Funding for the digitization of this title was provided by the R.J. Taylor, Jr. Foundation in partnership with the Atlanta History Center.
About The Baptist banner. (Atlanta, Ga.) 186?-1??? | View Entire Issue (Feb. 28, 1863)
Contributors to Th** ' Banner. Rev. H. C. Hob*’ . . ~ “J. M W -<adv, Atlanta, Ga. « j p , ood, Newnan, Ga. >t Baker, Thomasville, Ga. i). P. Everett, Orange Hill, Fla. “ N. M. Crawford, Penfield. Ga. “ B. F. Tharp, Perry, Ga. “ J. H. Campbell, State Evangelist. “ A. E. Dickinson, Richiiiuiid, Va. artist fanner. AiL MSSftsaJ kI/I xlLy /fl I s®f*s gajS® H wV i V a ssSJKC fll \'W S- '' kJ w f W ‘The entrance of Thy W’ord givcth light.’ JAS. NATHAN ELLS, Editor. ATLANTA, GEORGIA : SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1863. Latitudinarianism. One of the greatest obstacles with which the Christian cause has to contend, in the present century, is, that the public sentiment is against all who combat for precision of doctrine, or of church organization. And this evil has been established under the specious and seductive influence of the name ‘charity.’ Hence it has exercised an un bounded popularity not only without, but even within the church. Those without, have based their professions of charity to wards varieties of faith upon the fact that many of the most noted thinkers have given it as their opinion, that our belief is beyond our control, and we are therefore in no sense responsible for our religious faith.— Those within, finding in every sect and society of professing Christians men whose labors have been acceptable and useful to all sects, or who have had a brotherhood in all spiritual christendom, have felt unwilling to regard it as of much importance what form of godliness might be adopted, so that the power was evinced. These, truly, are very different soils from which the same plant should grow 7 —the one having the likeness of that charity which hopeth all things ; the other, of those men of corrupt minds who are reprobate concerning the faith. Yet these differences of principles of judgment are not apparent to casual observ ers. All that they see is, that the philosophic and the Christian are agreed in being indif ferent to specialties of doctrine, or of church relations, and that to both, those who con tend earnestly for unity of doctrine or for conformity of church are objects of derision if not of contempt. Wherefore the world —the thinking and those who have others to think for them—and the Christian and the scoffer are generally to be found com bined hand in hand without noticing any differences of motives between themselves in advocating and upholding one of the most dangerous, because one of the most insidious and fatal fallacies that ever op posed the truth as it is in Jesus. But that which makes this unity of the godly and the ungodly in upholding this latitudinariauism most singular is, that it originated with Christian teachers in an effort to accommodate Christianity to the prejudices of skeptics. ‘ The divisions us Christians,’ thought they, ‘do incalculable mischief. They supply infidels with the most plausible topics of invective. They harden the conscience of the irreligious, and .weaken the hands of the good.’ Probably this was an honest conviction, and the si lencing of contentions for the conformity of the church to the Scriptures, by such reasons, may have been sought in good faith ; but it is not in human ingenuity to produce an expedient in favor of Christianity which infidels may not wrest for invective, ortho irreligious may not use to excuse indiffer ence. And in the present instance we can not call to mind one other of which the infidel and irreligious make so much capital as they do of the general consent to regard as indifferent what dogmas may be held or what church connection may be formed. Now, it is by no means the least of the evils growing out of this parent evil that it engenders indifference towards religion.— It was created to correct an excuse for in difference which ran in this way : ‘ [ do not know how to attend to religion. There are so many, each professing to be the true one and declaring that outside its pale there is no salvation. Not knowing which to heed for they are all equally positive and spe cious, 1 am determined to give no heed to any.' It creates an indifierentism running in this way : ‘There are a great many re- : ligions, each one unlike the other, and yet one is as good as another. I think I shall * VKB BAFSSSV BiaggS. continue as I am—mine may be as good as any.’ Now this is a fallacy. It is not true that our religious opinions and adhesions are matter of but small importance, which involve no responsibility or confer no distinction. The Scriptures do not allow any such supposition. They are imperative in their demands of acceptance, jealous of the im plicitness of their credit, and intolerant of all other creeds or admixture of opinions. When they demand faith, they say ‘ W ith out. faith it is impossible to please God.’— When they require trust in Christ, they make its presence or its absence the very pivot upon which the eternal state depends : ‘ He that believeth not shall be damned.’ So, too, when they present a duty it is in the form of a mandate: ‘This is His com mandment that we believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ.’ Not, it is a privi’ lege to which He permits us, it is a blessing by which He invites us, it is an advantage to which He urges us —but it is a duty which' He commands us to perform, and a duty which if neglected leaves us in a state of condemnation, for ‘ he that believeth not is condemned already.’ Surely it cannot be pretended that any room is left you for indifference here.— If you believe not you will be damned. It is not indifferent in whom or in what you believe. You must believe in God, in His Son whom He hath sent, and in the Gospel which He has revealed. Neither is it in different how you believe. ‘ With the heart man believeth unto righteousness,’ and ‘lf any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, maranatha.’ Here then is the whole of the Gospel—its facts, doc trines, promises, duties, spirit and disposi tions enjoined by the authority of God, and disobedience threatened with death. Nor can any one fearing God dare to pretend that it is a matter of no importance, in I volving no responsibility, and conferring no ( distinction in what manner or under what spirit these injunctions are to be observed. * What is to become of the Poor ? ' This question Las puzzled more than one 1 mind, and troubled more than one heart, during the cold season through which we have just passed. It can not be denied that there are many families in this country, many of them wives and children of sol diers, who, by the disorders of the times and the high prices of provisions, are almost reduced to starvation. These persons have been accustomed to live by honest labor, and they will suffer seriously before they will submit to the humiliation of begging. ‘ Famine prices’ truly rule in this city, as a reference to the current market reports will show: Corn-meal $2,25 per bushel, with an upward tendency ; beef thirty-five and forty cents a pound (still rising) ; pork seventy-five cents per pound, and lard about the same ; while fire-wood, an indispensable article at all times, is sold at from five to ten dollars per load. With these extraor dinary figures staring us in the face, may we not be pardoned for asking ‘ What is to become, of the poor ? ’ It is certain that they can not live without assistance from some source, if matters re main as at present —prices all on the ascend ing scale. But what has been done to aid the poor ? Both the State and Confederate governments have done a great deal to wards relieving the poor by furnishing them 1 work ; but as we shall probably have more ‘ than a month of cold weather yet, the little 1 stocks of provisions which ’ women can procure by all their exertions will scarce be sufficient to preserve life un til the genial warmth of summer shall have ; brought into the market a new supply of food in the form of vegetables. In the name of humanity and of our holy religion we ask, what is to be done ? Money is said to be plentiful in thiscom munity. We have been told that the divi -1 dends of some of our joint-stock companies will reach as high as fifty per cent. We do ‘ not say there is any thing wrong in this. ' Traders are said to be making large profits and this may be perfectly legitimate, but these facts show that owing to the disorder ed state of the country, many are growing rich while others are verging towards starv ation. What, then, is the duty of those whom God has prospered ? Manifestly, to help those who need. There are many persons who could spare a few hundred dollars to the Dorcas Society- an association composed of devoted and self-denying ladies who are doing all their limited means will permit to aid the needy- Who loves the poor well enough to do something for them ? ‘He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord.’ The poor may have no men of power to advocate their claims, but the God of All hears their bitter j cries when pinched with cold and hunger, and there are many who not relieving them may hear Him say in that great day of judgment, ‘ Inasmuch as ye did it net to these, ye did it not to me.’ Oh, dear reader, go and do something for the poor! Seek out the Treasurer (or some member) of the Dorcas Society and make a contribution for them, before you sleep. H. C. H. The Governor’s Call to Patriots.— Theattention of those holding military com missions in the Georgia Militia is invited to the ‘ call ’ of their Commander-in-Chief, to be found in to day’* paper. A compliance with this summons will, it is thought, add nearly three thousand effective men to the forces in Savannah, in time to assist in re pelling the assaults of the enemy. Important Order. —All male residents of this county, between the ages of eighteen and forty years, whether ‘ exempts ’ or not, are required to present themselves at the Enrolling-Oflice in this city, between the ninth and fourteenth days of March, for final examination. The Dorcas Society’s monthly public meeting will be held to-morrow evening in the First Baptist Church, at the close of the regular services. Read the stirring appeal in behalf of the poor (in this number), and then attend this meeting, ascertain the good these ladies are accomplishing, and contrib ute as much as you can towards the relief of the destitute. You will feel better for it. Church Conference. —Members of the First Baptist Church in this city will bear in mind the conference meeting at half-past ten o’clock this morning. The Child’s Index, for March, filled with good things, equals any of the previous editions. The articles by the editor, as well as those by Mrs. DeGraffenreid, Mrs. Mallary, Mrs. Boykin and ‘ Mattie,’ are calculated to improve the youthful mind. This juvenile monthly should be liberally sustained by parents and teachers. ‘Dancing.’—We invite attention to a ' series of articles, entitled ‘ Conversations about Dancing,’ the first instalment of which will be found in the present issue.— A careful perusal is asked at the hands of those patrons of dancing-schools whose names are to be found on records of church membership, and who may entertain differ ent views from those expressed by our j venerable correspondent. The Daily Confederate is the title of a ; new journal established in Macon, under the control of Dr. Andrews, the veteran ■ editor—a pungent writer, and a gentleman , of taste and enterprise—who, by the way> always has his ‘ say,’ regardless of conse quences. Price, ten dollars per year. [Jt>r the Baptist Banner.] THE BASIS OF SLAVERY. ■ Brother Editor : — This trite subject, I ap . prehend, has not been exhausted. One ob • jeetion, at least, has been raised, to which, , I believe, no one has seen fit to reply. A resume of several connected points ' may be premised. The fountain authority for holding a race in subjection dates back 15. C. some 2350 years, —“ Cursed be Ca > naan ; a servant of servants shall he be un to his brethren.” “ Blessed be the Lord God of Shem ; and Canaan shall be his ser- ■' vant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and • he shall dwell in the tents of Shim ; and - Canaan shall be his servant.” Gen. 9 : 25- I 27. The reason of the curse may be illus , trated by a later comment of equal author ity—“ Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother : and all the people 1 shall say, Amen.” Josh. 27: 16. Analo J gous cases of the transmission of the curse . from parents to children are found in the re r lations of every man to Adam, and of chil ’ dren generally to their progenitors, 'rhe 3 reason of entailment may, In part, be a - more awful indication of God’s displeasure b against marked offences, supplying an addi f tional motive to refrain from sin. s This primal authority has never been, for mally at least, revoked. Like the announce -1 ment, “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed,” Gen. 9: 6, - ■ it remains intact by any later statute. J The curse, I apprehend, consists, notin the servitude imposed and entailed, but in the degradation which makes the servitude The order of beings highest ■ jin the scale of creation are, go far as that , relation goes, most blest. Happiness grows out of contented occupancy of our position in the scale of creation. Servitude is there i fore the place of happiness for those who . have been endowed servants. Philosophy teaches the same great lesson . ias Scripture upon this subject. Inferiority > by constitution of nature, must ever gravi tate towards inferiority of actual position. j Jou cannot, by artificial means, make all : men of the same race equal; much less can | you make a separate race of inferiors the |; equals of a superior race ; and the difficul . ties of such an attempt will manifest them selves in proportion to the distance between the races. Ham has perpetually fallen into ■ subjection to Shem and Japheth wherever ’, they have come into contact. “ That which • is crooked cannot be made straight, and that i Wan ting cannot be numbered.” — I V hat God has made impossible in the na i ot things, should not be attempted. — ’’ hat he has necessitated he has ordained. The curse appertains to a race depraved in capabilities far below all other races, and by a space far broader between them and the next above them, than that which sepa rates any superior divisions. Os this one race, therefore, can slavery be predicated. Accordingly, the descendants of Canaan ; a one might be bought and sold into per- < petual slavery, by the authority of Moses, i I by bondmen and thy bondmaids, which nou shalt have, shell be of the heathen that are round about you ; ofthem shall ye buy ; bondmen and bondmaids. Moreover, of the children of the strangers that do sojourn : among you, of them [shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land : and they shall be your possession. And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit for a possession ; they shall be your bondmen forever : but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigor.” Lev. 25 : 44-46. I say the descendants of Canaan alone ; cer tainly this is the general fact; I am not aware of any exception ; certainly if excep tions be found, they must apply to those who were identified with Canaanites in away to make distinction impracticable. Now, no such degradation as to make slavery their appropriate, normal position, attaches to any other race. Dislocation and injustice would therefore be the consequence of their practical subjugation to bondage.— We must construe every word and every providence of God in consistency with eve ry other. This last paragraph prepares us for the introduction of the grand supposed Biblical difficulty in the way of pro-slavery men. — It is this: The teachings of the Old Testa ment are obscure, and to be interpreted in the light of the New. The spirit of the New Testament is against the inherent cru elties of slavery. And when it is alleged that the New Testament endorses slavery because it says nothing explicit against a relation familiar to the times, that would prove too much ; for the slavery of the times was, in great part, white slavery. When the Romans invaded the territory of neigh boring peoples for purposes of conquest, they were accustomed to sell obstinate de fenders of their homes into slavery, irrespec tive of race. In the terrible brevity of one of their great Generals, when a besieged city held out until it was necessary to em ploy the battering-ram against its walls, — “Caesar had them in the number of his ene mies,” that is, put them to the sword, or sold them into slavery. But if we interpret the injunctions of the New Testament in relation to the duties of slaves, in consistency with the grant, the . original grant, of authority to hold slaves, • we must limit them by the original ordi nance, as published in revelation and in nature. A subsequent statute does not annul a previous one, unless, and only so far as, its terms necessarily conflict with the former. • The terms of the New Testament ordinance do not require us to ignore the limitations of the original ordinance. It may be suggested that the theory here in propounded would justify the slave trade. I suppose so. I see nothing in the slave trade, technically so called, to distinguish i it, simply as a trade, from the domestic , trade, inter-state trade, or the same trade between the different parts of the State.— The privilege of trading in slaves, ifslavery is right, is circumscribed only by the re quirements of a Christian humanity. Nei ther this nor any other trade must be car ried on at the expense of humanity and pity. The law' of God allows not the separation of man and wife, so common among us. It allows not the willful separation of parents from children at a tender ago. Ido not hesitate to express my abhorrence of these practices, while raising no objection to a trade conducted upon the principles of hu manity and Christian morals. 1 have no doubt that the [legislation of the country will, rapidly as possible, conform to the teachings of Holy Writ, on these and like subjects, when we shall have done with fa natics; and that the civilization of the age will interpose a barrier to any abuses, should the slave trade ever be legalized ! again. E. B. Teague. La Grange, Feb. 23. [/"or The, Bctpti t Banner.} The ‘ Ladies’ Home.’ Mr. Editor : — Knowing that your paper has a circulation among some of the most ’ intelligent and benevolent people in our ■ land, 1 take the liberty of addressing them ! through its columns in behalf of an fnstitu- ■ tution for Invalid Ladies, which is contem plated being established in our city. Your • able article on the subject, which I read ■ with pride and pleasure, presents very ' graphically its advantages, both physical , and intellectual. Some one may possibly object to a vigo- I ) rous prosecution of this enterprise just at I i I this particular time, on account of our great J national struggle. Another will assert, that j t they are so engrossed in caring and provi- L ding for the soldiers, as to preclude even i 3 the possibility of giving it a moment’s i thought. But we are persuaded that, after -a careful investigation of the facts, such will vanish as mist before the morning sun. An enterprise so philanthro-! i pic cannot fail to elicit the hearty co-opera-! ration of every lady who feels an interest -I in the welfare of her sex. Further . more, it is an element of civilization to ad -1 vance humane as well as literary institutions, i and this embraces both. All who have e traveled extensively know the great bene -! fits to be derived from an Institution of this -Icharacter. In Europe, and in the larger ii cities of America, they are not only consid ) ered respectable and genteel, but indispen r sable. i But, independent of all these considera t tions, there is yet a higher, a more exalted - view of the subject, one which every pious - heart appreciates and aspires to—the active - exercise of true Benevolence, and the heart that feels its rays is the symbol of heaven. 1 True benevolence links humanity to Jesus, 1 and there can be no higher, holier mission, 1 than to seek to relieve the suffering and as- - fljeted of earth. Benevolence, in the person i of woman, is an angel ministry. Our coun try is filled with so many good, wise and great men, and so many noble, self-sacrifi cing and pious women, we feel encouraged in the belief that this benevolent enterprise must and will succeed. It is a well-attested fact that Atlanta is the very place for such an Institution, and there are very many im portant considerations upon which to base such an assertion, prominent among which is the indisputable fact that many of our physicians have attained to a degree of emi nence in their profession, both at home and abroad, of which they' may justly be proud. It may not be amiss to refer to the abuses of the art, anterior to the civilization of Greece, up to the present time. Paracel sus has many imitators, even in the present age, who arrogate to themselves the super natural, and who boast of having a panacea which will cure all disease's in an instant. — Poor Paracelsus died with a bottle of his immortal Catholicon in his pocket. If so much error is mixed with Science, wlfat may we not expect from a question upon which every lady and gentleman has a right to express her or his opinion ? A mind in spired by high and noble sentiments, con trolled neither by prejudice nor false ideas, must decide favorably with regard to it. — It is humiliating to a great man to feel that he will lose his health and be forgotten,— to feel that the scintillations of his genius flashed and illumined with a meteoric glare, instead of becoming a fixed star, diffusing for ages a steady light. TEsculapius still lives in the Science which he cleared of the incongruities of empiricism, and gave it order and perspicuity. Harvey still lives on the reputation mainly of his discovery of the circulation of the blood in the human system, and a host of publicbenefactorsri.se before us, with not a single leaf faded or withered in their laurel wreaths. With how much pride will our noble Southern women behold, at some future day, this Institution, which will ever stand as a monument dedicated to her memory, an ornament to speak her praise, a blessing to her race, and a consecrated shrine, which will receive the homage of all true admirers of woman’s intellect and worth. Estelle. Atlanta, Ga. [JYor the Baptist Banner.} Ordination of Bro. Robert Baber. In accordance with the call of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church of Cobb County, Ga., a Council composed of Elders T. Burke and J. M. Springer, met at the Meeting House of said Church on Sabbath morning, 18th of January, 1863, for the purpose of the examination of Bro.. Robert Baber, a Licen tiate of the said Church, with a view to or dination to the Gospel Ministry. Council organized by' the appointment of Elder T. Burke Moderator, and Bro. J no. M. Edge Clerk. The examination being in every way sat isfactory to the Council and Church, Bro. Baber was then regularly ordained and set apart to the Gospel Ministry, now recommended to our denomination as such. T. Burke, Mod. Jno. M. Edge, Cl’k. {Vor the Baptist Banner.] A CONVERSATION ABOUT DANCING. NO. 1. “ Look here, uncle Arthur ! There is something I want you to tell me.” “ Perhaps 1 don’t know.” “ Oh, yes you do. You know everything about the Bible. Mother always says, when I want to know anything, ‘ Ask your uncle Arthur.’ ” “ Well, what have you to ask uncle Ar thur now'? ” said the old man, as he drew the little girl closer to his side and put on his spectacles to peep into the little Testa ment she held in her hand. “ 1 want to know all about these meats j offer'ed to idols, and making my brother to offend, and all that. Here it is, in the Bth chapter of Ist Corinthians. Our teacher told me to rea’d it, and tell her all about it at the Sabbath-school to-morrow. I have read it over twice, but, Uncle, I don’t know wha*t it means. I wonder what made them put such things in the Testament, unless it was just to bother little girls like me.” “ The Holy Spirit had nothing put in there but for some important end. This chapter teaches us a very useful lesson.— But I suppose it was placed there more for your mother’s sake than yours; at least she needs the lesson just now more than you do. If you will go and read it to her, 1 don’t think she will say another word about : sending you to dancing-school. And if your brother Thomas had read it, he would I hardly have engaged in the dance, night be ’ fore last, at Colonel Jones’ party, though it was ‘ just to make out the cotillon.”’ “Why, uncle Arthur! It don’t say a single word about dancing. You don’t see the right place. Here it is. It is all about ' meat and flesh, and idols, and ” “Oh yes, 1 see the place and I read it just as you do. But to me it talks a great deal about dancing and other foolish and worldly amusements. But stop a moment —1 hear your mother coming. Wait till she comes in, and then we shall not be in terrupted.” Mrs. Sinclair, the mother, was a splendid woman, in the prime of her matronly beau j ty, but much less proud of herself than of her children. She was a professor of reli gion, and a member of the Light-street church in the city of 8., viry punctual in her attendance on preaching, and liberal in her contributions to all objects of Christian ’benevolence. In the judgment of charity, she must be accounted a true Christian — though in some things, of late, Uncle Ar thur thought she had gone far out of the« way. Her husband was a man of the world , and much engaged in business. Their rela tives and friends were mostly fashionable i people, who felt that dancing, card playing ■ (when there was no betting), and the like were innocent amusements, and that the
