Newspaper Page Text
Qtyt baptist sw.,
• The entrance of Thy Word giveth light'
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A. 0. DAYTON, Editor.
JAS. N. ELLS, Secular Editor.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14,1863.
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.
8. None can properly be members of the
church of Christ, except they have been bap
tized.
4. None can properly be ministers of Christ
who 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 procuring
what they hold and teach.
To die Readers of The Banner.
We present you, to-day, the first number
of the fifth volume of The Baptist Banner.
Os the future policy of the paper we shall
merely say, that we shall endeavor to ad
vocate not only the cardinal doctrines of
Christianity, but also the distinctive prin
ciples of the Baptist denomination. If we
differ from any of our readers, or oppose
anything we may conceive to be error, it
shall be our aim to do so in a Christlike
manner as we may find grace to help us.—
Our columns shall continue open for the
use of all who desire to discuss any religious
topic in a courteous manner and with
Christian intent.
In appealing to you for the continuance
of your patronage and your aid fur an ex
tension of circulation, we urge no claims
beyond those already held by the paper.
It is a Christian journal intended to chroni
cle all events of interest among Baptists, to
reflect their sentiments, and defend their
peculiarities, as well as to afford literary
amusement and instruction to their families.
We hope to maintain its rank among jour
nals of similar character ; and if we meet
your views of what such a paper should be,
we shall expect your patronage and favor
from our common interest in truth and
usefulness.
Meanwhile, permit us fraternally to ask
you to assist us by your pens, your coun
sels and your prayers, that we may be en
abled to send forth weekly a paper that shall
be welcome at your homes and useful to
the Master’s cause.
We shall commence, in the next number,
the publication of an original Story, from
the pen of an accomplished Christian lady
of Mississippi.
Those subscribers who may find a cross
mark, X, upon their paper will know that
their subscriptions have expired. Send on
the money if you wish to read our paper.
Contcnt'on among Christian*.
It is right tor Chri.-ciana to contend. It is their
most Imperative duty to contend. They are not
merely to contend, but they ure to contend earn«stL.
The wo dos God commands it. The txarrple of
the apostles requires it. They had, ihematlves, no
•mall contention with those who sought to lu n
•side the early converts from the'putlty of their
iirst faith and practice, and they enjoined it on us
who should come af.cr them to contend earnestly
for the faith once delivered to the saint#.
will it do to say that this contention must be
limited to the outside people. Paul and Baraabas
contended at Antioch with those who were; like
thetn.-elv s, inemb<.rs and ministers of the churches.
Paul contended with Peter, and rebuked him very
•harply. The necessity fur cornea.ion is all the
greater when members and ministers go wrong.
The sin is then most grievous to neglect or refuse
to contend. The error come easily in when mini
ters lead it by the hand. We must contend when
they embrace it themselves; contend more earnest
ly whrn they preach it to others; aud more earn
estly still, when they seem like to bring it mto, and
engraft i upon, the chore hes. I love a contentious
man, when he contends not for the love of conten
tion, but for the love of truth. Give me a good
contender for the filth. He has heart in him. He
is alive. He loves the ordinances and the order of
God’s house, and cannot bear to see them touched
by the sacrilegious hand of innovation. Beetles
“ stand back and leave the church as Christ ordain
ed it.’’ But what if toey will not —must he close
his mouth for the kike of peace ? Must he seal his
lip»lest he be called a disturber of Israel ? Oh, to.
Let him only cry out the more lustily, contend the
more earnestly, and if u en will make changes or
perpetuate them when made. Il will not be his fault.
The watchman must blow his trumpet of alarm,
even though be knows the people wilt not heed
But let him be careful that he has something to
contend about Let him not cry wolf when no
wolf is mar. Let him not fancy his own dreams
are words of God. Let him be sure he is right, and
then contend earnestly, contend always, aud to the
vary last. K c B
THE BAPTIST BANNER.
AntJnomfanlsm.
i It is probable that many of our younger readers,
I not wanting in general knowledge, have yet a very
I indefinite notion of the meaning of this word. They
I have heard it as a term of reproach cast upon cer-
I tain persons or sects, but why it is applied to them
■ they do not understand.
It la a word that in former days was in great use,
j and even now is much employed by some minls
j ters, in their discourses; and it Is important to have
! accurate ideas of its sense.
I The Roman Catholics, and some others, have held
that salvation is to be secured by good works. The
▲ntinomians went to the opposite extreme, and
held that the believer has nothing to do with good
works; that he not only was not saved by them, or
on account of them, but might be saved without
them. In other words, they taught that under the
Gospel we have no use for the law, even as a rule of
conduct; and Christians, not being under the law,
can not be held guilty for any violation of it. The}
expected to be saved, equally, whethe*they lived in
open disregard of it, or gave heed to its require
ments.
Both the extremes are avoided by those who hold
the truth, and that is, that although we are not
saved by our works, or for our works, yet true faith
always produces good works; and hence, no one is
saved without them. Good works, though they are
in no degree the grou’d of salvation, are the neces
sary evidence that we are in a state of salvation.—
Though we are not under the law, e.s a covenant of
works, yet we are under it as a rule of life. Though
we are free from its condemnation, we are not free
from its obligation.
The Antiuomlan sect arose in England about the
year 1538, with one John Agricola, but his views
were much more moderate than some of his succes
sors who taught that the elect could commit no sin,
do what they might, and that nothing they could do
would iu any way aff<ct their eternal condition.
'I he Primitive Baptists and Old-School Presbyte
rians have sometimes been called Antinomians, not
because they believe and teach such monstrous doc
trines, but because they hold certain opinions which,
their accusers assert, lead by natural and necessary
inference to such conclusions; though, for them
selves, they protest against such conclusions.
A. c. i>.
Tlie Self Contradiction* of Error.
Truth is ever consistent with itself. It teaches,
■ all the time, the same things. If it ever seems to
disagree with itself, it is only in semblance, not in
fact. But when one falls into error upon one point,
while he is right upon others, he will be almost sure
sometimes, inadveru ntly, to admit the truth sf
what he denies aud opposes. Hence it is that it is
so easy to prove immersion and believers’ baptism,
by admissions of Pedobaptists. When they write
on these subjects, they may deny, but incidentally,
while speaking of other things, they admit, and
prove, that we are right and they are wrong; or ra
ther, they admit and prove such things as necessarily
show us to be right, and them to be wrong. There
are numerous illustrations of this fact in the writings
of certain great and good men, on Slavery, and on
the doctrines of Grace. For example: Dr. Adam
Clark, the great Methodist commentator, furnishes
several specimens of both kinds. When ne give-,
the opinions of Dr. Clark, he is intensely anti-sla
very, and Armenian. When he tells the meaning
of the words of the Holy B >ok of God, he is as
strong a pro-slavery man as one could desire, and as
good a teacher of election aud predestination as
can be found. a. o. d.
The War un<l Clirblian Duty.
When unconverted men devote their influence,
their substance, and their lives, to advance their
country’s <ause, they do all that men can do; but
it is the province ol Christians, having done all that
men can do, to also bring to their country’s aid all
that God caa do. To Christians Jesus has taid,
‘ Whatsoever ye ask of the Father in my name he
I will give it you.’ That this effects the public mind,
w« need no surer testimony than that those of our
leaders who arc distinguished for their piety are also
honored by the enthusiastic regard of their follow
ers and the admiration of their countrymen. That
It is a principle iu the Divine government, is alrea
dy eviuced by the Providential successes which
have uttt nded our leader* in the cabinet aud field, in
which tho>e most eminent for piety arc also most
distinguished for good fortune.
We do ..ot, however, pretend tb assert that the
event of every battle, or even of every war, will al
ways bear exact proportion either to the Justice of I
the cause, or the virtue and piety of those who arc
engaged, History of.en exhibits another event In
many wars the sufferers have been perrons of the
most excellent, and the victors of the most hateful,
characters. In many, truth and Christianity have
been apparently vunquUhcd. Yet w*fio affirm that
there is no just ground to form au expectation ol
success and prosperity in public affairs unless piety
and tirtue be our earnest concern, and God be on
our side. Let Christians continue to devote not
only their fortunes aud their lives, but also theirl
prayers, to their country !
1 Through the abundant goodness of the Great God,
thacouncils and labors of our leaders iu this revo
lution have been eminently successful. That the '
: facts of their succe-» should str.ke our attention
and give u# pleasure, is by no means unnatural.—
That we should often make them the theme of our'
conversation, i nd find ourselves glory it g in them
as ralljing wurds^ which render us bu yant of our j
final success, is what we might expect of human na-1
tare. But there is danger that, having caught our :
enemies iu our net, and gathered them in our drag,'
we may fall into the impiety of sacrificing to our I
net and burning incense to our drag.
Tobe »uns it is phasant to contemplate our
braves In triumph, and to encourage our hopes by
the apparent righteousness of our cause; but it i»'
I for evil to fall into forgetiulness of God, and enter- ‘
tain a proud confidence In ourselves. Let us, there- i
tore, remember that ‘pride goes before destruction.!
and a haughty spirit before a fall;’ nor let it be eve r I
forgotten that Pharaoh was on the verge of disgrace
and ruin when be said, * I will pursue ; I will over- 1
take ; I will divide the spoil I’
The War
According to the last Federal papers re
ceived there is to be a general advance of;
the Federate on all sides. There is to be
an advance against Bragg. Grant or some
body else is to advance against Johnston .
Meade is to advance on Lee. The corn-,
mander at Charleston is to do “ big things”!
in that section. And Banks is to take Tex j
as. Never, according to the veracious
Federal organs, was the prospect of crush
ing the rebellion so bright. We are to be
pressed up into a small space and annihila-i
i ted before the first of December.
‘ Uncle Dabney and the Theatre.
We have been permitted to publish the following
letter from the Rev. Dabney P. Jones—a name well
known to the friends of Reform throughout Geor
gia-addressed to the Mayor of our city. The very
sensible vieas (xpreseed therein need no comment;
they will meet a hearty response in the mind of
every Christian reader:
PALMETTO, Ga., Nov. 6.1868.
Coi.. Calhouw :
Jfy Friend —l have not been an indiffer
ent reader of the matter of some sparring
between you and the Intelligencer; and
suffer me to say, from our long acquain
tance, and my admiration of your moral
character, you never done an act in your
life more in consonance with my feelings
than the act of your closing the Theatre, j
and suffer me to say, you have the appro
bation, I have no doubt, of what few pious
people there are in the land ; unfortunately
for our bleeding country, these are largely
in the minority. Though our cause is just
-—our great struggle for Independence— yet
God cannot look upon the sins and profli
gacy of our Southern people with allow
ance. I have no doubt that, if our people
universally would humble themselves, this
war would soon e»d. But to say nothing of
the worshipers, of mammon, overreaching,
drunkenness, profanity, debauchery, tec., in
our midst, L will come back to the Theatre.
There is, in my opinion, no institution more
unfriendly to morals, to say nothing of re
ligion. 1 tell you again, sir, if we succeed
in our great struggle, God must help; in
this view lam strengthened. Great God 1
is it a time to dance ?—to attend theatres,
where deafening cheers (I never was in one)
and roars of laughter are going on, while
ouf country bleeds at a thousand pores?—
Why, sir, I have learned that, on nights
when the theatre is going on in your city,
vacant benches meet the eyes of the few
who meet to pray at church. Where are
the professors of religion? Echo says—at
the Theatre 1 Is it a time for mirth and
foolishness, when the breeze from every
battle field wafts the news of so many sons,
fathers, and husbands falling in the battle,
and echo catches the sound of the wails and
cries of widows and orphans, and heart
broken mothers, and carries it back to the
slain ones in their graves, if they have any,
and essays to penetrate their ears, cold in
death, with sad lamentation ?
But, dear friend, I merely sat to inform
you that one humble individual sustains
and admires you for “your noble stand in
regard to the theatre. It is certainly none
of the best signs of the times that public
journals puff these places, so deleterious, a?
I think, to public morals and vital piety.
As yet, your friend,
DABNEY P. JONEB.
P. S.—Yes, sir, go to the battle field laskI —
ask the soldiers whose eyes are becoming
dim in death!— go to our hospitals, and
hear the groans of the sufferer, while he
suffers amputation, and ask him what he
thinks of balls and theatres ! His physical
sufferings and the salvation of his soul would
make him say, “ No room for mirth or tri
fling here.” D. P. J.
BANNER OFFICE, Atlanta, i
November 12, 1863. j
William Davis, Rich Mountain, Ga.:
Dear Sir— Yours, complaining that The
Banner does not come to you regularly, has
just been received. Let me say that it is
mailed to the above address, every Friday
afternoon, to my certain knowledge
therefore the fault of its non-reception can
not be charged to us.
At the bottom of your letter, which came
unsealed, is written (by some candidate for
Perdition) these words:
Do So you »
Darned Rascle and Rouge as all of
Christ Edetorsi
It nffcy be that your paper is regularly
I purloined or maliciously withheld by this
anonymous official in the postal service
| whose orthography, no less than his morals,
seems to have been sadly neglected; for
I you will find it to’ be true, generally, that
he who will violate one of God’s command
j ments will not scruple to break another.
Youra, respectfully, JAB. N. JELLS
( _
WT* 1 W -
Their Names.
j As a matter of reference, we place upon record
the names of the Aidermen of Atlanta, who recom
mended the granting of a license for the re opting
of the Theatre la oar midst. Here they are; Perino
Brown, James E. Gullatt, James E. Kelley £ r
j ?x*seen J. E Williams.
Make a note.
The Issue Made.
The proprietor of the ‘Athensnm’ (a m o <i eßt
name for Theatre) building, has been announced
I in the daily papers m a candidate for Mayor of At
I anta.
We believe the moral voting population of cur
city are ready for the Iscue— Theatre, or no Theatre ?
James M. Calhoun.
It will be seen that our worthy Mayor has, in re
sponse to the request of many friends, authorized
i the snouncement of his name »s a candidate for re-1
election. It iano secret that an effort will be made
to defeat him by the votaries of the Theatre. We
trust, for the good name of the Gats City, their la-
I bora will prove futile.
Tho Persecutors and the Perse
cuted.
The Countryman, of September 29th, has the fol
lowing :
$ He (the editor of The Banner) says some*
thing about the Church being persecuted.—
Our reading of history teaches us the oppo
site—that it is those who call themselves
“the Church” that have done the persecu
ting. Christ and his Church were certainly
persecuted ; for they were weak, and had
the whole world to contend with. But as
soon as sectarians seized church or
ganization, for temporal anflr selfish pur
poses, than they began to persecute, and
have continued to do so to this day.”
T his is tiuer than half the preaching of the sects.
It is the unmistakable voice of veritable hi-tory; and
yet, the truth-loving and truih-tellinßeditor of the
Countryman in&iata on regarding
sects as the Church of Christ, and complains of us
because we cannot recognize them as such. “They
call themselves” “the Church,” and he calls them
the Church, and talks about them as the Church,
and counsels them all to a certain course of action’
lest the Church should full behind the world, In
these days of “progress.” We do not so much differ,
after all. He says these persecutors call themselves
the Church—and so say we. He seems think
that what they call themselves they are, and we say,
No The sects that have “worn out the saints of
the Most High God, who have “stolen the livery ot
the court of Heaven to serve the Devil In,” are not
of the Church ot Christ; nor is His Chfirch to be
held iu any degree accountable for theft wicked
deeds. Church bus never been a persecutor,
but always the persecuted.
If thfc Countryman will turn to his history again,
he will find that these churchly persecutors were
those who had been made Christians by the cere
mony of infant baptism—not by the power ot the
Spirit and Word of God. He cannot find a church
of Baptist persecutors. He cannot find a union of
Church and State where the Church was such as
Christ established, or such as the Baptists now
represent. a. o. n. I
GOSHEN, Miss., Oct. 29,1861 )
Dear brethren Dayton & Ells:— Will you not give i
us information for our Hillsboro’ meeting ?
L Is the Bible or New Testament published any
where else in the Confederacy, bat at Atlanta?
2. Are any arrangements or efforts being made te
publish it otherwise, or elsewhere ? If so, by whom,
how, and wherei
3. What would be the probable eost of stereo
typed plates in Loudon, forpocket Bibles, and what
for la-ge family Bibles—say Bagster’s large Bible?
*. e., what cost in gold?
4. W hat would be the probable cost of getting i
such plates brought hither through the blockade, i
and through what merchants or channel could we '
most safely have them brought?
5. Is there a single tract or book published in the
Confederacy, intended to teach distinctly any of our
distinctive articles of
where ?
6. x>o you think that ehurchu should or could
safely be organized and kept up in the army ?
7. What is your opinion as to the propriety of at- j
tempting to get plates and publish the Bible here •
within the next twelve months ?
Fraternally, j. b. HAMBERLIN. ,
ANSWERS.
1. Not complete, but portions of the
New Testament have been issued by the
Tract Societies at Petersburg and Richmond.
2. A large publishing house in Atlanta
(J. J. Toon <fc Co.) has entered into an ar
rangement for the publication of one hun
dred thousand pocket-size Bibles, for which
the stereotype plates and all necessary ma
terials are to be delivered to and paid for
by the said firm, as soon as they odn ba
procured.
3. The latter—including set of * blocks ’
—would cost about nine thousand dollars in
gold; the former, about one-third— say
three thousand, —which amounts are, of
course, an advance upon prices previous to
the war.
4. We would suggest that such an in
terest might be safely committed to one of
the Exporting and Importing companies, in
Georgia or South Carolina, which have been
organized during the last two years.
5. we know of. The junior
editor of this journal has in hand the ‘copy’
prepared by Elder Dayton, for 4 series of
Baptist Question-books for Sabbath schools,
which will be published whenever we can
procure a supply of suitable paper.
6. We do—most assuredly. Should
brother Dayton think otherwise, he will
say so.
7. Propriety is one thing, practicability
is another thing. The work can not prove
successful unless all the material can be
procured from abroad : paper, cloth, leather,
twine, etc.
Sorgbum Sugar.
After describing the usual process of
boiling the juice of Chinese Sugar Cane for
syrup, a correspondent of the Macon Tele
graph gives the following hints for making
'sugar:
When it has reached the stage of thick
syrup very little more boiling will convert
it into sugar, which will granulate as soon
as it cools. By boiling a little once or
twice, and experimenting, you will always
know when to remove it from the kettle
better than 1 can tell you, though I didn’t
make a single failure. Aftei removLg it
from the kettle, place it in some vessel a
short while, until some of its heat has left
it, and then pour it into your barrels, with
the hoops a little loose, in order r that the
1 molasses may drip from it, of which there
will not be as much as one might suppose.
Do not stir it, after removing it from the
kettle, as is the common custom, or ths
grains wil be small and fine.
[for The BaptUt Banner.)
Baptism Essential to Salvation.**
Dear Banner: —I occasionally find a Bap
, tist who believes that baptism is essential to
■ salvation. This is certainly an error—not’
of the heart, but of the head. I say this be
cause those of my acquaintances who hold
to this error are good brethren—men who
would go as far in defence of the truth as
any one—and for this reason : I feel encou
raged to offer the few thoughts herein con
tained. Therms such a thing as a man’s
creed being w/Wy, and his heart right, and
again, the creed right, and heart wrong. But
with the class of peasons with reference to
whom I now write, the hfeart and creed are
both right, except in the article above sta
ted.
1. This error seems to have arisen, in
part, at least, from an inference drawn from
the great commission : “Go ye into nil the
world,” &c. Those holding to this view
should recollect that these apostles were
commissioned, not only to make disciples,
but also to organize them into churches.—
The duty of those apostles, thus commis
sioned, did not stop at the salvation of those
only to whom they preached, but looked
beyond this, to the perpetuating that insti
tution which Christ came to set up, which
was to be the pillar and ground of the truth,
the light of the world, the medium through
which salvation was to flow to generations
then not in existence. Hence, they were
not only to make disciples, but to place
I them in that attitude which would enable
1 them to accomplish, to the best advantage,
; the Master’s will. To do this, they must
1 baptize all that believe. And it was as much
; the duty of the candidate to submit to the
j ordinance, as it was of the administrator to
perform it. This is fully shown in the in
stance of the Saviour’s baptism. “Suffer it
to be so now ; for thus it becometh us to
' fulfill all righteousness. 9 ' It is also a plain,
inference that an irrational being cannot
meet the requisionsof this ordinance.
i 2. The idea that there are no non essen
j tials in the Christian scheme, or church
j polity, may have had something to do in
fostering, if not in the origin of this notion.
All the principles laid down by our Sa
viour, or his apostles, are essential, but not
all essential to the same thing or purpose.
Rain and sunshine are essential to the
i growth and health of a tree, but it would be
) a tree if walled in, and both rain and light
excluded from it. So, baptism is essential
j to church membership, but not simply to
salvation. Baptism (and the same is true
of every other Christian duty) is essential to
being a dutiful Christian. Men sometime*
say that people cannot be Christians with
out being baptized. They prove the asser
tion in this way : All Christians follow
Christ, in all his doctrines and ordinances;
unbaptized persons have not done this;
therefore, they are not Christians. But this
is a very different thing from saying a soul
cannot be saved without baptism. The of
fice of baptism, then, was not to save the
souls of those who are baptized. This
will appear plainer by the following: Paul
tells the Chris tians at Ephesus, *‘Bj grace
(not baptism) are ye saved, through faith
(not through baptism), and'that not of your
selves ;it is the gift of God.” Now, if bap
tism had been essential to salvation, Paul
should, it seems to me, have spoken of it in
this connection ; for he is very particular on
this point; so much so, as to say byway of
parentheses, before he gets to the proper
place to bring it in, “By grace are ye saved.”
The same writer says again in this connec
tion, that this salvation “was not of woiks,
lest any man should boast.” Why, then, ,
is baptism, so important a duty, omitted in
these instructions ? Because salvation is
the gift of God, by grace, through faith ;
and baptism, so fur as the act is concerned,
is an act of the creature; and to have given
«aving power to the ordinance, would have
left the creature with some grounds of
boasting, as he performed the saving
act. Christ was baptized, but none
can say that it was essential to his sal
vation ; for he was never lost. Again,
on the day of Pentecost, we see they be*
lieved and were baptised. Here we observe
two distinct acts—the faith, or belief in the
Saviour, which unites the soul to Christ,
and which pertains to God and the redeem
ed soul; and second, the act of baptism,
which united the believer to the Church, as
a congregation of believers. We should
ba careful to observe all things whatsoever
God has commanded, but in the order, and
for the purpose fur which they were given.
ADELPHOK
Among the killed and wounded in the late
battles before Chattanooga there are thirty
printers and editors, a significant fact \*hen
we remember that this class composes such
a small portion of the population of the
South. In all there are only about eight
hundred printers in the Confederacy,and half
of them are now in the army.
Save all the beef feet for they make
excellent lamp oil; try it. The feet are
worth 11 each. ,