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$ miner. # - - —-- - AI - /v I Ml k 1 A VIL/ /0 I £&&&. ssssag? Ml yx VJ w UK ® M fi W [ • ■ ‘ The entrance of Thy Word giveth light.’ A. C. DAYTON, lEditor. JAS. N. ELLS, Secular Editor. SATURDAY, OCOBER 3, 1863. Our Platform. 1. None but those who make a credible pro fession of faith in Christ should be baptized. 2. None are really baptized except those who are immersed upon a profession of their faith in Christ. 3. None can properly be members of the church of Christ, except they have been bap tized. 4. None can properly be ministers of Christ are not members of the church of Christ. 5. Non-afflliation with those who refuse to obey Christ in these things—with those who re fuse to walk according to the Divine rule. 6. We shall insist upon Baptists practising what they hold and teach. ."Vol Worth Controverting. We heard a good brother say, one day, that he did not feel that it was worth while to contend with any one on the sub ject of baptism because the whole matter was so plain that there was really nothing to discuss. It may have seemed so to him, as he had been brought up in the way of truth, and from a child, like Timothy, had known the Scriptures. But it does not seem so to all. There are some even among our own people, who are easily disturbed by the plausible arguments which Pedo-Bap tists are accustomed to employ; and among those not familiar with our doctrine, there are many who have no idea what sort of facts or arguments the poor, ignorant, big oted Baptists can oppose to the mass of learning and logic with which their great preachers are accustomed to assail our most absurd and dangerous teachings in regard both to the act and the subject of this ordi nance. For thejr benefit it is needful to give line upon line, precept upon precept, repe tition upon repetition of the same Scriptures and the same reasonings. Those who know them all from childhood may grow weary of them, but to many thousands they are still fresh and new. All truth js plain when we once see and understand it perfectly; hut there is little of religious truth that has not been reached by continuous controver sy. We must have “no small contention" yet for many a day, before we will make plain to others what to us and to our friend seems too plain to admit of reasonable con troversy. A. C. O. Are you Rifting t Some time ago, in conversation with a much loved brother, we were forcibly struck with an illustration which he used to ex press a thought connected with his religious experience. I have compared it, he said, to an aero naut ascending in a balloon. The impulse of Divine grace at my conversion seemed to keep me rising for awhile ; but then, like him of the balloon, I had soon reached the level where, without more rising force, 1 must remain stationary, floating still in too near relationship to the world and its cares and troubles ; and like him 1 began to think what I could throw overboard that I might be free to go up high. He casts out some bags of sand, and at once is carried above the clouds. I would go higher still, 1 would gladly go even on and up till 1 can pass into the heavens. So I lay hold on one besetting sin and then another, or one care and then another, and cast them overboard, and go up higher and feel that 1 am nearer my Saviour, and enjoy his presence more and more—no cloud between my soul and him. How do you manage to cast them over 1 By prayer, my brother, by prayer. I make the 'oesetment the object of special, fervent prayer, day by day, till the Lord gives me deliverance. It is He that does all for me. But lam not satisfied, 1 want to get nearer to him still. I must go up higher. I'here are some things that trouble me still. Pray for me, brother D., that I may be able to cast off every weight and go onward and upward, even to the end. • . A. C. D. i A item in Ml*Nis«|ppt. S. R. Whitten, of Uuisville, Miss., is an authorized Agent to receive subscrip-1 .‘.ions for The Baptist Banner THE BAPTIST BANNER. DALTON, Ga., Aug. 24,1868. I • Dear brother Dayton; The lesson of our Bible class is the third chapter of John. In the sth verse of that chapter we read that: “ Except a man be ' born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter in-1 to the kingdom of God.” The class have some trouble to understand what is meant by being born j of water. Our pastor thinks it means baptism, and ' that none enter into the kingdom of heaven who are not baptized. Will you be so kind as to give us, throftgh The ! Banner, an exposition'of the verse, and part icularly i of the wdrds “ born of water ?” e Respectfully, A Learner. There are few texts in all the Bible which have given rise to more discussion than the one referred to above. It was, at a very early day, supposed to 1 teach that no one could be saved who had not been baptized, and hence did probably more than any other passage to secure : the introduction of the baptism of babes. Baptists, however, have never held that baptism is essential to salvation. They have always believed, on the contrary, that salvation was an essential prerequisite to : baptism. No one is to be baptized to secue his salvation,but as a symbolical expression ■ of the fact that his salvation has already been secured—in that he has died unto sin and t rissen to a new life in Christ. He is not to be baptized until he believes, and “ he that * believeth hath everlasting life, and shall not - come into condemnation.” We have not time at this moment to mention in detail 1 the various expositions which have been ’ given of the text by members of our de . nomination. We will only give what seems to us the most natural and most probably 7 true. Notice Ist, that there are two things called in the Scripture the kingdom of God. i One is of earth, the other of heaven. One belongs to time, the other to eternity. The , former consists of all those who have been rj rightly baptized upon a credible profession of their faith. The other, of all who truly r repent and believe, and are thus made heir s i of God. Into one of these the entrance is ; by being born of water. No one is a ,f member of the organized and visible king ] dom of Christ on earth till he has been 0 baptized. But to enter the other, he must r be born of the Spirit—made a new creature / in Christ, created unto good works. Speak . ing, therefore, of the kingdom in its widest r sense as including both, no man can enter e it unles he be born of water and of the f Spirit. s a. <?. d. •_ | ——— M• • • . Reliobotli Association. I I • t We had often heard of this body as the t model association of the Baptists of Georgia. 1 We most cordially approved its objectsand - its plans of working, and had greatly de sired to meet with and witness its delibera- e tions, but we had never expected to be a i- member and partaker of its work. At its s recent meeting, however, at Uuion Church, v we had that pleasure. i This association does its own work for e itielf. It is independent of conventions and i boards not under its control. It has its ; own missionary among the Indians, to s; whom it gives a generous support. It has 'its own ministers and colporteurs in the army, and provides all that is needful for J their efficient laboring. It has two mis- I sionaries in its own bounds, whom we trust - will prove a great blessing to the people iand the churches. The funds to sustain .all these are raised in advance and without any trouble, for the brethren “have a mind tto work. ’ And they are so intimately as. . sociated with the missionaries employed— . having no Board or Convention between 3 them—that they take*deeper interest in them. I hey feel that they are their own • missionaries, sent by themselves and de , pendent solely upon them for the means of I continuing their work. They choose their s men for themselves—they know who and > what they are. They expect them to re | port directly to themselves, and not to > somebody in a distant city. They look s with deep concern upon the progress of the J work, and are ready to make any changes t| which the developments of experience may I seem to require. \\ hile we sat among them and witnessed 1 the harmony, the zeal, and earnest religious 3 feeling which pervaded the whole body, we > could not but ask, W hat if every Associa tion in Georgia would act thus for itself— sustain its own missionaries and direct ’ I their working ? What if every Association > j would put but one in the field and give him I all the means for the most effective working ; —would not much more be done than ever ? :has been through the Boards of the Con [ ventions? The nearer the mission is brought to the I; people, the deeper the interest they will J feel in its success. Let them choose their ~own man, see him. know him, love him, , and then send him out, and they will never . let go of the rope while he is in the well.— When the responsibility is divided with , other churches and other associations, scat tered all over the land, they feel it lightly J I I vet them take it all upon themselves, and ' it will press the cause into their very hearts < —they will feel that they must not, cum not cast it off, or neglect to make all needful M self sacrifice for its sake. ] AV ould that every Association could test I j the matter for but two or three years, and I see how much more happily and extensively i the hearts of the m isses would beat time ! for the Lord. A - c - D - B other JLan<h iim’n Church in Savannah. ■ Our heart has just now been made glad by good tidings from this loved brother and his charge. We are told that for many weeks past there have been conversionsand baptisms almost every week, lhe war has I not absolved all the interest of all the peo ple. Though so many are absent, some on duty and some as refugees from the expected dangers of the yet the Spirit of the Lord is with those who remain, and a deep and quiet, but glorious, work of grace is constantly progressing. May God preserve our dear brother among all the dangers and troubles by. which he may be surrounded, and give him yet to see thousands as the fruit of his laborious ministry. a. c. d. True Patriotism. We have learned incidentally that the Hon. Israel Welsh, member of Congress from Mississippi, on his return home from Richmond, at once enlisted as a. private sol dier in General iohnston’s army. We have heard of men who even resigned their positions in Congress, for which the people had Supposed them fit, and accepted commissions as Colonels or Gen erals, for which they were utterly unfit. But this man fills the place where he was put, and fills it nobly, while he can be of service there, and then is ready, for his country’s sake, to enter upon the lowest where he can make his services available. All honor to ,such patriots as these I A . c . D . To Elder J. R. Grave*. 1 Brother. John R. Battle, ofSumtercoun ty, desires you to bring your family and make your home with him. We are assured that brother B. has ample means to make you and yours entire ly comfortable, and greatly desires the privilege of relieving, thus far, the caresand ' sorrows which this wicked war has entailed on one who has done so much to inspire j the hearts and uphold the hands of the 1 people of our loved Confederacy. We give publicity to this kind invitation, as we do not know where to address a ‘ letter.* And we hope that any brother who may have the opportunity, will call to it the attention of brother Graves. a. c. D. The flowers are drooping—their pale leaflets lie scattered ugon the turf, and the vivid green of the woodland-leaves is slowly yet surely changing to brown and crimson. The swallows are flying to warmer- climes, and a soft wailing tone is heard in the zephyr as it murmurs by. But though Nature seems mourning over the departure of the magnificent summer, though her glory is waning, can we, too, regret it? — Do we not gladly welcome the dreamily beautiful Autumn, as she follows slowly in the footsteps of her radiant sister ? How lovely the earth appears under her magic influence ! A blue haze drapes the distant hills; the sky wears a look of shadowy beauty ; and the sun goes down in the west with a mellow light—his beams falling slantingly upon, the silver streams and fading landscapes, tinging them With dreamy splendor. The mornings, bright ened by innumerable dewdrops, are exceed ingly lovely ; the twilight soft and hazy ; and as the night draws on, the moon looks* down through the misty ether, shedding a pale, spiritual light, sweet and soothing as the ‘ fall of evening shadows. The voice of the breeze is sad. —the perfume of with ered flowers mingles with it; yet there is a charm about these ‘melancholy days,’an inexplicable something, that appeals ten derly to the heart, and breathes love and melody Into the inner soul. ’Tis a season typical of the decline of life; and as we sit with the light and shadows trembling around us, we reflect that soon the brightness of our own lives will have faded, and we, too, like the beautiful sea sons gone before, be ‘ buried in the dim oblivion of the past.’ In fancy we revert to the sunny days of our early childhood,, the spring time of the heart, when all was light, love and hope, and the sea of life looked smooth and calm, each wavelet gleaming ‘ with amber rays.’ Then as the! summer of the soul deepens, the sky is overcast by grief-clouds, and as the shadows: iof autumn fall around, ‘the world seems ! but a dim reflection, itself a broader sha dow,’ until the gloomy winter looms up, ' and the soul shudders as it catches a glimpse beyond of the Valley of Death. But stars j of hope arise in the heart—a holy calm succeeds—teaching us that there are pre-I cious realities, elevated above this transi tory world, and giving us exalted aspira tions for all the most grand, divine and beautiful conceptions which have emanated from the Creator, the Eternal One. The Wounded Soldiers. We are pleased to see the promptitude >. of our citizens, every day, in caring for the sick and wounded soldiers brought- in from the late battle-field near Chickamauga. As the trains come in, scores of our citizens repair to the depot and assist in removing I the wounded braves to the various hospitals prepared for them ; while the ladies, ever ready for deeds of goodness, are doing all I- in their power in behalf of the suffering i patriots. The pastors of the respective churches i have united in an earnest appeal to their congregations to receive into their houses, for a short time, such wounded soldiers as they may select from any of the city hos i pitals. All the hospital room in Atlanta has been exhausted, and there are yet many wounded men to be provided for. Our citizens are urged to act without delay.. Let every one do all that he or she can for these brave men. In all time to come, the themes of our admiration must be the unfaltering courage, the earnestness and i constancy, of our gallant soldiers who faced the Vandal hordes along the banks of the ‘ Stream of Death.’ The Banner for Benning’s Brigade. We have received the following, which speaks for itself: Americus, GA.,Sept. 21, 1863. Dear brother Ells : I have just received my Banned, and find by perusing it that Benning’s Brigade want this glorious little herald of Truth. I thank our Father that I have the privilege of sending it. Please accept this bifl, and send it .immediately. Respectfully, C. J. B. The Banner in the Hospital. We have received the following. Will not others assist in the good work ? Newnan, Ga., Sept. 25, 1863. Brother Jas. N. Ells: Please find en closed sixty-five dollars, for which you will send, for two months, as many copies of The Baptist Banner, as is right, for the benefit of the sick and wounded soldiers in the hospitals at this place. Any extra ,contributions from you will be gratefully I received. I will send you the list of sub scribers to this fund. ’ Respectfully, Mrs. John E. I | The list has not been received.] 1 Here is another call, by express : The editor of The Baptist Banner will ’ find enclosed ten dollars, which amount is 1 sent by the “ Female Missionary Society ” • of LaGrange, to subscribe for two copied > of the above paper for the use of our sol diers. Send them to the address of \ Mrs. Francks 11. Hoff, Sept. 25, 1863. LaGrange, Ga. —- Receipts for The Banner. Western Association, for Soldiers, $lO7 65 Subscription at Newnan, soldiers, 65 00 Fern. Mis. Soc’y, LaGrange, “ 10 00 C. J. 8., for Benning’s Brigade, 10 00 ' W. N. Chaudoin, for Pioneer Corps, 11 00 B. J. Bostic, Timmonsville, S. C., 5 00 Miss M. E. Turner, Yel. Creek, Ga., 5 00 Mrs. E. P. Thomas, Freemansville, 5 00 Miss Julia Delany, “ Ga,, 500 W. B. Long, Newell, S. C., 4 00 John Hunter, Twenty-Six, S. C., 4 00 Elder B. Boroughs, Anderson,-S. C., 400 Mrs. S. W. Caldwell, Penfield, Ga., 3 00 Eld. H. Carmichael, Whitesville, Ga. 5 00 Mr. Bowen, Warnerville, “ 5 00 Eld. .las. Perryman, Bueua Vista “ 5 00 ( J. 11. Kendrick, Henderson, “ 500 , William M. Cox, Pineville, “ 500 1 W. J. F. Mitchell, Butler, “ 500 ’ Mrs. Matilda King, Thomaston, “ 500 ] T. M. Bryan, Reynolds, “ 5 00 ( Mrs. M. Carson, “ “ 500 i J. M. Bynum, Marshallville, “ 5 00 < * Miss Sarah C. Boroughs, Troy, “ 250 * Mrs. Julia E. Samuels, Clay Hill, “ 5 00 * Mrs. Jeannie Binion, Thomson, “ 5 00 | W. C. Derry, for Orphan Asylum, 10 00 I ■ | The Mails. I Elder Wood, of Newnan, says he has re- > ceived no Banner for two weeks; Mr. j ' Whitlow, of Andersonville, w'rites that No. I 1 43 failed to reach that office ; and we hear , similar complaints from other sources. i i We beg to assure our friends that the f paper is mailed, regularly, every Friday 1 afternoon.. The writer sees the papers , placed (in assorted bags for the different j railways) in the Atlanta post-office. There must be gross carelessness somewhere. 1 i Those Premiums. 1 Our esteemed friend at Noonday, Mrs. ' M. T. H., has sent two more subscribers: Mrs. Thomas and Miss Delany, of Milton.! f i “ Annt Edith,” also, sends two new sub- j. 'scribers—Mrs. Samuels and Mrs.' Binion.J To those Ladies who will send us the three largest lists of subscribers to f The Baptist Banner, by Saturday the 10th t day of October, will be presented, each, a t copy of Dr. Dayton’s interes'ing book—i ] The InfideVs Daughter. ' i Conference Meeting. , The regular monthly Conference n\eeting t of the First Baptist Church will be held at, 1 104 o’clock this morning. We have been ! requested to urge a full attendance, as btfei- g ness of importance will be transacted. ’ The Rain. Alter several weeks of drought in this* * 1 locality, we have been blessed with‘the gentle rain from heaven.’ As we write, the v earth is gladly taking in the refreshing element, which will be productive of great good. Just So.—The refugee, Charles Halleck, (over whose appearance ‘down South’ sev eral Secesh editors vied in extolling) late editor of the Augusta Chronicle, has shipped > back to Yankee land. So we learn from the Constitutioualist. [Eor The Baptist Banner.] > Coosa Association. At one time the prospects for holdingthe next session of this "body were very gloomy. But in the good providence of our Heav enly Father, the Yankee army has been driven back, sb that the prospects now are that many of the brethren can go to the place appointed for the meeting. Having labored long in the bounds of the Coosa, I will be allowed, through The Banner ,to urge all the brethren who can possibly do so, to at tend this meeting. Brethren, let us go up to pray for our country, our brethren in the army,‘for the missions which we are cou ' ducting, for the church and community where we shall meet, and especially for the prosperity of Zion in these days of dark- t ness and gloom. No doubt many of our brethren have fallen, and it may be the last time that many others of us will meet . on earth. # The Association, by appointment, will meet at Poplar Springs, Chattooga county, on Saturday before the 2d Sabbath in Oc* tober. Providence permitting, I. will be there. - J. M. WOOD. | POW’ERS, TweZl cowa/y, Ga., Sept. 10,1863. Dear brother Ells: -Please state through The Banner that Friendship Association will meet with the church at Hebron, Lee coun ty, on Saturday before the first Sabbath in October. There will be brethren at the Depot at Smithville prepared to accommodate all who may come ou the trains on Friday and Saturday. Those who come by private t conveyance, may enquire for the houses of brethren Cheeves, Wells, Marsh, Griffin, Tilman, or myself. Brother Ells, come if you can, and tell that dark colored brother, Hornady, that I say come. Yours, &c. 4 T. E. LANGLEY. |Feer The Baptist Banner.} ( To the. Churches composing the .Middle Cherokee Association. Dear This body,has just closed its last session. Owing to the confused state of the country, but five churches were represented. Brother was chosen Moderator, aud’the undersigned Clerk.-*— The usual business was transacted ; and I was requested to address you through The Banner, and request each Church to send me a full statement of the statistics -of its condition during the year. And in partic ular if you want the Minutes to appear, to forward to me the money to pay for printieg them/ Brethren, give the above your immediate attention, as I wish to complete the Min utes soon. Address me at Dalton, Ga. Yours in Christ, J. M. STANSBERRY, Clerk. | For The Baptist Banner,] . Future Recognition In another World. Dear brother Editor: After a long delay I take up my pen again to trouble you with a line. After many scenes and trials and difficulties and privations, I am yet upon meroy’s side of eternity. It is all of God’s mercy. I have seen many of my fellow soldiers die, and it is a consolation to us to know that with our pious* dead the bitter ness of death is passed, the career for glo ry is run ; the probation is over ; their ex alted spirits are thrilled with the con ciousness that their destiny is settled for I ever in hes*en. They are the companions of angels and converse with them and sing with thbm, and are ready to teach us all they have learned in heaven when we rejoin > them. They are the companions of saints, and so are in the most congenial society In the universe. They are engaged* in the noblest employments and services; they live in a temple of which God is the Master builder, Christ the supporting pillar, the spirit of central light; the songs of creation and redemption the choral melody; im mortality the surrounding walls; angels the sleepless watchmen ; Infinity the boundless ranges, and eternity the endless day : there they live, and why should we wish to live with them? T.here we may live, never be parted by wars nor death again. Since last I wrote you, 1 have lost an af fectionate and beloved father, sister, and niece, who died in full assurance of heaven and undying joys. The last letter of my affectionate father to me, was in these words: “ Son, Jive for the Lord, for you will never see the face of your old father on earth again, and my son, meet me in heaven.” And it was his last words. I will soob be there, and O, if 1 may but meet my dear father, and loved ones and see my Saviour as he is, face to face, it will all be of mercy and not of merit. May the Lord sanctify these light afflictions to our good, and save us, his people. You may give these few badly composed and written lines to the public if you wish. Can any of our brethren or sisters send us a full file of Dayton's Monthly, from the time it began in January to April, when the disturbances of the country compelled its suspension ? We will give a year’s sub scription of The Banner for the four num bers.