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“Holy Bible,—Book Divine,
Precious treasure, thou art mine.”
H. C. HORN AD Y and JAMES N. ELLS,
EDITORS AND PROPRIETORS-.
J. M. WOOD, j
J. 8. BAKER, >• Associate Editors.
D. P. EVERETT, )
ATLANTA, GEORGIA:
Saturday, October 18, 1863.
The Christian Warfare.
It may seem strange that they who be
long to the peaceable kingdom of Christ
should be expected to engage in warfare,
but such is the case. Satan has invaded
the King’s territory and usurped authority
over the hearts of His servants; and in
order that he may be expelled, they must
buckle on their armor and sound the tocsin
of war. Between the combatants there
can be no truce, no cessation of hostilities,
until the diadem shall be placed upon the
Saviour’s head and He crowned ‘ Lord of
all.’ ‘We wrestle not against flesh and
blood,’ but the conflict will be none the
less fierce on this account, for it is a strife
for the mastery which can never end until
‘ every knee shall bow and every tongue
shall confess that Jesus is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father.’ And as we
fight against * spiritual wickedness in high
places, the weapons of our warfare are
not carnal, but mighty through God to the
pulling down of strongholds.’
There are three powerful enemies which
have drawn up their forces right across the
Christian’s path to glory: the world, the
flesh, and the devil; and he must conquer
them or perish. For him there is no mid
dle course—there is his path beset by his
enemies, and beyond is heaven with its
glorious rewards. Can he falter, or for a
moment indulge thoughts of peace, until
he shall have cut his way through the em
battled posts of the enemies of his soul ?
Never, while the voice of his Great Captain
is heard exhorting him to ‘ fight the good
fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life ’?
One of the King’s valiant soldiers has given
us his experience in this fearful contest,
saying, 1 1 keep my body under, lest after
I have preached to others, I, myself, should
be a castaway.’ And another has urged
us to * be sober and watch unto prayer.’
Christian soldier ! when going into bat
tle, send up strong cries to heaven that
God may send to your aid * the chariots of
Israel and the horsemen thereof,’ and then
may you hope to overcome, ‘through the
blood of the Lamb.’
‘Ne’er think the victory won,
Nor lay thine armor down ;
Thy arduous task will not be done
Till thou obtain thy crown.
Fight on, my soul, till death
Shall bring thee to thy God.
He’ll take thee, at thy parting breath,
To His divine abode.’
Yes, Christian soldier, ‘ this is the victory
that overcometh the world, even our faith,’
The Confederate Baptist.
For some reason unknown to us, we did
not receive the first number of ' The Con
federate Baptist ’ until we had seen notices
of its appearance in many of our exchanges.
We do not suppose the delay in sending it
to our office was intentional , as we had
promptly published the prospectus as soon
as it was received.
The paper is issued at Columbia, S. C.,
at two dollars per annum, invariably in]
advance. S. W. Bookhart and A. K. Dur
ham are the proprietors, and the paper is
ably edited by J. L. Reynolds, D. D., and
Rev. J. M. C. Breaker—both of whom are
reputed as sound and consistent Baptists.
We welcome ‘The Confederate Baptist’ to
our sanctum, and trust it will ever be true
to the old landmarks which our Saviour
has set up, whatever our fathers have done.
The proprietors have manifested their
discretion in starting upon the cash system ;
and in this respect we feel proud to say that -
The Banner and Baptist was the first re-j
ligious paper, as far as we know, to set the*
example in the South.
And now we wish ‘The Confederate!
Baptist’ abundant success as long as it!
maintains the principles and practices of
the churches in the New-Testament times—
which, we earnestly hope, will be forever.
All Baptist ministers and others, in the
Confederate States, friendly to our paper
are requested to act as Agents.
VMM SAMMM& MB MAWXim.
The Religious Movement.
During the past few months there have
been no less wonderful movements in the
religious, than in the political world. The
movements have been characterized by
widely differing features, and the direct
consequences have been opposite, though
tending perhaps to a common result. —
The misfortunes of life point the mind on
ward, away from the immediate causes of
those misfortunes. Relief is sought; but
relief can not be found in the sources or
circumstances from which they spring.—
When the world frowns, man looks up to
God. When his earthly supports arestruck
away, his thoughts tend above and beyond
the point of his former hopes and desires.
Was this ever more true than during the
past six months ? Whose lot has not been
disappointment—whose fears have not been
more than realized ? This preparation of
the mind for communion with itself, and
with its God, has been seconded by that
heavenly interposition which ever awaits
the motions of the soul toward the Source
of light and joy, and which is vouchsafed to
all whose moral condition and tendencies
encourage the inward aspiration for its be
stow men t.
The religious interest that has been so
general and so controlling, is to be account
ed for on philosophical principles. Philoso
phy and Religion go hand in hand—they
are agreed.; and the happiest events known
upon earth, and over which even angels re
joice, are produced by man’s conforming
his conduct and shaping his course in ac
cordance with their mutual teachings.—
But we have not, at the present time, so
much to do with the cause of the develop
ments which we have witnessed, with ac
counting for them, as with the fact that they
have been witnessed, and on the largest
scale. All over our State, men have been
converted, have become Christians —hun
dreds upon hundreds of men, women and
children—-fathers and mothers, husbands
and wives, brothers and sisters, civilians
and soldiers; the aged man tottering on
the verge of the grave, his head white with
the frosts of seventy winters, and the child
who has yet scarcely learned the alphabet,
have met together in the prayer meeting
and alternately raised their petitions to
heaven. This has been true in neighbor
hoods and in large sections of the people.
The spirit of religion has been manifested.
Go where you wmuld and religion has been
the theme; and while it has been on the
tongue it has warmed the heart, and the
whole being has glowed with its ennobling
and animating influence. *
The Soklicr* Must he flojiled.
Let us urge the fact upon our readers
that it is the imperative duty of every man,
woman and child, to do all they can to
wards clothing our Confederate soldiers.—
Winter is rapidly approaching ; and unless
immediate action be taken, many of our
troops will suffer from the inclemencies of
the season. Every individual at home can
do something. See to it that your husband,
father, son, or brother, has comfortable ap
parel—and then cheerfully assist in the
preparation of clothing for others. Our
soldiers must be clothed—let us determine
that they shall be well clothed.
The ladies of this city—first in every
good work—have three very efficient or
ganizations for promoting the welfare of
our soldiery, and much good has been ac
complished through their untiring efforts.
The purses of our citizens generally have
been liberally opened to procure the mate
rial which the nimble fingers of the better
sex have converted into garments for the
wearied bodies of the brave defenders of
our soil. Let every community throughout
our borders, however small, emulate the
example of our noble women ; and we are
sure that every man, whose heart is in the
right place, will not permit the fair sister
hood to lack abundant materials upon which
to exercise their skilful handiwork in a
esuse so essential and praiseworthy. %
Autumn.
Leaf by leaf, the glowing coronal of
Summer is fading around us. The glorious
airs and skies of Autumn have come.—
The tiny flowerets are withering in the
chilly north-wind’s breath, and we listen
to the soft zephyrs that murmur from morn
till night through the autumnal leaves.—
To some, Autumn is ‘ the saddest of '.he
year,’ reminding them of the fading of life,
of the gentle sleep called ‘ death.’ But, the
perishing flowers will bloom again in the
insurrection of Spring, radiant and beautiful
as of old, to charm and cheer us by their
fragrance and beauty. We, too, must fade
and perish from the earth—must sleep the
long sleep that awaits us all. But, listen :
* It is not all of life to live, nor all of death
to die.’ In the endless Hereafter, reader,
we shall ‘ meet again in the morning.’—
We can not die. lle who made us immor
tal hath said it. #
Terms of The Banner and Baptist, $3
per annum—invariably in advance.
Rind Words.—Thunks.
To our many contemporaries of the Pen,
who have given us so generous a welcome
on returning to the circle editorial, we
tender heart-felt thanks and reciprocal
expressions. It shall ever be our earnest
endeavor, by every laudable means, to
prove worthy of their voluntary and much
appreciated tokens of approval.
We have assumed our present position,
deliberately, in full view of the solemn re
sponsibilities devolving upon the conductors
of a religious journal; strengthened, how
ever, by the fact that this feature of our
paper will be more directly under the con
trol of the Senior—whose avocation, expe
rience and talents peculiarly qualify him
for the post he has so long and faithfully
maintained.
Let us, in brief, assure our friends, that
if our humble efforts in the past (to which
they kindly allude) have merited their
approbation, for the future we will strive
to deserve it still more. No pains, appli
cation, or industry, shall be spared to place
The Banner beyond all competition as the
favorite of the family circle—a welcome
guest at every hearthstone. *
Business in Atlanta.
Attention is called to the several adver
tisements which appear in our paper to-day.
The houses represented are among the first
in Atlanta, and we have no doubt that cus
tomers would conserve their interests by
extending to them their patronage.
It is now, we believe, a generally con
ceded fact: that the best business men to
deal with, are those who advertise liberally.
*
-
Improvement
We are happy in being able to announce
that The Banner is now issued in the high
est style of art as it exists in the confedera
cy. It is printed by steam, on one of Hoe’s
best cylinder presses, in the Franklin Print
ing House.
We know its readers rejoice; but not
more than we do. .
Association meetings.
The Bethel Association will be held with
the Baptist church at Pine Bluff, four miles
east of Albany, on Saturday before the first
Sabbath in November.
Hepzibah, Way’s Church, Jefferson Cos.
Saturday before 4th Sabbath in October.
An Opinion.
The following is an extract from a letter
written by a well-known clergyman of this
State—;whose opinion is worth a good deal:
“ I am very much pleased w’ith The
Banner, now. The number of the 11th, to
day, is certainly the most interesting ie
ligious paper I have seen lately f 1 hope it
will continue to be so, and believe that you
may sustain it now as you have put the
price up to three dollars. Surely, when
you have to pay so much for paper, ink,
oil, help, and everything else, the subscrip
tion must rise also in price, and the people
must be willing to pay it or not have the
paper. Enclosed please find al3 bill for
The Banner again to my address. I hope
I shall always be able to renew hereafter
at the expiration of my time of subscription.
My family are much pleased with it.”
Such letters as the above always give us
pleasure. Let us whisper to our esteemed
correspondent a fact, which he is at liberty
to communicate to others: our paper, as
at present published (considering the high
prices of material and labor), could not be
issued at present rates were not one of the
editors a practical typographer.
Again : We were glad to see the en
closed remittance, but better pleased while
perusing the closing sentence of the above
quotation— ‘ My family are much pleased
with ii.’ Such expressions go far in en
couraging us to go on in our programme:
to foster Southern literature ; to develope
Southern resources; to entertain the family
circle; and last (we confess, not least), to
secure an honorable subsistence for our own
‘ loved ones at home.’ *
Not Dead, but Wounded.
We rejoice to learn, from the Macon
Telegraph, that the report of the death of
our friend and school-mate, Lieut. Colonel
Reuben 11. Nisbet, of the Third Georgia
Regiment, was incorrect. That paper says
his wife has received a letter from him dated
Hagerstown, Md., September 25. He was
wounded at Sharpsburg and carried a mile
from the field on the back of a federal sol
dier, and fell into the hands of army sur
geons who were old medical classmates.—
He was then domiciled at the house of a
lawyer at Hagerstown, his wounds rapidly
healing, and he hoped to be able to travel
on parole in four weeks.
Colonel N. is a son of Judge Nisbet, of
Macon, and has proved himself a brave and
gallant soldier. He entered service as the
captain of a company from Putnam county,
and has attained promotion by repeated acts
of gallantry on the field. A braver soldier J
ne’er drew sword in his country’s defence.
(Jolumkm* Atwociatlon.
We publish below the Report of the
Committee on the State of Religion, ap
pointed by the Columbus Association at its
late session.
state of religion.
The committee charged with this subject,
report, with thanksgiving to God our Sa
viour, that, accouling to their intelligence,
the religious condition of the Associational
district has improved since the last session
of this body. The progress of the war, it
is true, has reduced the male attendance on
our religious meetings, and deprived us of
the services of many of the ministers of
Christ who were accustomed to labor within
the bounds of the Association ; but the com
mittee hope that we have been blessed with
a partial abatement of the worldly tempers
that so deeply agitated us in the first stages
of the conflict of arms, and with a deeper
dependence on the only Source of our
strength. The invaders of death, the scenes
of the hospital, thoughts of prison-houses,
the temporal privations we endure, the
magnitude of pending issues, the experi
mental and perilous nature of our future as
a people, have had the effect of humbling
somewhat the pride of our hearts, drawing
forth our sympathies, and bringing us to a
more constant and earnest suit to the mercy
of the Saviour. Prayer has become more
prevalent. The poor have been more
thought of; and in the midst of a long and
dreary spiritual drought, the Lord has in
places among us graciously turned the
hearts of sinners to Him. - Many have be
lieved and been saved —all honor to the
adorable Redeemer ! The favor, too, shown
by the Divine hand to our cause as a people
aspiring to political independence and se
curity, coupled with these uecent demon
strations of His holy Spirit among us, has
in a degree strengthened our faith in His
goodness to us, and emboldened us to hope
more devoutly and confidently for a con
tinuance of His care and mercy. ‘As many
as I love, I rebuke and chasten ; be zealous,
therefore, and repent.’ (Rev. iii., 19.)
Your committee wmuld be pleased to give
to their report a character of practical use
fulness. They invite attention to the fol
lowing points:
1. Familiar as are these and the like dis
cussions, they would have this body renew
its appeal for a still greater devotedness to
the study and exercise of prayer. Through
this medium peculiarly our Heavenly Fa
ther communicates HiS choicest blessings to
men. Graciously He inspires it, and gra
ciously He answers it. And while the
spirit of prayer should incessantly pervade
our hearts, we should remember that there
are three specified places in which it is to
be habitually expected of believers—the
closet, the circle of the family, and the house
of God. The lead from the first to the third j
is natural and orderly. We are all, doubt
less, agreed in desiring an increase of house
hold altars to the Lord ; a larger proportion j
of church members, not of the ministry, ta
king the lead on suitable occasions in con
gregational prayer, in the public reading of
the Scriptures, in pious exhortation. To
justify the declension of a brother to join in
these services in this prominent manner,
your committee deem it not sufficient that
he be not fitted to be useful in them, but it
is necessary to his justification that he be
also incapable, by a vigilant use of the
means at his command, of qualifying him-
self to be so. Alas for us, how little of our
time we devote to the proper study of the
Scriptures! how little to the reading of
judiciously-written books based upon them !
Do we want language ?—why not purchase
a book of forms ? They may enlighten,
without being copied. If we doubt, why
not believe and try ?
We should venture to push the subject of
family prayer a step father. In the absence
or declension of her husband, circumstan
ces otherwise agreeing to it, we see neither
in Revelation nor in reason a barrier to the
maintaining of vocal prayer daily in the
midst of her assembled children and ser
vants, by a sister in Christ. On the con
trary, we doubt not that ample rewards
will attend on such a service, conducted in
the love and fear of God.
2. The duty of occupying a portion of
every Sabbath, in the absence of a public
ministration from the pulpit, in Sabbath-
School exercises and in public prayer, in
the Lord’s house, accompanied, if practica
ble, with religious exhortations. Let
brethren thus bring their free-will offerings
to the Redeemer, nothing doubting that,
sprinkled with llis blood, they will be ac
cepted, * For them that honor me, I will
honor.’ (1 Sam. 2: 30.)
3. Deferentially, your committee would
inquire if the custom so extensively preva
lentamong Baptists of celebrating the Lord’s
Supper only once in three months, be not a
departure from Apostolic usage and too un
frequent to secure the greatest good of the
ordinance? Of the power of the ordinance
as a means of grace, the committee need
not speak ; and when we call to mind the
announcement of the Saviour, that as often
as we observe it we ‘ show the Lord’s death
till He come/ we have, it is submitted, a
conclusive argument against allowing long
intervals of time to intervene between the
successive celebrations of it. Your com-,
mittee have judged that it would be pro
motive of the spirituality of the churches,
were the ordinance administered by them
monthly, or at least every alternate month,
and so we humbly venture to recommend.
4. The times admonish us that we jeal
ously watch and pray that we depart not in
spirit from the model of the Saviour; that
we look well to the temporal supplies of
the ministers of Christ who serve us, to
our poor, and to the spiritual condition of
our armies. Nor are we at liberty to lose
faith in the willingness of God to enlarge
and revive the church of Christ in our
midst yet more. Though we may not be,
for the present, able to reach our foreign
missionaries and the remote heathen with
our monies, we may and should think of
them, feel for them, pray for them, and
hold our hearts in readiness to renew and
extend our intercourse with them so soon
as God in His providence may open a way
to them.
M. J. Wellborn, )
John Harris, >- Committee.
Joel T. Johnson, )
Cave Spring Sakbatli-Scliool.
On the sth inst., the Cave Spring Baptist
Sabbath-Scnool being in session, our Su
perintendent, brother J. J. Lathrop, ten
dered his resignation—whereupon, the fol
lowing Resolutions were unanimously
adopted :
Resolved, That in view of the separation
about to take place between this School
and our beloved Superintendent, brother J.
J. Lathrop, we tender to him our heartfelt
thanks and gratitude for the faithfulness,
promptness and earnestness with which he
has always performed his duty to us.
• Resolved, That although his leaving seems
almost the breaking up of our School, yet
we submit to the will of God, trusting that
the same Providence which takes him from
us will give him a now and better field of
usefulness, and will bless him abundantly
in his labors for the Saviour.
Resolved, That we most earnestly ask to
be remembered in his prayers, that our
School may prosper, and that we may yet
rejoice with him over the conversion of
those for whom we have covenanted to pray
in days gone by.
Resolved, That as teachers and scholars
we assure him we shall ever hold him in
grateful and loving remembrance, and that
our prayers will ascend to the throne of
Grace for him and his, that God may keep
them ‘ ’neath the shadow of 11 is wing,’ and
at last bring us together in that heavenly
mansion where there are no more partings,
but where we shall be ‘ forever with the
Lord.’
The following Song, composed for the oc
casion, was then sung:
CHILDREN’S PARTING HYMN.
Air —“Gently, Lord, O Gently Lead Ua.”
| Teachers, schoolmates, time is flying,
Bringing changes all around,
I Birds are going, flowers dying,
Leaves arc falling on the ground ;
And otir friends by Heaven given,
They by Heaven too are taken —
Teachers from their charges riven,
Sad thoughts, sad strains awaken.
Come, with sweetest notes of sorrow,
Grateful tributes let us bring,
For the coming sad to-morrow
Bears our Teacher far away.
With patience long, a faithful friend,
Thou hast watched our youthful ways;
May angels now thy steps attend,
Bless and guide thee all thy days.
Gently, surely, may they point thee,
In the paths thou teachest well,
May they with sweet manna feed thee,
And around thy pillow dwell;
May the truths and hopes thou brouglitest
Yield for thee their sweet control,
May the songs of joy tliou taughest
Bring their pleasures to thy soul.
Now in song our thanks we render,
For thy labor, toil and pain,
When in after years asunder,
Wc will thank thee still again ;
These seeds of faith and hope of ours,
Sown and nurtured by thy hand, j
Shall ripen into fruit and flowers,
Shedding fragrance'through the land.
Then if on earth we meet no more,
Thy reward is still secure;
We’ll meet again upon that shore,
Where life is long, joys are pure;
There may thy lot with ours be cast,
Teacher with the scholar dwell,
Where hopes and loves forever last,
And ne’er heard the word “ farewell.”
On motion, agreed to publish the pro
ceedings in The Banner and. Baptist.
A. Richardson, Chairman.
W. A. Culbertson, Secretary.
October 7, 18G2.
Our City Subscribers.
I'he term for which a good many of our
city subscribers have paid is about to ex
pire. And as we have labored hard to
sustain the paper, we hope they will still
continue to favor ua with their patrohage.
They can obtain their papers either through
the Post-Office or by calling at our office,
in the Franklin Printing House.
Terms of The Banner and Baptist—
three dollars a year, in advance.