Baptist. I'herokee Baptist Convent lon. This body, by appointment, will meet at Cassville (now Manassas), Ga., on Friday before the third Sabbath in May. By the terms of the constitution, any Baptist Church, not represented through an association, is entitled to two messengers; and those churches which are thus repre sented, are entitled to one messenger each. ——■—<#■ ——— terms of Subscription, #8 00 fir Ana*?*, ml ways in advance. BAN NE B AN D BA PX I SX. OCCASIONAL TALKS. As we have often been requested to re sume our Pastoral Talks, Weekly Chats, or to write something of the kind for The Banner, we propose to some extent to grat ify that desire, especially as it affords an opportunity .to add to our own spiritual enjoyment. The above heading is selected because our present connection with 'The Banner and other circumstances will not justify a promise^of regularity. Brethren, sisters, elect of God, readers of The Banner, will you try to enter the | spirit of these “ Talks ” ? —Since your union with Christ, many times have the clouds overshadowed you and closed from your view the glorious light of Heaven. But never has such dark i ness prevailed as since th i War commenced which is now afflicting our whole country. You have, perhaps, doubted Christianity— most certainly, your intli vulAlaeceptance of God. Your very heart appear different from former times—so hard, so obdurate, and you say : “ Of feeling, all things show some sign, But tliis unfeeling heart of mine.” The abominations of war —drunkenness of officers and soldiers, the wicked violations of the holy Sabbath, and the general corrup tions of .the land —have troubled you much. It is a great pity if these have driven you away from the Cross, instead of driving you nearer to it. You say that God will punish this wicked ness and prolong the war. W ell, what have you been doing all this while ? Have you prayed the Almighty most earnestly, night and day, that He would use His chastising rod in mercy ? and that He would end this war as seemeth Him good ? Are you really willing that His purposes shall be fully accomplished ? Take care! It may be that you have taken a mere tem poral view of the matter. You wish to get clear of the tax of the North; you wish to save your property, and to live in a country which promises much in this respect; you desire to see our cruel and wicked enemies severely punished and humiliated. But, alas! how often do we think of God’s cause, while we are thus thinking so much of our own ? Since the war commenced, how much have we done for our Saviour’s cause? Much has been done for the country in whose destiny our own interests are in volved, but what Ims been done for the£ maintenance and spread of the Gospel?— That Gospel requires: “Seek, first, the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and ail these things shall be added unto you.” It may be we have reversed this order of things; we spend our strength for these things, and give our weakness—our fragments to God. ft really appears that ministers and people think, talk, feel, pray, write, and preach about the War, until it would be a great treat to many to hear a Gospel sermon and an old-fashioned prayer. The Devil has taken advantage of otirpn triotism to draw us from Christ; he has put north winds and icebergs around our hearts. No mistake about this—you know it is so. So, God has sent reverses; He is blighting the wheat, and, if that will not do, He will raise His hand and smite the corn. I’re sumptions man !—he thinks to make abun dant supplies this year, as but little cotton is planted. But when the clouds withhold the rain and the earth is parched, then he will propose to pray for rain. Brethren, listen : Let us urge upon all Christians to prav now—to pray all this year, that God will so temper the seasons as to secure an abundant yield for man and beast. Let us pledge our gratitude, and pray for hearts to use the abundance thus sought for God’s glory and the advancement of IT is cause. “ rice, we repent, we weep, we mourn, To our forsaken God we turn; O, spare our guilty country, spare The church which Thou hast planted here. We plead Thy grace, indulgent God; We plead Thy Son’s atoning blood ; We plead Thy gracious promises— And are they unavailing pleas? These pleas, presented at Thy throue, Have brought ten thousand blessings down On guilty lands in helpless woe; > Let them prevail to save us too." W * Obituary, Dr. J. 11. Lacan*, of Palmyra, Lee coun ty, Ga., is dead. This painful event occur red on Sabbath, 80th at April, 1802. lie leaves a second wife (to whom he had not long been married) and one daughter by his first wife (the only survivor of several children), to lament their loss, together with a large number of friends. Brother Kagan was a Baptist deacon, and had more noble qualities of character, aside from his Christian virtues, than the great majority of Christians. His death was peaceful, his hope of Heaven sweet, and his faith in Jesus unwavering. To die, no doubt, waa hi' infinite gain W M. D. COMMUNICATIONS. Our .National Sins.—No. 1- What is a ‘national sin’? It is not the sin of private citizens, however numerous. — They musteach one account for himself to God. It is not the personal sin of members of Congress or other officers of Government. —They, like other men, must answer for their own offences. But the Government., having no soul, cannot answer for itself except through the nation which it repre sents ; and when the Government by its official acts violates the law's of God, or passes laws requiring its citizens to violate them, the Government becomes a sinner against God—and the Nation, as a nation in its corporate capacity, must expect God’s judgment, If this be so, we can easily see what, as a nation,.we have to reform before we can expect God’s blessing. We are to look for the iniqp+ty which has brought God’s scourge fpon us, not in the offences of in dividuaf’fcitizens, but in the official action of the Government itself. If our Govern ment requires by law of its citizens to lie and steal, or curse and swear, then thesfc are our national sins. And had it done so, we should long ere this have heard an in dignant outcry against the Government.— Nor would it have been less loud and in dignant because such laws had been adopted from the old United States. No good citi zen would expect the nation to prosper while its government should stand thus arrayed against the government of God. But there is one particular, at least, in which tlie government of our Confederate States does stand thus. It does, by its law, required its officials to violate the law of God. God says, “ Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. In it thou shall not do any work” The government, at Richmond, says to its officials, in the Post-office de partment : Ye shall do all the work that is necessary to make up, forward and deliver the malls upon the Sabbath day. If any man among them feels that he must obey God rather than man, he is dismissed from the service as an unfaithful officer. Can we wonder that God has a quarrel with our Confederacy ? Can we expect Ilis blessing till this thing shall have been reformed?— Can Christians pray for it with any faith that God will hear our prayer? Yet we must pray for it, and labor too. Cet begin by initiating such measures as will difficulty and put'our Na tion in position to receive the blessing which we ask. * A Refuoee. Government Chaplaincies. Union of Ciinreli and Stale, Again. In previous communications on this sub ject no elaborate argument was made, but merely a suggestion or two. It may be worth while to consider the subject a little more carefully. And permit me to say, first of all, that 1 am not wanting in respect Ibr the many excellent brethren who have accepted appointments under the govern ment. The evangelical portion of the English clergy even, have through their writings, and the accounts I have seen of ■/ them, impressed me very favorably. I certainly do not fail to appreciate the gush ing Christian patriotism with which our own good brethren have hurried to the field and there ministered to our boys, especially to the siclewnd dying. 1 have myself a boy in the army; whose case I have specially commended to the notice of our excellent brother Weaver. I perceive in the communications of oth ers a reference, in most eases, mainly to consequences. The argument in effect is, our boys much need preaching, exposed as they are to temptation and disease, there- j fore they must be preaehed toby ail means —there is no time-to think about principle,: or rather the only principle involved is our duty to provide them with the Gospel.— On the street, 1 have found parties who welt nigh supposed for the moment that I was somewhat indifferent about the preach ing itself. Now' 1 suppose that principle and policy in religion always coincide ; that the oft-repeated maxim, “ There are excep tions to all general rules,” is false; that God’s prescriptions are without exception —1 mean where He has not indicated the exception. Even in this case, the exception \is a part of the rule. ‘ The rule, for exam |ple, that all men must believe, who have | natural ability to do so, is absolute. So the duty of tvery believer to be baptized, when this is naturally possible. If there fore God has prescribed the mode by which Ministers shall be appointed and supported, and this be possible, much more convenient, we must coiiform to it. laxiking to the New Testament, we shall see, they are all to be sent forth by the Churches or to go forth of their own ac cord, under the indications of Providence, aud to rely for support on the Churches and the good will of those among w hom; they go. Nobody else may send them forth. The State iit not called jto this work.] So far as support is concerned, it must be! voluntary. Christianity has no where in voked involuntary offerings. True, it claims, under proper circumstances, the offerings of all; but they must be offerings. All men are bound to these offerings, and bound to make them voluntarily. But you may not use compulsion. If compulsion had been necessary or truly politic, it would doubtless have been put in requisition. On principle, our main grounds of objec tion to the union of Church and State must be as to the usurpation of prerogative in appointing ministers, and supporting them by involuntary pay. As to consequences, these, we know, have always been corrupt ing ; but that branch of the subject I do not wish to discuss. To eliminate or preserve a great princi ple, is a vast service to mankind. With out principles, we are at sea on moral and religious subjects. If the Baptists do not take care of the great principle in question, nobody else, judging from the past, is likely to do so. Shall we not see to it, as far as in us lies, that no great error in this behalf , be left to lie at the very foundations of our beloved Confederacy. Chaplaincies are extra-Constitutional; let them not become custom. The Gospel was promulged at first, and most effectually too, without—even against —State patronage. Why can it not be done again ? It was said in reply to one of my former articles, that the State requites the observ ance of the Sabbath, and this may be re garded the union of Church and State in some sort. I reply — 1. If so, then l object to the law ; but, 2. It is demonstrated that man and beast can perform more service by resting a sev enth part of the time than by laboring the whole time. 1 have seen the facts eolleet ed, putting this point beyond all question. The State certainly has the right, by the interposition of law, to husband its re sources. 3. A valuable class of citizens, at least where no State interest is infringed, have the political right to expect protection from disturbance in the worship of God ; and to ignore the Sabbath would be to jeopardize, in many cases to render impossible, undis tracted public worship. 4. When the morals of a people have direct and obvious com!%tion with great material interests, the State has the right to encourage that upon which they depend —as for instance, the stoppage of distilleries at the present time. The principle which circumscribes the province of the State is, that secular interests are under her charge, not sacred. She is to promote the material and intellectual interests of the people by direct action, not the religious. She is a propagandist of political, not of religious, economy. I presume that hesitation on the subject of government chaplains may have had something to do with the small remunera tion fixed upon—very small, as proposed by Georgia’s favorite statesman. However this may have been, that or something else ia rapidly determining the fate of State chaplaincies. Another cause of this falling off, doubtless, is, that in many eases, parties found upon trial that they had engaged in the work under the influence of patriotism rather than piety. We know that many men unequal to the very arduous task es sayed it. Others, on mature reflection, and going out in the right way, will take their places; and the whole matter, I trust, will correct itself. For these reasons ! did not think fit, as had been suggested, to bring the matter befor#the late Convention. A memorial addressed to the Government, had it been necessary, would, in my opin ion, have been eminently appropriate. I do not thfnk it would have been despised, but might have contributed, with other means, to the accomplishment of the end desired. E. B. Tkaoce. The Hospitals. Our friends abroad now understand that Jwe have about three thousand sick soldiers [in the different hospitals in this city, and that there are others constantly coming in. To supply the wants of these soldiers re quires a large amount of hospital stores, | and an opportunity is thus furnished for ail jour people to do something for the cause. Societies and individuals may aid by send ! ing brandies, wines, cordials, dried fruits, rice, corn-starch, arrow-rool, medicines, quilts, sheets, pillow-cases, towels, wearing | apparel, and money. Those desirous of aiding in relieving the sick can send their contributions to Mrs. W. F. Westmoreland, President of the j Soldiers’ Relief Society; to Miss Lou. Co j zart, Secretary, or to Mrs. 11. C. Holcombe, - Treasurer. + * * Appointments to Preach, i>j i:i<tcr James Barrow, Second Sabbath in May, and Saturday before, at Friendship, Pdlk county. Mon day following at New' Prospect. Monday night at O. B. Whatley’s. Wednesday at Pleasant Dope. Will then attend 'the Cherokee Baptist Convention, at Manassas (formerly Cessviile), including third Sab bath in May. Can we Pray for II? We heard a good man and a good citizen say, some days ago, that he could not but feel some conscientious scruples about praying for the prosperity and continuance of a Government which gave the sanction of its laws and official orders to the need less violation of the Sabbath ; he might offer up his desire to God for the best good of his country, but could he pray in faith, expecting a favorable answer to his petition? Religious men can not but feel that God, in the language of the Bible, “ is for those who are for Him.” “Those,” He says, “who honor me, I will honor.” If we pray for His blessing, we must place ourselves in a position to receive it. We dare not ask God to violate, or to sanction the violation of, His own laws; to ask Him to do wrong, is to insult the Majesty of heaven to Ilis face ! But is it not asking Him to do wrong to pray that He will bless us in the persist ent disregard of His most solemn enact ments, often repeated, .and enforced with the most fearful threatenings ? Let good men think about these things, and press them upon the notice of the Government. We may not cease to pray for our country, but let us pray that God will give to our rulers such A perception of their obligations to Him and to the country that they will at once proceed to remove these difficulties out of the way, and so, as it were, open the windows of heaven that the blessings sought for may be poured out upon us without any restraint from the nature of our legislation. Sabbath mails and Sabbath drills are national offences against God’s holy law, sustained and. en forced by the official authority of the gov ernment —and in these particulars putting the government in open and direct conflict with the government of God. * Prophecy. There are various considerations which serve to deter most persons from studying prophecy. Among-these arc the lollowing: 1. The disagreement of those who have written on the subject; 3. The (act that the world has little taste for the truths re vealed in prophecy ; and, 3. The belief that prophecy is a sealed book until it is fulfilled. The first objection, if valid would dis suade from the study of almost every sub jec-t; the second implies that the world is in a bad moral condition ; and the third is at) impeachment of Divine Wisdom—es peeially of that fart of the Word of God that encourages to the study of prophecy. In times of trouble—such as the present —when the future is shrouded in darkness, and nought but evil appears in the immedi ate prospect, it is natural for the child ot God to turn away from the calamities of earth and seek refuge in God. In this frame of mind it is peculiarly proper to search the Word of God, to see if it sheds any light upon the gloom of earth. Sick and disgusted with the pollutions of this world, the pious heart sighs for a better country—a better administration. There have been two great difficulties in the way of prophetic investigation : The uncertainty of chronology, and the difficulty of deciding for certain when the prophetic dates begun — i. e., the year from which to start. These obstacles must involve all such investigations in doubt, until the lead ing prophetic date (“ 1200 days,” “42 months,” or “ time, times and an half,”) shall have expired. When this data ends, there will remain but two other dates until the “ Blessed” period spoken of by Daniel —“ 1290 days,” and “ 1336 days.” It is confessed by all, so far as 1 know, that these dates have a common beginning with the “ 1200 days.” If so, then 30 “ days ” (1290 —-1260*30) after the end of the “1200 days,” the second date (“1290 days”) will end; and 45 “days” later (1335 —129CG-45) the “ Blessed ” period will be inaugurated. A question of vital importance at this point is, Has the leading date, or “ 1200 days,” ended? To answer this question properly, it is necessary to ascertain what was to be the characteristic feature of this period. This we learn both from Daniel and John. Ihe 'people, of God were to he persecuted and slain by the “ man of sin ” during this period. (See Daniel xii: 7, and John xii: 6.) Persecution, or the taking away of religious liberty , was the prominent characteristic of the “ 1200 days.” That disagreeable feature has ceased to operate ; and, as a consequence, the “Church has returned from the wilderness.” Religious liberty was granted in this country (by law) in the year 1792, on the adoption of the constitution of the United States; and m Europe (in the Papal dominions) in the same year, as the result of Napoleon Bona parte’s conquests. Since that time every man m the United States, and in the Papal dominions of Europe, has been permitted to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience. It is true that In Eu rope the people of God have been taxed to B % pCrl the rejigion, and are s j f so taxed ; buf they hayp, qeyerthelegs;