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14 Southern Christian locate. MACON,GEORGIA. .JANUARY 29, 1878 “SOME PLAIN QUESTIONS.” Uuder this bead, a correspondent inter rogatively sets forth his views, as a Metho dist, upon certain matters, and invokeß an opinion from others, through the Advocate. We do not propose to consider his questions seriatim and to respond to them in detail; but we regard the occasion of his communi cation opportune for announcing our hearty endorsement of “A Methodist’s” manifest repugnance to ail scenic representations, in the way of tableaux, concerts, etc., of Scrip ture scenes or characters, lhe training and tendency, i3 all in the wrong direction, fatal to a wholesome reverence for sacred things, and fraught with ultimate evil consequences, iar more disastrous than such as are inline diately apparent. It is in our conscientious judgment, an unholy alliance between things sacred and profane, which weakens faith in the divine declaration “no man can Berve two masters,” prostitutes and profanes to the service of the world the influence that should be wielded solely in behalf of “whatsoever things are true—honest—just—pare—lovely and of good report,” and has no ground upon which it can claim, or hope for, t he approval and blessing of God. The practical authority of Scripture over the individual life is pro portioned to the reverence in which it is held as the very word of God. As Christians therefore, -whether.we are called Methodists, or by any oilier denominational name, it solemnly behooves us to abstain from, and so far, at least, rebuke, whatever diminishes reverence for the sanctity of tho inspired writings. That such travesties and trifling as almost necessarily characterize all at tempts to personate Scripture characters, and illustrate Scripture story by living tab leaux, must have this effect, we hardly think can long be doubted by any one who will take the trouble to observe, and seriously reflect on the subject. If such performances are of questionable propriety, aud if the moral effect of them is even doubtful in its nature, this is enough to deny them the auspices and en couragement of the Church. The fact that such entertainments are given in aid of Church funds, so far from sanctifying, and purging them from evil that would otherwise attach to them, it seems to us, invests them with the additional harmfulness of f urnishing opportunity to Church members to delude themselves with the thought that they can sacrifice acceptably to God with blemished offerings that cost them nothing. We have given our views on tins subject from a sense of du'y. knowing at the same time, that some whom we delight to honor as conscientious and useful Christians, see no harm in these things and approve and promote them. We would not impugn their piety, nor question fora moment their sin cerity and devotion. There are those, we doubt not. entertaining adverse views from ours on this subject, whose shoe latchets we are not worthy to loose. Yet, we cannot but think they are in error ; and we would rejoice iftheycould be prevailed on to refuse their cooperation i:i oricfluer.ee to. entertainments and methods of raising Church money, which have not the unqualified approbation of the Church at large. We may be in error as to the extent of evil involved in such matters as are deprecated by our correspondent’s questions; we cannot be mistaken in our convictions that they are repugnant to the genius of Methodism, if they are not viola tive of the letter of its law. A GOOD MOVE. The ladies of Mulberry Street Church, Ma con, have organized, under encouraging aus pices. a Woman’s Missionary Socie'v ; ■ ini>-s to boro-v.e a power for not oil’* : idln? ’o ■be work ■ A SORE LOSS. We were startled aud pained beyond ex pression this morning—our publication day —by the announcement of the death of Dr. Osborn L. Smith. A telegram, which is all the information received up to our time for going to press, was received last evening, the 24th, by his brother, Dr. C. W. Smith, of Wesleyan Female College, announcing his death and summoning the latter immediately to Oxford. As there was no information of previous illness, we take it for granted that his death must have been instantnueoua. We record this painful item with emotions of peculiar sorrow. Dr. Smith was one whose loss will be deeply felt by the Church, and whose death creates vacancies which will net be easily filled. With pulpit qualifications of a high order, he was peculiarly, we might say preeminently, fitted by natural endow ments and scholastic culture for the educa tional and religions training of youth; so that his life-work has been, at the mandate of the Church, divided between the pastorate and the Professor's chair. In each position he acquitted himself with unimpeachable fidel ity, and whether in the pulpit or the lecture room, his work demonstrated him ‘' a work man that needeth not to be ashamed.” The social qualities of our now glorified brother were of the most engaging’type, and drew to him hosts of devoted friends. We doubt if there is administer in Georgia whose death would bring the sorrow of personal bereave ment to a greater number of hearts. With a genial disposition, a warm, loving, getter ous heart, a fertile mind and fluent longue, and an inexhaustible store of rich, pellucid humor, his attractiveness was never long in transforming casual acquaintances into life long friends. Wherever he was personally known the shadow of a deep sorrow will come with the announcement of his death. He has (alien, midway the match of life, ere yet he had reached the zenith of his strength. We cannot understand ; but with bowed bear’s, we can confide in the unerring wis dom and abounding love of Him who has thus suddenly summoned His servant to the skies, and with unutterable sympathy com mend to His compassion and care the stricken ones who realize life’s most poignant aor row in this dispensation. MARVIN MEMORIAL. We copy the communication from the Nashville Christian Advocate : Mr. Editor:— I am requested by Bishop Marvin’s family to say, as their pastor, that thev are not in destitute circumstances so as to be objects of charity, nor have thev con sented to be so represented before the Church. To this I would add, as one of the Execu tive Committee of the Marvin Memorial As sociation, that in the appeal made t) the Church by said Association this point was carefully guarded. The objects of this As sociation were appropriately and designedly stated to be a monument first, and then a home, thereby indicating that the latter, as well as the former, was to be regarded as an expression solely of esteem for Bishop Mar vin, and gratitude for his services, aud not as au act of charity to his family. The family. I have reason to believe, would feel no humiliation in consenting to accept such a tribute to the Bishop’s memo ry. The gentlemen placed in charge of this matter, by the Association, are fully aware of Bishop Marvin’s simplicity of character and taste, and will be guilty of no ostenta tion or extravagant expenditure of money upon the proposed monument. The papers of our Church are requested to publish this. J. G. Wilson. St. Louis, Mo., Dec. 29, 1877. Death oe Rev. Z. D. Cottrell —The fol lowing touching note informs us of the death of a most exemplary and useful maD. The surviving brother aud daughter have our sin cerestcondolence and sympathy: Russellville, Ky., Jan. 18, 1878. Dear Doctor: A letter from my neiee, Miss Ida Cottrell, tells me of the death of my .'- Rag Z. t) Gpttrell. in SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE. Fishburne. I will not widow Claudia, for I do not intend to shoot at him. “ W. S. H.” He kept his word, and only fired his pistol into the air as he fell mortally wounded an der the well directed fire of Fishburne. Fishburne and his party went away ; the dying man was hauled to a hospital in Sa vannah, where he died on the Tuesday after. We have seen a quotation from a sermon of Chiliingsworth’s, before Charles 1., that fits this case and every case like it: “Howl a man’s blood for an injurious, passionate speech—for a disdainful look? Nay, that is not all: that thou mayest gain among men the reputation of a discreet, well temnered murderer, be sure thou killest him not in passion, when thy blood is hot and boil ing with the provocation; but proceed with as great temper and settledness of reason, with as much discretion and preparedness as thou wouldst to the communion: after several davs’ respite, that it may appear it is thy reason guides thee, and not thy passion, ine vite him kiudly and courteously into com retired place, and there let it be determined whether his blood or thine shall satisfy the injury.” So many great people have been mixed up in duels and so many small people are so touchy on the subject, that men sometimes express themselves rather mildly and eu pheumistically, and speak of an “ affair of honor,” and such like. The prophet says : “ Woe unto them that call good evil, and evil good,” It is an affair of dishonor. It is murder—pure and simple. This killed man was murdered ; the killer is a murderer And these “seconds” are parti ceps criminis. The victim’s blood cries against them also. If this killing of Harley was not murder, what is murder? If killing a man “with malice aforethought ;” if killing a man in cold blood and deliberately, can constitute murder, Harley was murdered. Unless his acceptance of a challenge, his agreeing to be shot at, can repeal all laws that forbid man killing—both human and divine. Suppose they had fired simultaneously and both men had fallen ? Then there would have been two murdered men aud two murderers. Suppose that Harley had fired at Fishburne and miss ed? Then there would have been one mur dered man, one murderer, and one man who attempted to commit murder. Unless, some one can prove that the sending of a challenge and the accepting of a challenge has some mysterious power which can, as to the prin cipals and their seconds, repeal all laws that are enacted for the protection of life and the peace of the country. The papers sometimes bring their articlea and items into singular relations. The At lanta Constitution, in its issue of Wednes day, the lOtb, contains over a column, copied from the S ivatmah Mews, giving minute de tails of the quarrel, the meeting, the princi pits, their seconds, the shooting, the result The hotel where they spent the night before the meeting is given. This minute account is followed by a telegram from Savannah which read as follows : Savannah, January 15.—W.S. Harley died to day. The coroner’s jury returned a ver dict that the deceased came to his death from a gunshot wound inflicted by some person unknown to the jury.” No doubt in as large a place as Savannah a jury might be brought together that would not know anything—although published in the papers and talked of on the streets. But what sort of a coroner’s jury is this? Wbat is a coroner for? “Coroner” is from the La'in corona, crown. Hence, one writer says: “ I take that this cometh because that the death of every subject by violence is account ed to touch the crown of the prince, aud to be a detrimentunto it.” So the coroner, in a true and important sense, represents the crown, the majesty of the State. If this Savannah coroner knew what he wns about and was sincere in his efforts to represent in a fitting manner the dignity of the State of der Recollections oflrene Mscgillicuddt— Part ii; French Home Life—No. 1. Rel g ion ; Schools of Mind and Manners ; Trans lations from Heine. The Fall of Plevna: Peace or War; The Storm in the East —Part viii. Harper’s Magazine, for February con tains besides, the regularly well filled de partments, aud elegant illustrations : Along our.lersey Shore ; The Fieschi Conspiracy; A Return — A Poem ; Punished Enough—A Story; The Dumnow Flitch, 1877 ; Joseph Mallord William Turner; Macleod of Dare —A Novel; The Return of the Novel; The Turkish Wars with the Hospi talers; A Glimpse at Some of our Charities —Parti; Nobody’s Business —A Story; A Painter on Painting. Scribner’s Monthly. —The number for February, which is called by the publishers the “Mid winter Scribner,” and of which 100.000 copies have been issued, is excep tionally brilliant, bo'h in the profnsion of its illustrations aud the excellence of its let ter-press. Among the most noticeable ar tides are: Moose Hunting; A California Mining Camp; Recent Church Decoration ; Hamming Bird of the California Water- Falls; The New Rudder Grange; Washing ton’s Only Sister; The College Rank of Dis tinguished Men. The serials by Miss Traf ton and Eiward Eggleston are continued, and the publishers announce for new sub seribers, a pamphlet containing the previous installments of “Roxy,” and the two Rud der Grange stories heretofore published. Dr. Holland has a forcible word to say about Church debts, “in his Topics of the Time.” ‘.‘l NEVER WISHED FOR S2O,OOOuSO JIL’Cil IX 31V LIFE.’* A few weeks before Bishop Marvin’s death, he uttered these words. But the good man died poor,leaving however, a name which no millionaire can purchase with all his wealth. He did not wish for this amount, because he saw a fine opening in stocks, or because he wished to move into a more fashionable street in St. Louis. But he saw a field of religious effort, in which, he be lieved the amount could be well invested. When money can be made so useful, the& is responsibility somewhere, for its being hoarded in “infamously large, unproductive piles.” That expression of the deceased Bishop, came to mind just now. as we looked over a paragraph, ou the first page of a book, which we have just read aud re-read with nnusuallinterest. Mr. H- nry N. Sage, of Brooklyn, in 1871, gave to Yale College 1 the sum of ten thous and dollars for the founding of a Theological Lectureship.” This amount enables the College to secure each year, a course of lec tures, by a minister of the gospel, qt_any evangelical denomination who has been markedly successful in the special work of the Christian ministry.” Drs. Hall, and Tay lor of New York, and Dale of England have delivered, each, a course which has been published. The volume before us, consists of the lectures delivered in .1 auuary and Feb ruary, 1877, by Rev. Philips Brooks, the well known Episcopal minister of Boston. Perhaps, if I were a young minister, I might not see all in this book, that I can now see But if I did, it would probaly cost me some sleepless hours. It is emphatically a wise book. The library of Harvard College would not have enabled a man to write these lec tures. They bear the inimitable stamp o’ experience. Mr. Brooks has a large heart, and if you could strip him of his gown, his ordination, and his title Rev. he would still be a large, well rounded, wise and earnest man. We have written off some simple, disconnected sentences, which we hope, may furnish matter for thought to the readers of the Advocate. After writing them, we nicked nn the The sermon which only argues is almost sti r e to argue in vain, and the sermon which only exhorts, is like a man who blows the wood and coal, to which he has not first put a light. According to the largeness of your own Caristirn life, will be your power to preach that laigest sermon. If you have anything to say. and say it bravely and simply, men will come to hear you. Many a minister’s old sermons, are scat tered all over with ideas, which he never held, but which once held him for a week, like the camps in other men’s fores’s, where a wandering hunter ba3 camped for a single night. He must not. be always trying to make sermons, but always s. eking truth, and out of the truth which he hua won, the sermons will make themselves. Some truth which oue has long known, stirred to peculiar activity by something that has happened, or by contact with some other mind, makes the best sermon ; as the best dinner comes not from a hurried raid upon the caterer’s, but from the resources of a constantly well furnished house. Comsjwnbeita. THE NASHVILLE PREACHERS’ MEET ING. Mr. Editor: One muddy, misty, murky, moody Monday morning, many Methodifct ministers met in the mission room of the Publishing House in the city of Nashville, Tennessee, and tlii< Easy Chair found itself cosily seated in their midst., ail rockers and pars—specially ears, to near the wise and witty words of this grave body of divines. It. was a Preachers’ Meeting; now, the Preach jers’ Meeting has become an institution fo modern Methodism, and mod-rn Methodism may be as good as ancient Methodism with the Preachers’ Meeting thrown iu. What w’uM Boston be without its Preachers’ Meet ing? How soon the everlasting fires of old abolitionism would go out. in that valley of H inn on but for the Preachers’ Meeting? And New York, with it Wall Street gamblers, its Tweeds, Beechers and Fro h,oghams ! How could they be reminded of the tires that are never quenched and the worm that never dies, but for the Preachers’Meeting ? In deed, a Preachers' Meeting §is a very useful institution in a variety of ways. Every re spectable city bliouid have one, and no city can afford to have more than one. In this respect Nadiville i.s not a whit behind Bos ton, New York, Cincinnati, St. Louis, or any other first class city. The Preachers’ Meeting, as such, is not a special city luxu ry. It is rather a necessity of Monday morn ing. Our mothers used to tell us, that “necesfity is the mother of invention ;” and any we!! conditioned Preachers’ Meeting can answer to this motherly condition of necessi ty. And our fathers told us, that “necessi ty knows no law.” This, too, may be af firmed of a well-regulated Preacher’s Meet ing. So the Easy Chair can easily believe. The “beloved Presiding Eider,” the city and country pastors ol the Nashville District, visitors, loafers and beggars, made up the Preachers’ Meeting in which the Easy Chair sat on the morning referred to. There were old and young preachers, bearded and beard less preachers ; big heads aud bald heads : long heads aud level heads; wise and witty preachers; good preachers and preachers not so good ; Bishops, Secretaries, Editors, Agents, etc., in the perspective o c the Easy Chair. The aforesaid Preachers’ Meeting had. for some time, it appears, been ham mering away at the Ritual of the Church — that is, had opened a tinker's shop And why may not a Preachers’ Meeting go into the tinkering business? And why may it not tinker at the Ritual? Now, it. is con ceded that every Church should have a Ritual; and every Ritual should need tinker ing if it wan'd make tpc Mae.Ju^ House. Dec. 31st, 1877, called themselves the Preachers’ Meeting of the Nashville Dis trict, but there being no quorum present they proceeded to adjourn and did adjourn ; part of the assemby retiring and part remaining. Dr. McFerrin was present during this meet ing but was not a part of the assembly. He neither spoke nor was spoken to, and knew not when nor how the assembly had assem bled. Ten minutes later the Secretary en tered accompanied by brothers Bolton, Briusfield, Doss, Martin, Leftwich, Cherry, Matthis and others. The President informed the meeting that there would be no meeting, because the meeting had adjourned, and proceeded to read to the meeting whicli had been adjourned, the statutes of the State of Tennessee, on the marital relation, which was commented on by the brethren.” Thus endeih the reading. Tha scribe's witticisms will not sparkle outside of the Preachers’ Meeting as they did ou the insid" until this Easy Chair came near being upset. It will be seen that the work on the marriage ceremony is not complete. Work was sus pended ou this job until the aforesaid bach elor could go to see his moth ;r, and, pns ,i b!y, his prospective mother in law. After his return the job will be completed ; and after the marriage ceremony will come the “baptism of infants,” followed shortly by the “funeral service ” ar.d so on with the entire ritual of the Church. This work i.s intended to aid the Commit tee on Revisals at, the General Conference soon to meet in Atlanta. Much of it is wise ly done, and in addition to the social cheer that it sends into the preacher's heart cn a blue Monday morning, it furnishes something useful upou which to exercise his critical gifts and logical graces, quickened by th” experiences of bis pastoral work in the uses of the ritual. Afier the ritual is finished the Sunday school methods, the Advocates the Publishing House, the Episcopacy and anything else that nee Is revising may be passed through this reformatory, or tink ering establishment, where the very best tinkers are always on hand, and the best work can be done in that particular line — which is a specialty—and at the lowe it rates. The establishment being fuliy endorsed and recommended to the public by the Easy Chair. MARIETTA, GEORGIA. Dear Bro. Kennedy : I do not write to report receptions, donations, etc., for yon have tabooed them —whether wisely or un wisely, I cannot tel], for it is a matter that has not cost me much thought—but to speak of the town and Church for edification ol such of your readers as may be interested in our common Methodism, or in Marietta in particular, and, that something explanatory may be said of myself. The last shall be first. For once iu 23 years I felt constrained to request a change of appointment after the appointments were read out, as we say. I have interposed ob jection twice before to appointments that, rumor, or some leaky brother, intimated that I was to receive. I never asked a Bishop or presiding elder where my appointment would be since I have been an itinerant, and but twice have I ever intimated more than this : “I am a one-year man, don’t send me back.” But lk ; s time I did seek a change of appoint merit for good reasons, and did not get it because, as it now appears, God’s hand wt.s iu my coming to Marietta. leant explain, my brethren will believe me, that I never would have sought a change, had I not believed it a necessity. But lam here, and here to stay, unless it becomes necessary to remove me, or unless the hand of death be laid upon me. lam au itiner ant, and am a Methodist preacher, ask for no favor personalty, am willing to go any- was worth more than can be computed to this Church and community, has passed away. Reference is made, it need not be said to those who know Marietta, to Mrs. Mildred J. Waterman. “The weary wheels at length stood still.” He life was faith and hops and charity, her end was peace, quiet ness and assurance. A large concourse gath ered a! the Methodist Church, on Sabbath afternoon, to honor her remains with funeral rites, lhe Presbyterian and Baptist pas tors, Bro. Richardson, for it was his quar terly meeting day, and her pastor, all took part in the solemn, sad, yet joyful services. She had lived well, she had lived long, she had died in the faiLlt— we wept, but we also rejoined. But I must not anticipate her obituary which Bro. W. F. Cook will pre pare and send to yon. And now, let me close this long, rambling, disconnected epistle, with the request that, should the editors of the Advocate travel in this direction, thev will tarry long enough to know Marietta for themselves, to share the hospitality of its Lesters, Phillipses, and others. Your brother, H. J. Adams. 1 was surprised and gratified to find sister E. H. Myers, and her kind family residents of Marietta and members of my charge. CHURCH PAPERS AND THEIR CIRCU LATION. Mr. Editor : Dr. Haygood, in a recent number of the Advocate gave some very pertinent fan’s and figures concerning the circala’ion of Church literature Norlh and South. In point of figures the Southern Church does not make a vary fair showing ft would be well for the newspaper men to look to the bottom of this question, inas much as the General Conference is approach ing, at which our Onurch literature will doubtless receive a general discussion, and some changes may be made. Well, why are not our papers taken by our own people? It may be that they are too poor, or that they have acquired no taste for reading; or, pirhaps, agents and circulars and premiums aud club rates and chromos are wanting. Or, perchance, many of oar people, good simple minded farmers as they are, make up their minds that certain papers are poor, and hive bat. little iu them, and as soon as their tine is out they quit. Then they either take no paper at all, ar take one that suits their tastes better. Of course we all know hotv to make readable papers aud magazines. Nothing easier. Just make your paper like- —— and your magazine like . then the subscribers will come in by the fcore. It has been suggested by one who has nev er spent a whole day in an editor's sanctum that the great need of our Southern Church is about the following : Let 113 have one or gan, a Church paper, which shall be made equally attractive to the reader in Maryland and Texas, to the grave Professor aud the humble mechanic or farmer. Rile out all reports and news of a local nature, all obitu ary notice.? ; in fact everything which is not of general interest. Have something for every body, but. do not inflict on the readers in Virginia a whole page of reports from the Missouri Conference, That will kill any paper, if not the readers. After the Church paper is established, let each Conference, or two adjoining Confer ences, have its own paper. In that, local news could be inserted. Space could be given for short reports as to the progress of various charges. Church work in detail coaid bs discussed. It might ba permissi ble now and then for the junior preacher to see hi/nseltin print there. A hundred things, not to he allowed in the Church orgau, could come up in the Conference paper. Rule out from this paper only long editorials "j and obitu iry notices. VOLUME XLI., NO. 4. Numerous other modes of procedure are ex tant, all illegal, which might serve to show the enormous proportions of this trouble, but I forbear. Brethren, 1 have been “ perplexed,” aud almost “ in despair,” or I would not have written, in the face of my chronic dread of getting into the wrong place. I find, furthermore, that there are some eccentrics and cams in our ritualism, where the movements should be regular and uni form. I was accused last year of departure from the ritual of our Church, to my great surprise, and mortification, too, for the im pression that I had done so wounded the feelings of some parties concerned in trans action referred to. In conversation with a young man who was of sufficient intelligence to be con sidered a representative man in the com munity, I found that he, as well as a num ber of others, had viewed my course as an irregular one, simply because two or three pastors at that place had pursued a different one, and thereby established a precedent, which they thought legal. On this, 7 may have erred, but felt sure I was right then ; aud if I am wrong, I want to be set right, anfP therefore state the case : I extended tberight hand of fellowship myself, as agent for the Church, while my predecessor had called up on the eutire membership of the Church. Then someone, entertaining bad feeling to ward that community of brethren, told those whom I had received in this way, that I did it because the Church refused to fellowship them. Hence the trouble, aud discussion of the subject. Now, which of us must come to the book ? Robt. P. Maktyn. Varnell's, Ga,, Jan. 22, 1878. SOME PLAIN QUESTIONS. Editor Advocate : Is it right to make stage plays of Bible scenes ? Is it not taking too great a liberty with sacred things? Does it not show a want of proper reverence for such things? or is not likely tc detract from that reverence which is usually attached to and natural to feel for the Word of God and lhe doings and sayings of our Lord Je sus Christ? Can the avowed or actual pur pose of obtaining means to promote Church finances (no mat’er how needy) be a justifia ble cause for resorting to the making of a concert, or public entertainment, of the para bles of Christ? Can it be that any poor hu man creature by stage-acting, />r any means of imitating, can make these teachings of the Son of God more impressive or better under stood than He did ? Is not such a sugges tion, or attempt, an insult to God himself? Did not Christ give the lessons and appoint Hi3 ministers to teach and explain them to the people, aud do not these duties devolve upon the ministry rather than upon stage performers or concert players? Is it not setting a bad example when mem bers of the Church—especially the Method ist Church—commend such things? Will not the ungodly world catch at the idea at once, if it seems likely to “pay,” and will not the sacred scenes of the Bible be dragged into theatres, common plays, aud even the concerts of the circus? And is there any Christian man or woman who can contem plate such a thing for a moment without a shudder of horror? While these people can, of course, if they choose, at any time so use these holy things, yet, let it be repeated, are not members of the Church assuming a grave responsibility when they set the example? Is not such a beginning but a step toward a worse ending ? Have not the Roman Catholics, and iu some parts the Episcopalians, invaded with irreverent hands the sacredness of the Cru cifixion itself, and hoisted before the gaze of an eager crowd a man bound hand and foot tortures