Newspaper Page Text
fljc gaptist fanner.
X m tmß W1 w
w H| tX
* The entrance of Thy Word glveth light'
A. C. DAYTON, Editor.
J AS. N. ELLS, Secular Editor.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 1863.
EDITORIAL ARRANGEMENT.
Henceforth the religious and denomina
tional department of The Banner will be
under the control of Elder A. C. Dayton ;
and the secular, news, and literary depart- ,
ments under that of Jas. N. Ells, as here- .
tofore. Brother Dayton’s articles will be
designated by his initials.
In consequence of the editorial and
counting-rooms of The Baptist Banner
having been 4 seized ’ by Government offi- 1
cials, we are compelled to withdraw the
invitation to our friends to call upon us at
the corner of Alabama and Whitehall sts.
For the present, the managing editor may
be found at his office in the Franklin Print
ing House—ready to receive the favors of
our friends.
We wish to say to brother E. L.
Compere, that with many other manuscripts’
his parting Letter to the friends of the
Cherokee Indians, was mislaid during the
‘seizure’ of The Banner office on Wednes
day last. We hope he will favor us with
another copy, and also a complete list of
the donations made in Georgia for ♦he
Cherokees.
THE PROSPECT OF OS R COUN
TRY.
Our enemies have triumphed on the great
river of th? West, and have utterly cut our
Confederacy in twain. We have lost the
regions on which, in former years, our peo
ple were mainly dependent for food. The (
intrepid Morgan and his gallant command, ;
who have so long spread terror among our !
foes, and compelled them to keep large ar
mies to watch, though they - could not pre
vent bis destructive inroads upon their
country, has fallen at last into their hands,
and is probably lost to us for the remainder
of the war. General Lee’s campaign intd
Pennsylvania, though not as destructive as
at one time feared, has been conceded to be
a failure, if not worse. The enemy is strong
er at sea than ever before, and will prob
ably be in possession of additional most
important'positions on the coast-. Every
thing looks dark ; but yet it may be that we
have less reason for despondency than over
before. Let the future seem ever so gloomy,
nothing is gained by doubt or despair. The
influence of these things should be to excite
greater efforts. If what we have done could
not secure success, we must do somewhat
more. There is one thing which we have
not done,which if we had done it would have
prevented these reverses, and secured glo
rious success. It can yet be done; if done
.even now it will at once turn the tide against
our enemies. It will secure an alliance with
a most powerful Potentate, and assure not
only victory but continuous prosperity.
ELDER THOMPSON’S BOOK.
We understand that a very readable .
bvok has been published by Elder Thomp-!
s»n, of the Primitive B iptists, in which he;
undertakes to show that the Missionary
Baptists are not true churches of Jesus I
Christ, and for this purpose relies mainly
upon certain admissions or statements made’
by Elders J. R. Graves and J. M. Wood,
about the unscripturalness of the Southern
Baptist Convention.
We would like to see that book. We!
have some little acquaintance with Elder
Thompson We have been personally im
pressed with his piety and his intellect.— I
if he is’wrong, it would be worth an effort
to convince him. If he is right, we desire
to agree with him.
Who can send us the book by mail to
the Banncr office, /Vlauta? We will pay
all costs. a. c. D.
Agent in Tennessee.
Elder William McNutt, of Cleveland, is
an authorized agent of The Banner.
Agent in Mississippi.
S. R. w Hirns, of Louisville, Miss., is
an authorized Agent to receive subscrip
tions for The Baptist Banner.
-*■
Several articles from friends have
been necessarily omitted in this number,
which will appear in our next. Among them,'
one from M. H. T
THE BAPTIST BANNER.
THE TEACHERS’ CONVENTION.
The teachers’ contention which met last
time in Columbia, S. C., adjourned to meet
in Atlanta on the first Wednesday in Sep
tember.
No object can be be more important to
our young Confederacy than those connect
ed with the proper training of the incoming
generation. The office of the teacher is
one of most immense importance. He
has in his hands, even more than the min
ister of the Gospel, the power to form the
character and shape the destiny of those
I who are to constitute the people of our loved
! Confederacy. It is well that those on whom
such vast responsibilities must rest should
meet and strengthen each other’s hearts by
mutual consent. It is well that, so far as
practicable, each should have the advantage
of the experience and the wisdom of all.—
It is well also to have some means by
which to seeute concert of action, so that
the highest ends may be sought to be at
tained through the best means, not in some
schools alone, but in all. If this can be se
cured, even in a limited degree, wiiiiuut
interfering with the widest liberty and the
most open competition in regard to the
preparation and choice of books, modes of
instruction, &c., a great object will have
been accomplished. We trust the conven
tion will be fully attended. Have anyar
s rangements been made to pass the delegates
at half price? Could it not be done?
a. c. D.
Dear Brother Dayton :
Will you, at your earliest moment, give
a full exposition of the Parable found in the
25th chapter, and commencing at the 14th
verse of Matthew, through the columns of
The Banner ?
Yours in the bonds of love.
W. B. A.
Newnan, Ga., July 26, 1863.
The parade refered to is commonly call
ed the parable of the talents.
A talent was a certain sum of money. —
Slaves under the Roman Empire were, by
law, permitted to trade, as well as labor, for
their masters; and it was no uncommon
thing for the master to place a sum of mon
ey in their hands to be used by them in
such away as to redound to his profit.
See Anthon's Classical Dictionary, article
Slave.
The words, “ the kingdom of heaven ”
at the beginning of the 14th verse, are not
;in the original, but were put’there by the
I translators. It would have b-en just as
proper to say, 4 • For the son of man,” or
“ For the Lord is like a man traveling into
a far country,” &c. This‘is evidently the
meaning. Our Saviour was speaking of his
own dealings with men in his government
, of the world.
The master called up three of his slaves
and gave each of them a sum of money to
trade on during his absence from home. —
Two of them traded as they were ordered,
and each doubled his money. The other
laid it carefully away, and made no effort to
increase it.
The master returned in time, and called
them to account. To of those who had
done what they could, he gave equal praise:
“Well done, good and faithful servant.”—
The other he bitterly condemned because he
had made no attempt, in any way, to com
ply with his instructions. Now, what is
the lesson which the Lord designed to teach ?
| Ist. Men are the property of God.— !
They belong to him as a slave to his mas
ter, and are under obligations to obey his
commands.
2d. He gives to some greater opportu
nities to do good than others, 4s it may
please his sovereign will, but some to all.
3d. He expects much of those to whom
much is given, and is satisfied if those who
I have little do with it what they can.
4th. The want of great ability or oppor-,
Yunity to do great things is no excuse for,
(doing nothing ; and he who hide? his one ■
talent, is punished the same as if it bad been
! ten.
sth. Then in ths 27th verse, the Lord
teaches that by proper improvement of the !
ability and opportunity we have, we gain
more power to do good, and thus increase ’
at once our usefulness and happiness ; while j
' by neglecting to use what we have, we lose
i it, and become at once guilty and incapable
of the good we might once have done.
This seems to us the plain and sim
ple teaching of the parable. But as we
have no commentary or other help, we give
it with all due deference to the opinions of
others, if any chance to differ with ours.
We wish our brethren would imitate!
brother A. so far as to’suggest subjects
i/br discussion in The Banner. We desire
to make it not only a readable, but a valu
ble paper. A. C. D. ,
What course should be persued with a i
church and minister who still continue to>
(invite pedo-Baptists into their pulpits to;
1 preach for their congregations, after the As
sociation of which they are a member has,
decided it is inconsistent and wrong ?
Will brother A. C. Dayton answer?
T. Bcrgkss. I
DR. CLAHK ANO M. P.. AGAIN. !
We had not room last week to say all I
we wished on the friendly communication
of M. P. We thank him for writing it.—
Our columns are always open to any one
who desires to correct our errors or inform
our ignorance. We only ask, that those
who differ from us, will speak kindly and
respectfully as becomes Christian gentlemen
discussing important questions relative to
the most important of all subjects—our re
ligious faith and practice.
If we had a copy of Clark’s Com menta
ry,Jt is probable we might find in it other
illustrations of the fact, that good men and
great men are often sadly inconsistent with
themselves, when they have once fallen in
to error. It is not unlikely that in some
other places where he is giving his own
opinions, Dr. Clark talks like an Armenian.
But in the notes on Rom. 8 : 29, where he
is giving the sense of the word of God, he
talks just as we would have him —just as
Baptists, who are sound in the faith have
been accustomed to talk from generation to
generation.
Now in regard to'the question, whether
. slave-holding is a sin, we have an , example
of the self-contradiction alluded to, even
more striking than the one we gave last
week. In his note on Eph. 6,'5, we see Dr.
Adam Clark, the English Abolitionist, —
and we can not but wonder thet the people
of the South should have permitted, with
out remonstrance or correction, the free
(circulation of such sentiments.
Here are the words as we copied them
i last summer
.( “Zn heathen countries slavery was, in
\ some sort, excusable. Among Christian, it
is an immorality and a crime, for which
perdition jias scarcely an adequate state of
punishment."
Now, from this we would naturally ex
pect some effort to show that Christians,, in
the time of Christ and the apostles, were
not slave-holders. If it were such a crime
as hell itself could hard I v punish, surely
he would try to find in the Scriptures some
condemnation of it, and some denunciation
of those who were guilty of it. Or at least
he would, on his part, forbear to ac
j knowledge that the word of God plainly
recognized and openly approved of the re
lation, and made no difference between
slave-holding Christians others. Turn
then to his notes on 1 Tim. 6,1, —6, where
; he is giving, not the sentiment of Dr. Clark,
| but the evident meaning of the word of God,
and see how it tallies with v hat we quoted
! above.
1 Tim. 6: I.— Let as many servants as
are under the yoke, etc. The' word Douloi
eere means s/aves, converted to the Chris
tian faith, and the Zugan or yoke, the state
of slavery; and by Despotai masters, des
pots, we are to understand the heathen mas
ters of those Christianized slaves. Even
these, in such circumstances, and under such
domination are commanded to treat their
musters with all honor and respect, that
the name of God, by which they were call
ed, and the doctrine of God by which they
were called, Christianity might not be evily
spoken of io consequence of their irnprop
er conduct.”
And they that have believing musters,
who have lately been converted as well as
themselves, let them not despise them, sup
posing themselve to be their equals—be
cause they are their brethren in Christ; and
grounding their opinion in this, that in Dim
I there is neither male nor female, bonder free.
| But, although all are equal as to their Re
ligious privileges and state, yet, there still
continues in the order of God’s providence
a great disparity in the station, forthemas
ter must ever be, in this sense, superior to
the servant.” Then, of abolition preachers.
“If any man teach otherwise.” -x-“ It ap
pears that there were teachers .of a differ
ent kind in the church. A set of religious
levelers who preached that the converted
.servant had as much right to his master’s
i service, as his master had to his. Teachers
jof this kind have been in vogue long since
■ the time of Timothy.” How can Dr. Clark
fail to see thata/Z the preachers of his denom
ination were solemnly pledged to teach oth
erwise. And if they failed to do it, it was
I because they disregarded the plain injunc-'
i tions of th* 1 Discipline, every - point of'
which they had promised to regard ? M. P. ,
will not deny that the preachers in General [
Conference, until within the last seven
years past, continued, like Dr. Clark, to
denounce slavery as a great evil, and one
which they were bound to labor to extri
pate from the land. Was this not teaching!
j otherwise ? Were not these such teachers !
as Dr. Clark says was in vogue long since'
, the time of Timothy ? Was not Dr. Clark !
himself a teacher of this kind ? a. c. d. |
Missionary Meeting.
Thomaston, Aug. 8, 1863.
Brother Editor: Please state to your,
readers thit the next Missionary Meeting
lof the Reboboth Association 1 will be held
; with the church atThomaston, commencing f
on Friday before the fifth Sabbath of the
present menth.
All persons who teel an interest in such
I meetings, are invited to attend.
J. H. WEAVER
[ Jbr The Baptist Banner.}
Sunday Mails.
Brother Daytox has written and pub
lished an article which appeared in a late
number of The Baptist Banner, ■ making
inquiry as to what had become of the pe
titions which were sent to Richmond for
the consideration of the Confederate Con
gress. As brother Dayton has addressed
the inquiry to me, I proceed to give the
facts in the case.
The petitions were forwarded to the es
teemed Representative of the Bth Congres
sional District, Colonel Lucius J. Gartrell,
and by him introduced into Congress. A
Committee was already engaged upon the
subject of Sunday Mails, and the petitions
were very properly referred to that com
mittee. The fate of the petitions since
that time is unknown to the writer.
The Committee appointed by the Geor |
gia Baptist Convention (of which Elder
Hornady was not the Chairman, that post
being assigned to Elder Warren,) did their
! duty in preparing a memorial to Congress
1 (on the subject of Sunday Mails, but the
i papers probably never reached their desti-
> nation, as I will explain. Being in camp
( near Richmond, and drenched by a heavy
shower, it became necessary for me to
change my wet coat, by substituting that
1 of an army Chaplain. The memorial, which
> was in an envelope and addressed to the
! President, was, by forgetfulness, left in the
pocket of the Chaplain’s coat. On discov
' ering this I addressed a letter to said Chap
lain requesting him to forward the envel
ope and contents to the President, but as I
. never received any reply from the Chap
lain, I know’ not what became of the memo
rial.
Brother Dayton has the answer as far as
I am prepared to give it.
H. C. H.
[For the. Bapt : st JBannee."}
. Make to yourselves friends of the ammmon of ■un
righteousness ; that when ye fail, they may re
ceive you into everlasting habitations. Lore
xvi. 9.
Dear Brother* Dayton :— Please excuse
me for volunteering an exegesis on the
above quoted passage of scripture, as dif
fering from your views of it.
I believe that all creditable expositors
agree in the opinion that the xvi chapter ol
; Luke is intended to expose the sin of cov
etousness. The point of difference seems to
lie in the? fime and place of the reward, fol-
• lowing a righteous use of property. All
’ the authors accessible to me, Baptist and
pedo-Baptist, place the reward in a future
state.
In the passage before us, our Saviour was
1 addressing his disciples. And here, the
1 use of mammon, [this world’s goods,] is
• not to be understood in a universal, but in
a restricted sense. They understood the
duty of its use ; but in this case, Christ gives
’ them a hint of its policy. This conclusion
is inevitable, from our Lord’s citing the
commendation to the “ unjust steward.”
( In tjteir commercial transactions, the disci
i pies were to exercise such a liberal spirit
as that when their property should fail,
> those with whom they had traded might
■ receive them into insolvent, or unfailing
habitations ; habitations, not suspended up-
i on the dollar, but upon good will; and con
i sequently would not fail them, were ever-
■ lasting.
; Thus they would be saved from the evils
• consequent upon being at once homeless
and friendless. Hence the reward of a lib’
eral use of property is, in this parable, to
be looked for in this life, not in heaven.-
Heaven is the reward of something else.—
And the Gospel no where represents friends
whom we had benefitted on earth, as receiv
ing us into heaven. The Gospel forbids the
idea of any kind of access into heaven by
means of property. It forbids the thought
of any friends but one, giving us entrance,
or welcome in heaven. It spurns the no
tion of a sinner making but one saving
friend, that is Jesus Christ; and he is not
secured by property, but by faith in him.
“ When ye tail,” is not the best transla
tion. Hotan, is a conjunction, which is sub
junctive in its common meaning. The Lat
in vulgate acknowledges this by rendering
by quum. If the sentence had been posi
tive in meaning, the Greek would be, Ziotc;
and the Latin quando. I conclude, there
fore, that the original properly rendered
would be “if ever ye should fail.” I am
confirmed in this rendering by the fact
that iklipete, [ye shall fail,] is in the
subjunctive mood, 2d aorist tense. I eni
still strengthened in my opinion, by the
original, which in our version is translated
by the word, habitations. The Greek, skene,
and skenoma, are in other parts of the New’
Testament rendered into English, by taber
nacle, and tent. Mansion, house, habitation,
are no where else given from skene.
• But the very correct maxim, that the
; meaning of the Bible, is the Bible (which
the translators here adopted,) fails us in our
present version . For misapprehending the
meaning, they have given us a wrong trans
lation. And then, those who make Chris
tians by good works and ceremonies, even
, from baby-hood, have imposed the present
J generally received opinion upon the World.
Just as English expositors of Moses’ law
I have found the law of manslaughter in the
Pentateuch. XV hereas, jt seems clear to
my mind, that, in personal rencounter, Mo
ses’ law exhibits and knows only two class
es of homicide; that is, Excusable, or jus
tifiable, and Murder.
i If we take the meaning of the passage
I before us, to be as if it read as follows:— (
Make friends for yourselves, by the lib
eral use of property, that when your means
of support tail, you may have friends to
receive you into their houses—then all is ea
sy. But if we allow the common exposi
tion, it will lead us right into collision with
the. fundamental doctrine of grsce: and
leave us bewildered and distressed
' I must here remark that, a general, and
very erroneous practice prevails, of misap
ply imz the rewards of godliness. Heb. xii.
22.-24. and i Cor. ii. 9, are incorrectly
applied to a future state. So are many oth
ers pf the New’ Testament; and the threats,
invitations and promises of the Old 1 esta
meut generally.
In regard to the passage in question, M.
iTenry, Doddridge, Scott, Clarke, and all
commentators beyond the ocean, have
made habitation signify Heaven. And the
very able Andrew Fuller has labored, not
to investigate and interpret this scripture
by the pioper rule, but. to reconcile the
’ mistakes of his precursers in exposition
with the other scriptures.
Were this a question of etiquette mere
ly, I would not have appeared as now. But
1 know that while the pages of history team
with good scholars and excellent writers,
there is still wanting good thinkers. And
! while even the present age may be crowded
with good thinkers, there may yet be needed
that courage which, without apology or
blush, would dare to oppose the opinions
‘ of great and good men. Yes, my dear
brother, faithful thinkers is the want of
the age. Plenty of these would set the.
’ church of Christ where your papers 44 How
to try them.’’ will place all unprejudiced
’ readers. M.
[For The. Baptist Banner.]
Cherokee Baptist Convention.
Many of the Associations connected with
this Convention will soon hold their ses-
I sions. I hope that the brethren of these
associations will not forget that brother
E. L. Compere is supported by the Con-'
vention, while he labors arming the Indians.
, He is an efficient Missionary, and is doing
a good work. We have beer; compelled
to increase his salary to enable him to live,
i Brethren, let me ask you to contribute
! liberally to this mission. Surely it is de
sirable also that these associations should
• do much for army missions. Can not each
■association sustain at least one man to
preach to onr dear brethren and friends in
' the army ?
Try it, brethren, try it. You are abund
antly able to do it, and surely you are com
petent to select your ow n man, and man
age your own affairs.
J. M. WOOD,
i Chairman Executive Cotimjittee
[Jbr The Baptist Banner.}
•! •
... foona Association
II Dear Brethren : Having labored so long
I amongst you, you will allow me to plead,
‘ through The Banner, for two objects espe
cially.
> Brother Foreman is still your Missions
5 ry, who, in this relation, must be supported
i by your liberality. Now that he has been
i driten from his home by our common one
; mies, and has "been greatly afflic'.ed by the
i death of his wife and daughter. Will you
i fail to send up funds for his support ? He
? is still laboring for refugee Indians and In
dian soldiers. Be sure to send up jour
funds. Brother Hughes is your army
; Missionary, preaching to your sons, broth
, ers, and friends in the army. Four churches
'■ in your bounds have sustained him up to
; this time. Are you unwilling to have r-o
■ part in the matter? Let every church and
every brother and sister send up something
for these objects to your session in October.
Brethren in the ministry, t go to work an<]
; God will bless you.
i * J. M. WOOD,
' 3t Ctialrman Executive Committee
[Per The Baptist Banner.}
Domestic Missions,
Avgvsta, Ga., August 15, 1863.
Dear Brother Ells: Allow me, in be
half of the Board of Domestic and Indian
Missions, to acknowledge, through The
Banner, the receipt of the following funds
from the Baptist churches in Atlanta for
army Missions: Ist church, $210; 2d
chu ch, $1,212 75; total, $1,428 75.
Brother Hornady will, by a collection,
increase the contribution of the Ist church
before the approaching session of the asso
ciatioft.
It affords me great pleasure to make /
mention of the Christian cordiality extended
to me, and the object of my visit, both by
the two pastors and their respective flocks.
May the blessing of the Great Shepheard
rest upon them ; especially those whose
co-operation and hospitality I so generously
shared.
The Board have about fifty Missionaries
preaching in the several armies of iht Con
federacy. Among them are found some of
our best ministers, whose labors God has
gloriously owned in turning many of our
•oldiersto righteousness. It is of the high
est importance that these laborers be kept
in the field. They are both greatly needed
and desired by the soldiers. Their contit)
uance in the mission depends on the liber-'
alit\ of those al home, who have the abil
ty to sustain them
This war has enriched many of our breth
ren.’ Surely they will not withhold the
Gospel from those who have left homes,
lands, business, wives, children, tvery thing
dear to them to meet the invading foe,
and defend the families and firesides of
those who have an abundance, and are
increasing in goods. “ Freely ye have re
ceived, freely give.” Give as the Lord has
prospered you. The several associations
will soon convene. Now is a favorable
time for the churches to act. To them this
appeal is made. lam sure it will not be
made in vain.
Yours, fraternally, f
R.'HOL MAN.
I , IT
Kchobotb Association.
Meets with Union church in Macon coun- r
ty (three miles from Reynolds, on Colum- j
bus road), embracing third Sabbath in
September.