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About The Baptist banner. (Atlanta, Ga.) 186?-1??? | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 1863)
Or Statist fanner. Q C- ■d - wjgßß® w ‘The entrance of Thy Word giveth light.’ A. 0. DAYTON, Editor. JAS. N. ELLS, Secular Editor. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21,1863. ~ I Our Platform. 1. None but those who make a' credible pro-1 tession 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 who art? not members of the church of Christ. 5. Non-afflliation with those who refuse to obey Christ in these things—with those who re tuse to walk’according to the Divine rule. 6. We shall insist upon Baptists practising what they hold and teach. Our Fifth Volume, We enter upon the fifth volume of The Banner. It was established that the Con sistent Baptists —sometimes called Old Landmark Baptists—of Georgia might have an organ through which they could commu nicate with one another and the world.— The pressure of the times and other cir cumstances have driven from its manage ment those excellent and talented brethren who in its earlier struggles so admirably sustained its literary and religious character. It is needless now to speak of them or of their labors. The denomination has long known and appreciated them. Their man tle has fallen upon the unworthy shoulders of brother Ells and myself. The rapid increase of our subscription list has been to us a token that our brethren did not entire ly disapprove of our mode of conducting the paper ; and the daily recept ion of let- ters commending our eflbrts, encourages us to make still greater exertions. Os myself I have little to say in reference to the past; but it is due to OLR BROTHER ELLS, to call attention to some facts which ought to be known. But for him, THE BA PTIST BANNER would have fallen to the earth and been numbered with the things that were. He took possession of it when, owing to the pressure oPsurrounding cir cumstances, it seemed hardly possible it could survive. Being himselfa printer, he became both type-setter and editor: and, having the means of living without using for his own necessities any portion of the small income of the office, was enabled to devote it all to pay the expenses of the paper. He gave his time and labor, freely, to prevent the sad necessity of abandoning the enterprise so dear to the hearts of many of our brethren. But even thus he could not have gone on but for the pecuniary aid of brethren Niles and Seaoo. While he was thus struggling for the life of the paper, and compelled to spend most of his time in the mechanical labors incident to the work ot printing and publishing, it was iinpossi- j ble for him to employ his talents to the ! eery best advantage as an editor. He did what he could, but he often and deeply re gretted the necessity which left the larger j D \ portion of the denominational and religious matter to be supplied by occasional cor respondent*. Since my connection with the paper. thoiu»h he still has been obliged to act the double part of editor and printer, he has been relieved of the care of the re. ligious and denominational department, but has still had the whole labor of making the miscellaneous selections and arranijinii the . 0 matter for weekly publication. He has furnished the items of news, and many most valuable articles relating not only to secular affairs, but to those connected with morals and religion. How well this work has been done, our regular l eaders can testify. He has labored hard and unremittingly, and, sad to say, almost without pecuniary com pensation. He has lived on the hope that we may one day make The Banner some thing to be proud of. WHAT WE PROPOSE TO DO. The future <-fTiiE Banner is foreshadow ed by the present. I purchased an interest in it, and undertook the editorial manage ment of one department, at the suggestion of some of the oldest and firmest friends of •h. paper and of the cause tn which its’ columns should be devoted. Thev felt that uiy connection with it would be a guaranty ' THE BAPTIST B ANNE JR. to the denomination and the world, that it „ would be the firm and uncompromising ad vocate of consistency in the practice, as well Jas of soundness in the faith, of our church- es. They desired a paper which should earnestly yet kindly endeavor to sustain not merely Baptist sentiments, but those 'sentiments in their full development and in 'all their consistency ; that the paper should not only be ‘ Baplislical? but ‘ Landmark? j Such we shall try to make it. We shall i not shun controversy, but will seek to avoid contentiousness; we shall seek discussion, but shun disputing*. We are sure that our brethren desire to know and receive the truth, even though it differ from our pre -conceived Opinions. If we know our own ; hearts, we are ready to believe that our ' opposers whenever they will show lit from the of God. Our columns are open to frwln and foe—in the denomi nation or out of it. We are not only will iing, but desirous, that our readers shall i have the benefit of both sides. Truth which can not hold its own against the attacks of error, is doubtful truth. CAN WE LIVE? It has cost all the income of the paper to pay its expenses ; it is likAly to cost still more. We must, therefore, have a larger income. Our subscription list should be doubled ; and if the price of paper and labor continues to advance, we must, however reluctantly, either reduce the paper to a half sheet or increase the price. We ex pect to be able to weather the storm. We donotthink the Consistent Baptists of this jand other States will let us fall for want of i active sympathy or needful assistance. WHAT WE NEED NOW. : We ought,just now, to have a thousand j new subscribers with which to begin the present volume. We need the money to purchase paper before it goes up to a point beyond our reach. We have no hope that i any of the 11 Hoards' 1 ' will appropriate “a | thousand dollars ” for us, as has been done for the Index. We are not sure that the Boards love us enough to do anything at all for our advancement. We must work 1 onr own way. We have the nerve to do it —and doubt not the means will be forth coming when they must be had. We ad vocate the truth of God, and trust the God of truth. He will sustain and help us.— Brethren, pray for us, that the truth of God , rnav have free course and be glorified. A. C. D. The Bethel Association. We had the pleasure to meet with this • body of warm-hearted and generous breth ren, at Americus. It was our first visit to the Association, though many of the mem bers had been long and favorably known to 1 us. We went to this as we did to the Houston, as a corresponding member from the Rehoboth. XV e had been appointed also to the Friendship and, if we do not' forget, to the Ebenezer, and intended to visit both,but were Providentially hindered, , I We found in the Bethel a large assembly from a wide spread territory. We were glad to meet some of the Elders of our ministry there, like brothers Mallary and ! Campbell, men who have longflßn battling I for the Lord, scarred and war-worn veter ans. Brother Mallary preached the inis- I sionars sermon on the Sabbath morning— a discourse of rare beauty and eloquence, but which his feeble health prevented him from delivering in the style which would j have made it effective. Brother Campbell. iis as ready to speak or to act as he was years ago, but has never recovered from j the effects of a severe fall which he had last i summer. Brother Muse, of Cuthbert, it seemed to us, looks younger than he did ' some yeass ago, when we first met. He was elected moderator of the body, and by his kind and prompt and energetic bearing I gave abundant evidence that he has the active mind and the warm heat which goes so far to qualify a man for the position which he holds. There were one or two questions before the body which it was feared would lead to excitement and divi sion, but they were gotten rid of without much disputation, and are laid over to come up again next year. We received a goodly number of sub scribers to The Banner, for which we feel j truly grateful. a. c. d. - - i—— I 23?“ < )nr readers will notice the first Letter in the series of * Our Richmond Cor respondence,’ from one of the most profound thinkers to be met with at the national capita!—a close ‘ Cbserver’ of transpiring events. We hope to hear from him every , week. —We also present, to-day, the first in stalment of the promised Story— ‘ Ada Mayfield,’ which will amply repay perusal. —The articles from the pen of our talent ed brother, Jos. E. Carter, are always of the right stamp, and are read with much interest. He can not write too often. e r -, , M hen you see a cross mark, A, on your paper, that means: Renew at once your subscription. That /Ten Dollars. We have received ten dollars to send The Banner to soldiers in Mississippi.— This was sent us by one of the fairegjj|f the lovely daughters of that noble Stale; a sister of one of the purest patriots who honors j the] halls of our Confederate Con gress. The money was earned by her own hands: she carded and spun the thread, and knit the socks which she sold for this express purpose, viz., to send ?j The Baptist Banner to the soldiers. She loves the soldiers, and,'knows how to]appreciate The Banner —she says she likes it better and better every We trust that “ when this cruel war is over,” she may find some soldier-boy who knows the wort h of a true and noble girl, and who will make her life so pleasant that she will never lose the merry twinkle of those mischievous eyes which we remember well, though it is now* some three or four years since we had the pleasure of looking into them. a. c. ». ?; Our Soldiers. ! The South must depend mainly on herself for clothing material during this war.— ' While her magnificent crops will supply a large surplus'of breadstuff's and food above the demand for home consumption, it is possible that the blockade of our ports may continue up to the season when our volun teers in the field will require heavy woolen 1 goods to protect them against the inclem ency of winter. Every loom in the Confederate States fought to be busy to supply this necessary demand. We can work for our country as : well at the plow-handle and at the loom as |in the tented field. Our woolen factories ’’iare too few to depend upon them for the • fabrics that will be necessary to supply the ’ demands that are now near at hand. I Every private loom and every fair hand L that can direct should now ply with unceas -1 ingcare until we are satisfied that there is not a soldier unclad among ourgallant men. Receipts for I Felix Granade, Thomson, Georgia, $5 00 (Mrs. T Colbert, Stilesboro, “ 250 | Mrs. R. I). Powell, Lexington, “ 500 T. J. Threlkeld, Griffin, - 5 00 Edmund Hading, Euharlee, “ 500 Mrs. Jesse Asbury, Albany, “ 500 ilby a Thomas, Quitman, •• 500 .Edmund Walker, Madison, •• 5 00 'John 11. Russell, Cave Spring, “ 5 00 ' James M. Calhoun, Atlanta, “ 500 James Mcßryde, Glasgow, “ 5 00 j MrsS. 11. Marsh. Duncansville, “ 5 00 ,J. 11. Callaway, Cotton Hill, “ 500 , E. S. Walker, Albany, “ 5 00 T. S. Douglass, Coleman Stat’n, “ 5 00 John 11. Gilbert, Morris “ “ 5 00 William Ross, Americus, “ 5 00 John 11. Thomas, Macon, “ 5 00 } R. A. Crawford, Atlanta, “ 5 00 J. B. Tippin, 5 00 James Clark, “ “ 5 00 J. J. Grantham, Chattahoochee, “ 5 00 Stephen Ro*ve, “ “ 5 00 Mrs. M. A. Horne, Henderson, “ 5 00 Jacobus Gibson, Newnan, “ 5 00 E. L. Compere ( file) Atlanta, “ 5 00 Mrs. E. V. Battle, Watkinsville, “ 5 00 J. M. Watt, Columbus, “ 5 00 J. E. Mercer, Albany, “ 5 00 J. E. Meicer, “ for soldiers, 500 John A. Broadus, Greenville, S. (J., 5 00 i Mrs. M. A. Webber, Spartanb’g, “5 00 ,A. R.Scarborough, Livingston, Ala., 5 00 J. M. Gould, “ “ 5 00 H. R. Awtry. Gainesville, •• 500 J. A. Wilson, Meridian, Miss., .. 500 Mrs. A. L. Brame, West Point, Xfis, 5 00 i G. W. Underwood, Orange Hill, Williams Surrey, Greenwood, “ 500 . F. T. Allen, « “ 5 00 j Mrs. P. Hartsfield, “ 500 Nathan Widdon, Open Pond, Ala., 5 00! Joadan Jones, Lime-Kilns, “ 500 Lt. J. F. Bostick, Chattanooga, Ten.“s 00 W . N.Chaudoin, soldiers in Virginia, 20 50 Friend to Soldiers, 5 00 A Lady, for soldiers in Mississippi, 10 00 Public Fast. The Legislature of Georgia has recom mended that Thursday, December 10th, be sht apart as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer, throughout the Confederacy. # Exemption of Overseers tn Certain Cases. —By the exemption act, persons in | the military service can procure the ex-• emption of an overseer by the annual pay ment of SSOO, provided the overseer was really such on the 17th of April, 1862. ; The following order, from the Adjutant ; General at Richmond, shows how the ex emption may be procured : Overseers entitled to exemption will be ' exempted from military service for one year, when the owner of the slaves of whom the overseer has had charge, shall pi esent to the enrolling officer the receipt of a quartermaster for the amount of the tax imposed in such cases by the act of Con-' gress, approved May 1, 1863. Officers of . Quartermaster departments are directed to receive and receipt for money thus paid. • [Z br the Baptist Banner. \ LIVING FOR JEST’S. STILESBORO’, Ga., Noy. 14. Dear Banner:— Colton says in his “ La‘ , con . Men will wrangle for religion ; write for it; fight for it; die for it; anything but live for it.” ‘ . This is as true to-day as when the lines were penned by the author. And my heart > rejoices in the fact that in this writer I find one who contends for, and appreciates, liv- 3 Ing for Jesus. 1 ; Men do not live for religion because they fdo not live for Jesus ; they neglect the for- ’ mer because they do not love and appreci f ate the latter. Where is the one who lives 3 for Jesus? Commence a search. Church 3 A , in county B , has not one, out of 5 its whole number. Church C , of coun- kjty D , has one faithful old sister, who ' j “never looks back.” A church in another 1 locality has three members living for Jesus. And so. in this proportion, will you find I those who are among the livers-for-religion. pi Let my pen drop for me to ask, “ Lord, is it If- t “Your numbers are too small,” says a good brother. They may be, but not much . so. lam unwilling to ascend to a much , larger proportion. The chemist has his . (“test paper,” blue and red, and each one, 1 i when brought in contact with its opposing fluid, will be sure, without fail, to tell you which is acid and which alkali. God has 4 made a “test paper,” by which sure , the pure metal is discovered, and the un -3; marred image seen. 3 As distressing as it is, let us take up that 3 “paper,” (for we all know what it is) and . see if we are not right in the light of God’s , Word. Take up the “test,”’ and we have only to commence, before we Jay it down, - ~ I being perfectly satisfied that the number of . those who are. living for Jesus are alar-rning . ,ly small. What is the professed Christian world doing? Digging hard for gold. Where are nine-tenths of their thoughts? Any > where else but Heaven. What is the ob ject of their ambition ? The promotion of j self, and self aggrandizement. From whence j come their joys ? From their unholy pros j perity. Brethren, “these things ought not j so to be.’ 3 Qh! how distressing to the I faithful to hear of and see these things.— ( How soon the eye moistens when the bo- I som begins to heave !. How fast the tears I flow when the soul begins to groan over I these sad scenes in the drama acted before , us ! I O, yes’ when there is so much joy in ( living for Jesus; so many sweet smiles fresh 1 from his radiant face ; so many showers of ( sunbeams from His. eternal brightness, , which always descend with copiousness on , the one who is near Him ; when Jesus ex pects it; when God requires it; when the ( j world looks for it; when saints and angels in heaven rejoice over it, who, who would j not live for religion ? who would not live for Jesus ? Well, here comes a brother; he wants to talk a little. He says he would live for Jesus, but u the times” are such that he can’t. He has to go with the times. Tempora mutantur et nos mutamur in Ulis. Stop, dear brother, stop ! O, please stop ! are you insane? Is Heaven less Heaven than it was before the war, or Hell less Hell? Has Jesus changed I Has your duty been lightened ? O ! is it possible that you don’t think more about a land of eternal peace, while you are living in a war-dislracled and blood-covered country ? Is it so that your mind is not more on that place where no \ trouble enters, when it is all trouble hereb— Can’t you rejoice when God says, “The ! Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice !” espe ' pecially when everything else but Jesus and , His holy religion is so dark and gloomy ? I’ll tels you why, my brother, you are not Ijving for Jesus. You are not looking of ten enough to Him. You are like the Chris tian that Dr. Payson describes, in the outer concentric circle, scarcely ever looking toward Jesus, but almost always at the world. Turn, dear brother, and get in the j innermost concentric circle, where you will have your eye always on Jesus, where you will be living for Jesus, and I’ll promise you you shall be happy in the worst war i that ever .cursed the earth. Christians, in primitive times, lived for religion; they acted like Jesus; walked like Jesus; talked like Jesus; and were like Jesus. O, why! why! is it that we do not live so 1 God is the same in all His promises ; the Saviour the same in all His merits; the- Spirit unchanged in His power and comforts. 1 say, my beloved brethren, why do we not live near er to Jesus ? Heavenly Father ! dispatch from thy Holy Court above thy messenger angels, that they may come and tell us that we shall soon belike Jesus; for we“.«A«//see Him as He is.” Blessed Spirit! visit our dead and dying churches and ministry ! Come, come, and let the fires of Heaven descend before the : four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, who are scattered all over our country, that pure, burning,- self-sacrificing religion may be in our hearts ! Brother Dayton invites brethren to write uponjhese subject that are conducive to spiritual growth. Would that I could do it, riiy dear brother, for that is my object. 1 can say this—that it takes a sanctified am bition, based upon a “ hurgering and thiist ing after righteousness,” to develop the pious child of God—one like David, to get a seat at the door, if he could not get into the house his God—and like the Syro- Phoenician .woman, who was willing to take a “crumb,” if no more, and willing to be called a dog to gain the favor of Jesus. Brethren in the ministry! brethren ’ evewhere! Jet me exhort you, with me, . to make an effort to be more like Jesus, ( in all that we say, or do, .or think, , or speak. Andif’we do resemble Him here, and grow more like Him, daily, we have the blessed hope of being like Him at the Judgment, and in Heaven, and , of being rewarded with eternal glory. lours, in Christ Jesus, _ JOS. E. CARTER. Our Army Correspondence. CAMP NEAR DIRT TOWN, Ga, / x Nov. 10, 1863. I Dear brother Ells :— Ab the bustle of the morning is over, 1 will write you a few lines to-day. We had a jubilee here in camp this morning. An “order” came up from headquarters last night, ordering that the “wheat sowers” be detailed home a few days to sow wheat; and 1 will assure you. we had quite a number of wheat sowers on such occasion. Some of the bovs said they ought to go home to “sow oats ” But if some of them are not sowing a full crop of , “ wild oats,” I confess that 1 am badly de ceived. We have been having quite a cold spell of weather for the last few days. About all we. can do is to sit around our camp fires, though cold for men to sit on the grounnd to hear preaching, or assemble at night for t prayer meeting; yet it is convenient some times to have what we call a family prayer meeting. I thank God for the privilege of calling on His great Name, in this day of swearing and wickedness. I often think of the Psalmist, when he said he “cried unto the Lord out of the depth of his soul.” O! that our prayers should continue to ascend • before His throna asking for His Spirit to restrain bur people from so much wicked ness. I would appeal to every Christian to. lay aside everything that would hinder a free intercourse with God, and pour out - their spirits before Him in prayer, asking that He will not cast us off'.. Brother Mar tin, the missionary of the Oostanaula As sociation, visited our regiment last Sabbath, and preached for us. 1 was certainly glad to meet him and brother Austin in camp. Brother Martin says ho has declined serving butoneehurch as pastor, and the remainder of his time he will employ in his missionary labors. His untiring, energies make him the right man in the right place. May the Lord bless his labors amongst the soldiers ! I had an opportunity, a few days ago, to go with Captain J. B. Ware to the top of one of the highest peaks of the mountain range not far from our camp, to gets view of this country. Ah! how beautiful the vallies look, decorated with fine farms, and inter spersed with creeks and rivulets, and sur rounded by far off mountain ranges. In viewing such sublime scenery, I could not help being lost in admiration and awe at the exquisite beauty and tremendous gran deur with which the God of nature has paint ed His footstool; and thus our mind was caught away in the contemplation of life in eternity with God, until at last iny con templation ended by saying that, beautiful though this world be, yet in it, “ I would not live alwnys.” I will close by asking you to pray for the noble officers and men of this regiment. Your brother in Christ, R. H. J. [-Mw* The Baptist Banner.] Testaments for Sunday schools. GREENVILLE, 8. C., Nov. 11. Brother J. J. Toon & Co., of Atlanta, will have on hand, in a few days, a large box of Testaments, which they will sell to Bjptist Sunday schools, at ten cents per copy. The Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention (located at Greenville, S. C.») have put them at this low price for the general good, and they par ticularly request that no one school will take more of them than its actual wants re quire. JOHN A. BROADUS, Cor. Sec’y. Lord Chatham, of England, said : “ The poorest man in his cottage may bid defiance to all the forces of the Crown. It may be frail ; the wind may blow through it; its roof may shake; the storm /nay en ter; the rain may enter; but the King of England cannot enter it. All his power does not cross the threshold of that ruined tenement.”
