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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.