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THREE DOLLARS PER ANNUM.
Vol. XXIX.—No. 12.
(Shtjjinal |jocfr]).
WE PLEAD FOR HIM.
"Moil innocent p’rhapa, and what, if guilty ?
laihii the only cure, Merc fulGodl”
Coleridge.
In yon grim prison, dreary, lonely,
With none to comfort but God only,
There’s one, that suffereth for many,
In fault, at least, pot more than uny ;
One, triio not more than others sinning,
A m irtyr’a crown is surely winning.
Ilia hair is bleaching whiter, whiter—
(The prison is a speedy blighter)
Ilis braw is furrowing deeper, deeper;
Ah! there's, afar, one lonely weeper,
Who feels, the iron his soul that enter’d,
lu her own heart of hearts hath center’d.
0! for her sake, whose heart is breaking,
Now, let comp tssion be awaking,
O! for his children’s sake, we re praying,
Let mercy vengeance’hand be staying,
And save him, in that prison lying,
Who not for his own sia is dyiug.
O I let not the fanatic crying
For blood, compassion be denying.
The nation, in her truth and honor,
Avert ti e stain they'd put upon her,
An old man’s crirneless blood, that never
Could be wiped out, forever, ever!
M. M.
Columbia, S. C.
WlMkt rjtacsi TiJt BOW——■BBW—MB—■B—WIfB——
Comsjjonbrntc.
FROM GREENSBORO’, ALA.
Mr. Editor, —Sonde interest is excited in
our village by a visit of the Rev. Dr. Still
man, a Presbyterian minister, of Gaines
ville, Ala. lie lias been assisting the pas
tor, tbe Rev. Mr. Otts, on a communion
occasion. On last night he delivered a dis
course on infant baptism. By holding my
evening service at 4 o’clock, my congregation
and myself were able to hear the Doctor.
His sermon was not polemical, but didactic
and hortatory—such as I like, on that class
of subjects. 11 is great object was to show
the advantages of infant baptism, and to
urge upon parents, pastors, and churches
the important duties which it connotes. As
might be expected there were a few points
in the disc mrse which did not exactly tally
with my views—an occasional phrase of a
Geneva complexion, which, of course, 1
would not have used—but, as a whole, it
was sound and salutary ; and £ only wish
that all our pulpits resounded with such ut
terances. The preacher very truly remark
ed, that were all the duties involved in the
baptism ol children faithfully perlormed
by all the parties concerned, the importance
of the ordinance would be so obvious that
there would soon be no room for controversy
about it.
I have long been of the opinion that there
can be no deep, wide-spread, permanent re
vival of religion among us until parents
shall solemnly consecrate their children to
God, and initiate them into the visible
church, by baptism, and then follow up the
act by such a course of discipline and in>
struetion, as the baptism postulates, being
aided in the discharge of their parental ob
ligations by the pastors and other function
aries of the church. Let not baptism be,
as Isaac Taylor says the Methodist adminis
trator makes it, a mere five minutes’ ODera
tion ; but let it bo an act of permanent in
terest, of life-long importance; and so let
the subject be taught concerning it, so soon
as he shall be able to receive the teaching.
liow absurd it would be to matriculate your
children in a seminary of learning, and.then
give them no lessons to learn, appoint them
no limes for recitation, and give them no in
struction, and subject them to no discipline!
Buts not this the course followed by many
members of our so-called pedubaptist church
es —if, indeed, they have their children
baptized at all / Is it any wonder that, un
der such circumstances, but little good re
sul st'rom the baptism of children ?
Then, too, in what a perfunctory, hasty,
slovenly manner is the ordinance frequently
administered! In many cases, where no
necessity can be pleaded, the little ones are
smuggled into the church, as it were, in a
kind of clancular way, as if all the parties
were ashamed of the transaction! But is
it anything to be ashamed of’/ I do not hes
itate to say that there is nothing more im
pressive, more suggestive of profound reli
gious thought, and doctrinal feeling, than
the* public baptism of a child It was Cole
riJge who said, “None of the services of
the church affect me so much as this. I
never could attend a christening without
tears bursting forth at the fight of the help
legs innocent in a pious clergyman’s arms.”
We must suppose the “pious clergyman” in
a devout spirit, earnestly engaged in what
be considers a solemn symbolical service—
not a sham ora farce—offering fervent pray
ers, and enforcing sacramental stipulations —
then no wonder if an entire congregation
should be affected, even to tears.
All Christians who recognize the obliga
tion of baptism, consider if, as we do, an
initial ion into the visible church, or, as so ae
Presbyterians view it, the recognition of the
membership of children, who arc already in
PUBLISHED BY J. W. BURKE & CO., FOR THE M. E. CHURCH, SOUTH
the church, as tbe prerogative of their birth.
In either case, it is inconsistent, it is ab
surd, it is profane, to neglect these lambs of
the fold, to pass them by as if the mark oT
the Good Shepherd, the Great Proprietor
of the flock, had not been authoritatively
placed upon them. Why register the sheep
and not the lambs? Why tend the former,
and not the latter? Do the lamb.3 then re
quire no attention, no feeding, no discipline,
no protection ? Astounding folly ! Why,
if there is one part Os the fold more secure
than another, that surely ought to bo re
served for the lambs. If there is a pasturage
greener, fresher, more tender than any oth
er, that surely should be for the lambs of
the flock.
It is a very suggestive, a painfully sug
gestive circ lrnstance, that in so many of our
churches, where “the numbering the peo
ple” is by no means considered a sin—where
there are a great many names of adults reg
istered—mere capita mortua —see Rev. in :
I—that ought never to have been inserted,
or tint ought long since to have been can
celled—there is no record whatever of the
children of the church ! Pastors know but
little of their infantile and juvenile charge;
parents are not held to accountability for
the performance ot' their ecclesiastical du
ties to their children —du.ies of a high and
solemn character, as the fa*her of a family
is prophet, priest and king, in the domestic
department of the kingdom of God, the
church or the house. The result is, when
the children arrive at that age when Jewish
children become what they called “sons of
the law,” by publicly assuming the obliga
tions involved in their circumcision—which
was when they were thirteen years old —
among us it is considered the exception, not
the rule, that at t ha: age, our children should
come forward and assume the obligations
involved in their baptism. We do not take
it for granted that they will generally do
this, according to tho teaching of Solomon,
(Prov. xxu: G.) and Paul, (Eph. VI: 4;)
hut rather, we take it lor.granted, that they
will not do it, and pursue the precise course
to realize our expectations. Out upon such
bastard Christianity !
Just as soon as “the joyful mother” can
take her infant to church, let her do so, and
seal her vow.-—the father, of course, con
joining—to bring up her child in the nur
ture and admonition of the Lord—then let
those vows never be forgotten or broken.
Let the church personal oogfyJzance of
the new member thu* admitted— enter tlio
name in the register —ami then use all pos
sible means that the neophyte may be in
structed and confirmed in the faith, and
have developed in him that new nature
which is effected alone by “the renewing of
the Holy Gho.>t,” which is symbolized by
“the washing of regeneration,” aud whicn is
never withheld when the subject—as there
is good hope that lie will—yields to influ
ences so kind and plastic—a Christian nur
ture, so well endorsed by reason and required
by revelation. On this theme I could write
volumes; but my sheet is full.
Tnos. O. Summers.
Greensboro' , Ala., March 5, 18GG.
P. S. —The late examinations in tbe
Southern University, in Greensboro, were
rigid and satisfactory, in a remarkable de
gree. The Institution is in the full tide of
prosperity, needing nothing but more stu
dents, (and some new ones are entering its
halls) and more revenue. Many who are
indebted to it neglect payment. I wish the
Advocate entered into all their houses. I
would make an earnest appeal to them, in
regard to this matter, which is of so vital
coucernment to the University. t. o. s.
Dedication of Prospect M. E. Church,
Hamilton Circuit, Ga.
Mr. Editor As the Bible informs us
that the rebuildiug of the Temple under
Zerubbabel, was very difficult, because' it
was done iu “ troublous times;’’ we do not
regard is as a presumption to say the same
in reference to there building ot the church
referred to in our caption. For many years
the congregation at Prospect worshipped iu
an old hull which was as discreditable as it
was disagreeable. Before the war they
thought themselves too poor to build; and
duiiug the war they were very much like
Martha, “ cumbered about much serving,’’
and therefore could not rebuild. The prop
osition to dissolve and uuite with adjacent
churches was debated frequently during the
war, but fortunately for them, it was not
acted on.
After the final surrender of the Confed
eracy, when poverty looked them in the face
from every quarter, they resolved to build a
new church. The community lay in the
track ot Gen. Wilson’s raid last spring,
which burned cotton and gin houses, and
destroyed provisions generally—yet they
determined to build, and bund they did.
Some thought them fanatical, and others
prophesied a failure; but the work went on
bravely, and now they have an elegant
framed house, ceiled throughout, ready for
j painting next fall. They also intend car
peting the aisles, altar and pulpit, which
will make it as comfortable as it is decent,
inasmuch as they de.-iic to worship God
without distraction, f'rmn cold, etc.
The first Sabbath in March the dedica
j tion sermon was preached by Rev. It. B.
Lester, P. F. of the Columbus District, from
Macon, Ga., Friday, March 23, 1806.
Isaiah lvi: 6,7, in which he maintained
that the church is to be a house of prayer
to all people—all grades, classes and colors
being entitled to its privileges where they
take hold of the Covenant of God. He
spoke at large of the covenant —of the cove
nant of works made with Adam and elabo
rated under Moses ; and also of the cove
nant of grace through faith, which was
opened with Abraham and completed in
Christ; but he knew noihing of a secret
covenant made between the. Father and the
Son long anterior to the creation of man.
He thought that we were required to deal
with revealed things inasmuch as the Scrip
tures inform us that “ revealed th:ngs be
long to u? aud our childrenbut that “ se
cret things belong to God.’ 1 And we trust
that the word preached to the large and
attentive audience there Resent, will pro
duce “ abundant fruit.”
The hou*e, from its foundation to its
roof, was then solemnly offered to God as
an acceptable sacrifice. A large and beau
tiful Bible bearing this M-cription, “ Pre
sented to Prospect M. E. Church, by Rev.
G. 11. Pattillo, 18GG/’ was also ded : cated to
God for the use of the church. A nice
chandelier and pulpit lamps are al-o pre
sented to the church by A. M. Brannon, of
Colutnbu?, which have not yet arrived. At
the close of the sermon «.no congregation
sung:
“ And will the grer.t. eternal God,
O i earth cstablfih his abide?
And wi 1 ha fri m ?»is r id a it thren),
Avow o ax- temple for liis own ?
“ Wo bring the tri uto of our praise ;
And sing that c ntbscendif g grace,
WuiC'i to our n >Ds wjli lend an ear,
And ca 1 ufsinful mortals near.
“T ?e?e wails we to Ihv honor raise,
Lo tg may t’K-y tciio to thy praise ;
Ad ttiou, descending till trio placj,
With choicest t-.ke.rs o. thy gruee.
“ And in the groat, dec’sivo day.
When God the nations shall Mirvey,
May it before the world sp ear
Tnat c.owds were baru to glory here.”
After prayer the Lord’s Supper was cele
brated. Verily this was a suitable time to
show forth the Lord’s death—the first ser
vice ever held in the house. It is to be’
hoped that the burden of every sermon, ex
hortation, prayer and song which may be
offered in this house, imsy be “Christ, aud
him crucified.” MayJts sacred desk never
become a political f/rum, 1 or thb source of
a hybrid theology, tainted with the corrupt
isms of the North. Let no sons of Aaron
bring unholy incense before the Lord, even
in ;/ol<lea censers.
If half a dozen brethren, impoverished by
the war, and seriously affected by one of
the largest raids during the late war have
been able thus to rebuild, may not all be able
to do much more than we often think ? Let
conscience speak. A. J. D.
A BIBLICAL INSTITUTE
For the Colorod People.
Southern society presents a most difficult
problem. We have two varieties of the hu
man race, dissimilar in almost every respect,
and yet living together in the enjoyment of
freedom and legal rights. They are unlike
in color, national distinctions, social peculiar
ities, grade of civilization, religious charac
teristics, and mental training—unlike in
their previous history and their present sta
tus. How these two classes are to live to
gether so as to secure the peace of society,
the safety of individuals, and the prosperity
cf the country is the question, and a diffi
cult one, examine it as we may. There is
but one way to answer it. The blacks must
be elevattd by education and re.Hi/ion. In
their present condition they constitute a
dangerous and troublesome element of socie
ty, aud there can be but little hope of har
mony, peace and safety while they remain
as they are. Education must enlarge and
inform their minds, and religion must sanc
tify their passions. The two must go to
gether. Without religion, education will
be a curse. It will increase their power of
doing mischief a thousand fold, enkindle
the fires of an unbi idled ambition, rouse to
energy unsanctificd aspirations, produce dis
satisfaction, and give rise to frequent at
tempts to gain the ascendency in society.
Religion must accompany education, that
its conservative influence, restraining pow
er, and sanctiiyinggraeomay render it a real,
permanent and glorious blessing. Take a
man, not under the restraints of religion,
and educate him above the power of super
stition, and he thereby becomes unscrupu
lous, the most dangerous of all men ; but let
religion lay her guiding hand upon his ex
panding mind as it casts off the grave clothes
of superstition and rises in knowledge and
powtr, and that resurrection will be to life,
aud light, and goodness—he will become a
man, true and loyal to the divinely imposed
conditions of bis nature. Hitherto religion
has gone alone, gone without her twin sister
education, gone in direct opposition to the
will of Christ. When Jesus sent out His
ministers lie gave them a commission, which
may be reduced to tbur works: “ Go —dis-
ciple —baptize —teach.’’ The three, “go —
disciple —baptize”—were carried out to a
considerable extent; the fourth hardly at
all. The cons'quence resulting from iliis
neglect have been sad and disastrous. The
religion of the colored people has become
strongly tinctured with enthusiam and super
stition, taking in a very large admixture of
Both these evil elements—elements in them
selves dangerous to the peace of society.
Without proper instruction they embraced
the Christian religion, retaining the super
stitions inherited from their ancestors, and
full of the enthusiasm of their African na
ture. Thus Christianity became engrqfted
upon their enthusiasm and superstition ; and
their religion is a strange compound, better
than none, but far, very far from being pure
in the majority ol them. What they need
is that “ teaching' 1 which Christ enjoined,
that education which will eliminate the ele
ments which adulterate their religion.—
I hey need schools, sabbath schools, and ed
ucated ministers, and the last not the least.
For without educated pastors it will be al
most impossible to raise them above enthu
siasm and superstition. These will be en
couraged. inculcated, and spread from the
pulpit. They will increase like a fungus
growth, increase tbe more rapidly from the
example arid influence of ignorant preach
ers. There must be educatedcoloqplpreach
ers. They are demanded by the present
state of society among the blacks, aud they
can do a work which no others can do.
t hey can have an influence over those of
their own color, a power far greater than
white preachers can exert.
For these reasons we think that an insti
tution should he founded fur the education
ot co'orcd men for the ministry; men select
ed under proper regulations, and called of
God to preach :he Gospel. Such an institution
is needed, greatly needed at the present time,
and the appeal to the patriotic and benevo
lent in its behalf is powerful. To the patri
otic it presents motives of self interest, social
order, individual safety, the security of
personal rights, the happiness of society, and
ilio future well-being of our country. To
the benevolent it prescuts considerations of
high and holy import—a scheme to elevate
a race, to improve the mental and moral aud
physical condition of millions—a plan of
missionary labor for heathen at our doors,
where we can examine its management and
observe its progress. Cau there not be
found patriotic and benevolent men and wo
men willing to establish a “ Biblical Institute
for the Colored People ?’’
The suggestion is made, and left to the
judgment and experience of the people.
/Who will respond ? Who will contribute
the necessary funds?
Surely some of our wise ancl holy men can
bfc induced to accept tbe presidency of such
an institution. If none better qualified can
be found, I feel willing to devote the best
powers of my heart and mind to such a
work. Josephus Anderson.
Thomasvillc, Ga.
Letter from Missouri.
JMr. Editor: —Would a few items from
this troubled latitude be of any interest to
the readers of your excellent paper?
Here, in this broad, free State, with its
rich, rolling prairies, its fertile valleys, its
long, winding rivers, and railroads, its
mountains of iron and acres of lead, its
counties of coal and mines of silver and gold,
yielding to the husbandman, the miner, the
trader, the manufacturer, the capitalist, and
all classes of industrious, honest, energetic
men, the richest harvests of wealth, we have
the hun.ilitating, burning shame of a Gos
pel ministry fettered by law and proscribed
by a political test oath. Ministers of the
Gospel are ousted from their pulpits, banished
the State, silenced by civil authority,
bound over to the civil courts, fined and im
prisoned for the great crime (?) of “preach
ing Jesus and the resurrection” to perishing
sinners. And yet they will preach; and
though “ bonds and imprisonment await
them,” the “ word of God is not bound,’’
but is still the “power of God and the wis
dom of God. Because the foolishness of
God is wiser than men, and the weakness of
God is stronger than men.” The ministry
of Missouri are self-sacrificing, heroic, God
fearing men, who “ count not their lives
dear unto themselves so that they might fin
ish .their course with joy, and the ministry
which they have received of the Lord Jesus
to testify the Gospel of tho grace of God.”
Some few of them have not the nerve to meet
the issue, but bless me ! there is a moral he
roism iu the men who “ count all things but
loss for the excellency of the knowledge of
Christ Jesus the Lord,’’ than would sublime
an age, and raise vast armies for Christ from
the “ seed of the Church.”
Many of the preachers who have taken
the test-oath prescribed by the new Consti
tution, now regret it, and repent it ; and
those who have not, will neither take it,
leave the State, nor quit preaching. They
will obey God rather than men, and suffer
and dare, and, if need be, die “ for the tes
timony of Jesus and the Word of Go t.’’
None of these things move us. We expect,
in all good faith, to “ rQtider unto Caesar
the things which arc Caesar’s, and unto
God tho things which are God’s,” but nev
er subordinate the laitcr to the former, “ God
helping us. 1 ’
v Tell the brethren of tho Church who are
inclined to rejoice that Providence has not
called them to labor and suffer in Missouri,
that it i.s a small tiling to suffer reproach
for the cause of Christ, for “if we suffer,
wo shall also reign with him.” We are
E. H. MYERS, D.D., EDITOR.
Whole Number, 1476.
not inclined to murmur or complain. Wo
are already inured to toil, and can now “en
dure hardness as good soldiers.” Many of
us have “ taken the spoiling of our good*
joyfully,” and are now ready to “go to pria
m and to death,’’ rather than compromise
the conscience or the Gospel of the grace of
God. by acknowledging any other Head of
the Church than the Lord Jesus. While
the ministry of our Church suffer more,
perhaps, than that of any other Church, yet
it is a matter of rejoicing that, for the moai
part, they are “ good men and true.” Many
of them have been arrested, some more than
once, and almost invariably at the iustiga
tion of Northern Methodists. Some give
bond for their appearance at court, and go
on preaching Christ; others refuse to give
bond—demand trial, and go to jail. In
some portions of the State our preachers go
to their appointments, to find the churches
occupied by Northern Methodists, who,
hearing of their appointment, make theirs
just one hour earlier, and then hold on till
two or three o’clock in tbe afternoon.
Sometimes ruffian crowds assemble atonr
appointments, yell like fiends, throw stones
at the house, enter the church, kick over
the benches, break off the plastering, and
some of the *“ lewd fellows of the baser
sort” will walk tto to the pulpit and lay
great pieces of plastering on the Bible while
the pteacher is preaching, and many such
like things. If the preeche enters com
plaint, he is arrested and taken off to the
nearest prison. But, notwithstanding these,
and many other such things, the Word of
God is not bound, but “ grows mightily and
prevails” among the people, and thousands
of precious soul j arc being converted to God,
and uniting with the Church. Precious re
vivals of religion have been experienced in
nearly every regular charge in the State.
Our Church is strengthening her hold upon
the confidence of all reflecting, right-minded
people, and our prospects were never more
encouraging as a Chutch.
The present persecution will but prepare
us, through the fires of suffering, for the
majesty of triumph, and the glories of final
victory, whose peans shall swell and ro 1 be
neath the bendiug arches of immortality and
tremble tbe very thrones of light. Tell the
brethren who sympathize with us, that the
Church of Christ has never produced •
sublimer moral heroism, since the Apostles,
than the pulpit of Missouri furnishes to-day.
“ And if we be offered upon tho sacrifice
and service of your faith, we joy and re
joice with you all.” Some of our noble,
holy men, are often required to pass through
scenes of derision and persecution, not un
like those that attended the heroic Wesley
and his co laborers, and like that good and
great man, wc can say, “ the best of all is,
God is with us.’’ Our churches were nev
er more crowded with solemn, attentive
worshippers, our ministrations were never
in so much demand, and our preachers nev
er preached with more “ power from on
high.” “ Their speech, and their preach
ing, is not with enticing words of man’s
wisdom, but in demonstration of tbe Spiril
and of power.”
Many of them seem to. have caught up
the mantle of the ascended Caples, and have
a double portion of bis spirit; many have
seized the silent trumpet of the battle-worn
Robinson, and buckled on the burnished
armor which he so suddenly exchanged for
a “crown and a robe,’’ and are gone forth to
battle gallantly tor the “ King of kings/*
Tell those who have the care of all tho
Clulrches, that “we are troubled on every
side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed,
but not in despair; persecuted, but not for
saken ; cast down, but KOt destroyed.*’ Wo
have tbe promise, “ Lo, I am with you al
ways’
I expected just to itemize a few facts for
your readers, when I begun; but “out of
the abundance of tho heart the mouth speak
eth,” and the pen writeth. I expect, be
fore this reaches the eye of the reader, to bo
looking through grated-windows, or, per
haps, to be “ thrust into the inner prison/*
“ for tbe testimony of Jesus and the Word
of God,’’ whence I may emit the next light
for your readers. May peace and pros
perity attend you. May the Advocate and
its nameless Editor live a thousand years,
and the Editor and reader outlive the Ad
vocate a million of ages, where suns never
set and glories never pale.
Yours in the bonds of the Gospel,
Feb. 24, 1866. L.
[Nashville Christian Advocate.
The Fretting Believer.
A fretting bilicver i3 a daily dishonor toGnd
and his service. He proclaims to tho world
ihat Caris’s y »ke is a hard ono an Jh s burden
heavy. Bo eure the word will t ike note of it,
and set it and >wn to tho dnereditof religion.
“Ste how unhappy it makes a person,” will
be their conclu ion.
AVo ca< not have tbe excuse for it, thst it
lightens a singl> burden of care. Jt rather
hi ds a heavier one, and lays it on c ur should
ers diy by day. It. embitters the happiest liie,
and sips poi.oa from the. very flawor?, whero
others find only cry.-tai hqoejP.
Go. Chris 1 ia n , take for your pattern yrurbe
lovei Mas e*, who endured a l l his fearful suf
firing without onercpmfng word- Li\o
tie lamb brought to tne
ed not his mouth ” If ho boro such a heavy
cross for u ? , can we iot take up every day the
little oi es he lia* appointed for us? Not tho
smallest of them all but is ordered by him.