Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

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.