The working Christian. [volume], August 12, 1869, Image 2

About The working Christian. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1869-1877

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■ SAYINGS AND DOINGS.
— The eclipsing of another’s sun will nol
make ours shine the brighter. > -
— To neglect the race of holiness is to rejccl
the prize of happines.
— He is not only idle who doee nothing, but
he is idle who might be better employed.
— Binful security is the forerunner of sudden
destruction to nations, as well os to families
and individuals. ....
— He that cannot find enough in Christ for
a day, how can he expect to find enough in
hini for eternity ? . _ ^
— Dinner on the Sabbath is a full-dress
affair, and the conversation is just as worldly
as usual.—Brooklyn Monthly.
— Sinner! can you endure that “furnace of
fire” which “shall not be quenched night or
•lay,” and whose smoke “shall go up forever?”
— Actions are immortal '; and our deeds
now and their deservings hereafter must be
the twin companions that shall walk in ctcr
— Among the most striking remarks of Dr.
Peters on his death bed was: I never regret
anything that I had deliberately determined
upon as my duty in the circumstances.
— “He who has other graces, without hu
mility, is like one who carries a box of pre
cious powder without a cover on a windy
— Idleness is the very rust and canker of
the soul; the devil’s cushion; his very tide
time of temptation, wherein he carries without
contradiction the current of our affection to
:uiy cursed sin.”
— “If I’m not home from the party to-night
at ten o'clock,” said a husband to his letter
and bigger half, “don’t wait for me.” “That
I won’t,” said the lady,significantly; “I won’t
wait, but I’ll come' for you.” lie returned at
ten precisely.
— “I won’t die now,” cried a young lady,
when she felt the pangs of death getting hold
upon her. But, as they increased, and she
saw there was no way of escape, and that,
whether willing or not, she must die, she cried
out, “Lord! what must I do ?" and fell back
in death.
— Over an old hoitae in Cheshire, England, |
built iu 1636, is this inscription: “Flores'si
seirea ununi tun tempora mensem ; rides cum
non scis si sit forsitan unadics”—“You would
weep if you , knew that your life was limited
to one month; yet you laugh while you know
not but that it may Ik* restricted to one day.’’
— Mr. Hervey culled to see a dying man,
who thus gave utterance to the deep sorrows
of his soul: “I see a horrible night approach
ing, bringing with it the blackness of darkness
forever. Woe is me! When God called,!
refused. Now I am in sore anguish, and yet
this is but the beginning of sorrows I’shall
lie destroyed with an everlasting destruction.’’
— “Christ did not gain one perfection more
by becoming man, nor could lie lose anything
of what He possessed ns God. The almighti
ncss of God now moved in a human arm ; the
infinite love of God now boat iu a human
heart; the unbounded compassion of God I"
sinners now glistened in a human eye ; God
was love before; but Christ was now love,
covered over with flesh.”—McVheyne.
— It was a source of much trouble to some
fish to see thnt the lobsters swam backward
instead of forward. They, therefore, called a
meeting, and it was voted to open a class for
their instruction, which was done, and a num
ber of young lobsters came; for the fish grave
ly argued, that if they commenced with the
young ones, ns they grew up they would learn
to swim aright. At first they did very well,
but afleward, when they returned home, and
saw their fathers and mothers swimming in
the old way, they soon forgot their lessons.
So, many a child, well-taught at school, is
drilled backward by a bad home influence.
— In a commercial crisis manhood at a
greater discount than funds are. Supposing
a man had said to me last spring : “If there
comes a pinch in your affairs, draw on me for
ten thousand dollars”—the man said so last
spring, but 1 should not dare to draw on him
this fall. I should- snv: “Times have
changed; he would not abide by it.” But
God's promises “are from everlasting to over
lasting,” and he always stands up to them.
There never was a run on heaven widen was
not promptly met. No creature in all the
world, or in lying, audacious hell, shall ever
say that he drew a draft upon heaven, and
that God dishonored it.
— A celebrated und faithful preacher, in a
charge which he delivered to a young minis
ter at his ordination, thus addressed him:
“Let me remind you, sir, that when you come
into this place, nnd address this place, you
are not to bring yonr little self with you. I
repeat this again, sir, that I may more deeply
Impress your memory; I say, that you arc
never to bring your little self with you. No,
sir; when you stand in this sacred place, it is
your duty to hold up your great Master to
your people, in His character, in His offices,
in His precepts, in His promises and in His
glory. This picture you are to hold up to
the view of vour hearers, while you are to
stand behind it, and not let so much as your
little finger be seen.”
__A consumptive disease seized the eldest
son and heir or the Duke of Hamilton, which
ended in his deuth. A little before his de
parture from tho world, he took his Bible
from under his pillow, and opened it at the
passage, “I have fought a good fight, I havo
finished my course, 1 have kept the faith;
henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righto)us
Judge, shall give me at that day; and not to
me only, but unto all them also that love His
As death approached, lie called
his younger brother to his bedside, and, ad
dressing him with the greatest affection and
seriousness, closed with these remarkable
word*: “And now, Douglas, in a little time
you’ll be a Duke, but I shall be a King.
— Many conversions are gpurious, it is evi
dent, beeflTise the so-called converts do not
l^bcnt of their sins. They have no godly
—no deep, sincere sorrow, because of
their transgressions. They never exclaim,
like Paul, “O wretched man that I am! who
shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
Rom. vii: 24. They never cry out, like
David “Mine iniquities are gone over mine
head • as a heavy burden, they are too heavy
for me ’’ You never hear anything like this
bearing would seem to indicate that the;
think they are conferring a great favor upoi
the Almighty. They go forward for prayei
and perhaps kneel; hat never manifest ii
any way the earnestness of a sofil to be deliv
ered from the danger of hell. Where the;
have, wronged others, they make no restitii
tion.’ A few prayers are offered for them, in
tergperscd, if they are persons of wealth o
position, with compliments; they “feel better,’
join the church, sleep on With others, am
finally wake up in hell. -
THURSDAY MORNING, AUGUST 12, 1801)
TKRMH-IN ADVANCE.
One Copy, One Year,.-.• 2 0(
Five Copies, One Year,.,...... 11 2i
Ten Copies,.....i.... 20 0(
pin An extra copy will is) given to the perftot
sending ten names, aocompanietl by tiio money.
.pi}- The Working Christian amt the York
vu.lk Enquirer—a largo and elegant l'umilj
weekly newspaper—will he sent one year for $5
The price of the Enquirer alonois Throe Dollars
$30- A limited number of unobjectionable ad
vertisements will Is) inserted at moderate rates.
pi}~ All communications should lx) addresses
to the “Working Christian,” Yorkvillc, S. C
Money sent in Registered Letters will be at
our risk ; Imt the person sending must pay the ex
penses of registration.
PREMIUMS.
In order to reward persons who muy bo dispos
ed to procure subscribers for The Working
Christian, wo oiler the following Premiums,
which will 1)0 awarded to the persons entitled te
them, on the first day of October next:
To the person sending us the largest list of sub
scriliers—with the money—at Two Dollars for
each name, we will give Adam Clark's Comm en
ta hi Es on all of the Bible except the Pentateuch,
(4 volutiios—leather lioutul—good second hand;)
or Meander's Church History, (4 volumes) or
Mosm km's Church History, (3 volumes—leath
er bound.) Any of the above works is worth $10.
To fhe i«'rson sending us the' second largest list
of subscribers, at. the same rates, we will give a
copy of Krrro’s Illustrated History of the
Hi ill.e; or a copy of "If AND WRITING of Con,”
(Randall's Travels in Egypt, Sinai, and thn Holy
Land) cither, worth Five Dollars.
To the iH'rson sending us the third largest list oi
names, with the money, we will give the History
of the Reformation, by D’Aubigne, (3 volumes
in two), or Dago's Theology. (2 volumes) or a
eopy of Hodge's Outlines of Theology, Jose
phus’ Works, or Frost's Lives of Eminent
Christians, any one of which is worth at least
Three Dollars. The aliove hooks are already on
hand.
All persons who got subscribers must send the
names and the money as soon as obtained, and we
promise to keen n correct list of names sent by
each person. The contestants for the prizes, may
send in names until the (irstday of October, when
the prizes will l»e awarded to the successful con
tastants.
p&n No names will be entered unless accompa
nied by the money.
PRINTERS WANTED.
Two sober and industrious Compositors are
wanted, to whom constant employment will be
given, and wages paid punctually. Apply to
L. M. Crist, Publisher.
A RELIABLE AGENT.
We call attention to the “Compound Fluid’’
advertised in this number. The agent is
Rev. 8. Head, favorably known as a Baptist
minister and a good man.
THE BAPTIST.
This paper will be suspended until the 1st
of September, the editor feeling the need of
some rest from his editorial labors and finding
it necessary to make arrangements for having
his children, who were scattered after the
death of their mother, brought home.
OCR EXCHANGES.
We receive the following religious exchanges
and give them u hearty welcome:
Biblical Recorder, Christian Index, The
Baptist, Religious Herald, National Baptist,
Christian Era, Burke’s Weekly, Christian
Advocate, Kind Words, Home and Foreign
Journal, Central Presbyterian, Zion’s Advo
cate, and The Message.
CHESTERVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH.
We aro pleased to learn that a pleasant
meeting is in progress at this Church and that
there have been several additions. Brother
Hinton the pastor has been assisted by two
or three of bis ministering brethren. Brother
Dargan who spent a week, in ministerial
labors, among the people, (of Chesterville)
lms returned home. We hope brother Hin
ton will (when he has opportunity) give ns
particulars connected with the meeting.
THE BAPTIST QUARTERLY FOR JULY.
The following is the table of contents : 1.
Ebrard’s View of Baptism, by Prof. G. I.
Bliss, D. I).; 2. Goethe’s Faust, by Prof.
John L.Lincoln; 3. Protestantism as a Fact
and a force, by J. A. Smith, D. I).; 4. Cramp’s
History, by Prof. H. Osgood, D. D.; 5. Royal
and Revolutionary Spain, by Rev. L. E.
Smith; <5. Ancient Baptisteries, by R. G.
Hatfield; 7. Excgetioal Studies; 8. Notices
of Books; 8. Intelligence. •. ' ’ • ,
Under the head of lixegetieal Studies we
find an article from Rev. Dr. Broadus of our
State. It is entitled—“Style of Mnrk, xvi:
9-20, as bearing upon the question of its gen
uineness.” . - • • ■ - ; •
We can heartily recommend the Quarterly
and would be pleased to number it among
our exchanges. ' -
, r .books"foiTministers.
Rev. S. Landrum, D. D., of Savannah, Ga.,
has in his charge the library of n deceased
Baptist minister, which library is for sale.
He is authorized to sell the books at one
third of what they can be bought for, at the
North—transportation expenses not included.
We have two reasons for1 making this
known: one is that those who need the books
and purchase will be doing a good act to the
widow of the deceased; the other is, that as
the books are sold so cheaply, tho purchasers
will themselves be gainers.
We know that some of our ministers would
be glad to increase their stock of books, if
they could do so without much expense,
Many of the works are 'rheological There
are also Classical, Literary and Scientific
i works in the Library. • ‘ -it
f Persons (whether ministers or not) desiring
1 information will receive it, by addressing &
> letter to this office and enclosing the necessary
1 return .postage. We cannot send a catalogue,
r as it would be too great a draft cm our time
. to transcribe it, but we Can inform any person
- desiring a particular -book, whether it is in
f the library. v,
1 A LETTER FROM BARNWELL.
Dear Bro.: J have received several copies
! of the first and second Issue of your paper,
and after perusal, can truly say, they well
merit the title of “Working Christian,” and
well deserve the early and faithful support of
every Baptist family in South Carolina. I
am sparing no time in exhibiting your paper
and hope ill a few weeks to add to your list a
number of names.
' lam preaching to four churches in Barn
I well County, viz: Blackville, Long Branch,
Rosemary, and Joiee’s Branch. We have
large congregations nud interesting Sunday
Schools at each Church. We have also de
cently organized a Sunday School A ssociation'
that I think will add much to this great
Church auxiliary in our midst I hope ere
long the Baptists of this State will co-operate
in forming a Sunday Sehool State Convention,
and by this means succeed in furthering this
noble and important field of Christian work.
Your dear paper is welcomed as a kiwi visi
tor and I think fills a vacancy that has, with
hut short intervals, been sadly felt in this
State for years. . - .
Accept my wishes for your success iu this
new sphere of Christian industry.
Yours truly, F. J. SANDERS.
A LETTER FROM TENNESSEE.
Dear Bro. Gaines: I have received the 4th
number of your new paper, “The Working
Christian.” I have read it carefully ami with
deep interest—interest, because of our brief,
but, to me, interesting acquaintance in Macon,
Ga., during the session of the late S. B. Con
vention ; and again, because the reading itself
was interesting.
If this he a fair sample of what the paper is
to be in the future, then you should be en
couraged in the undertaking, and the Baptists
in geueral, but those of South Carolina in par
ticular, should hasten to your rescue and save
you from the fate of many of your predeces
sors.
A “working Christian! A very rare th mg
in the year of our Lord 1869.
O that we had more of them! can you, my
brother, by some magic stroke of your pen
editorial, make such Christians. If so, more
than God-speed to you in your work! We
have often been accused of making preachers.
That was and is untrue in the sense in which
it uas made. Hut still that is a muoh easier
task than to make a “working Chrstian.” A
preacher is one who discourses upon religious
subjects. A man may, and, no doubt often
does, do this without being a Christian. Such
a preacher might be man made. llut a “work
ing Christian,” who can make?
But what constitutes, or is necessary to a
“working Christian?” If we can ascertain
this fact—satisfactorily settle this question,
then, we shall be able, intelligently and prop
erly to determine whether an editor or any
one else can make such a man, or, rather, per
haps, make a man viieh.
At least two things are necessary. 1. Piety
is necessary. By piety I do not mean simply
conversion. This is essential to piety, but
piety, in the sense in which I use it, includes
much more than conversion. Many, truly
converted inen show but little piety. I mean
by a pious man, then, one who embodies in his
life and demonstrates the truth and power of
our holy religion in his conduct and character
while he sojourns upon'earth—a man who pos
sesses not only the negative, but the positive
character—not only refrains from doing evil,
but is always ready to do good. I mean, in
a word, a man who feels and acts like he be
lieved religion to be true, and that it was par
amount to everything else—one who rejoices
when the cause of Christ, prospers and weeps
when Zion languishes. But 2. You must have
with this piety, intelligence, in order to pre
sent to the world a “working Christian.”
Intelligent Christians arc fewer than pious
Christians. It is lamentably true that we
have very few such in the Baptist or any other
Church. . . • : c
To be intelligent, one should know vliat he
believes ; and be always nblcfto give an intel
ligent and sufficient reason why he believes it.
How few among our members can do this!
They join the church from no intelligent ap
prehension and conviction of the truth. They
joiu the Baptist or any other Church, not be
cause they have investigated and are convinced
that that Church is right and the other wrong
upon the points of difference, but from edit- J
cation, friendship interest or some other cause
aside from a conviction of truth. And thus
a large majority live and die in our Churches
without either knowing what they believe, or
being able to give a good reason why they be
lieve, ns they do. >
Piety—a deep ardent ]>iety—is the founda
tion; and intelligence—a knowledge of what
we believe and why we believe it—what is tq
be done, and how it is to be done is the power
which directs and controls the whole man in
his life of godliness and Christian usefulness.
Now, ray brother, would you be instrumen
tal—that is all you can be, in increasing the
number of .“working Christians ?” Then be
it your constant aim to promote true piety and
intelligence among the masses of our member
ship. For, rest assured, that just in propor
tion as you promote these, will you be success
ful in increasing the. numbor of “working
Christians.” ' A. VAN HOOSE..
P. S.—t thank you for this number of your
paper. It did me good, and I could not re
frain from writing you a very hasty and scat
tering letter. “• - ■ -* 1 A. V,
<fARE THE CATHOLIC’S COMIHCf^ -
It will bo remembered, that at the recent
meeting of the Baptist Convention of South
Carolina, Dr,. Winkler, in a speech on State,
Missions made some allusions to the great
efforts of the Catholics in. our State and the
dangerous progress they are^making. • The
next morning as I walked up the street in
Yorkville, I met at the hotel a brother from
North Carolina, who accosted me with the
qnestion, “Are the Catholics coming?” And
since then I have been thinking about his
question, and really am inclined to doubt
whether they ure making.such rapid progress
as some persons seem to think. Now all
that Dr. Winkler said on the subject is un
doubtedly true; but some of our brethren
(especially of the newspapers,) who have'
keener cars than the rest of us, already bear
the tramp of this terrible host, and through
the mist of the future they can see quite plain
ly the forms of heretics writhing in the agonies
of inquisitorial tortures. Such frightful pic
tures may do for some, but I must confess
that my weak nerves are not benefitted by a
view of them. That the number of Catholics
in this country has greatly increased in a few
years cannot be doubted. Prom a position
of insignificance and poverty, they have risen
to one of great respectability and wealth.
But while they have been growing, other folks
have been growing too. Ours is a growing
country and everything in it grows. Not a
great many years ago a few jiersous of the
poorer class of society, scattered here aud
there called themselves Baptists; and now
our denomination can claim, without boasting,
an amount of respectability and intelligence
Unsurpassed by any people in the land. Be
sides: in any comparison of the Catholics
with Protestants, it must be remembered that
the former have had a great advantage in
.the fact that considerable additions have been
made to our population from Catholics coun
tries, of those, who being already members of
that church have only swelled the number of
American Catholics, without adding anything
to the strength of the entire church. Upon
the whole then I do not think they are coming
in such terrible force as we might fear. It is
only necessary that Baptists do their duty,
and Ilomish superstition will pale and die,
before the bright light of pure gospel truth.
Upon uc rests the burden. If we sit with folded
arms, they will come like the locusts of Egypt
and devour the land. But if we show our
selves to be men equal to the crisis, and above
all, if, we keep the eye of faith fixed upon our
great Commander, our triumph is certain.
Let us not grow faint hearted then, nor
frighten ourselves by magnifying the power
of our enemies; but remembering that our
great Ally is mightier than all who may be
against us, let us take courage and boldly go
forward. Let Baptist institutions and organ
izations be sustained at all hazards. Let us
strive for more united effort, and we may soon
see tho huge monuments to superstition whose
proud steeples now rear their heads to the sky
all over our land, changed into decent houses
of worship, where a pure Christianity will be
taught, and the worship of the true God take
the place of idolatry. L. B.
Edgefield, Aug. 4th 180!). ; .. j
GREENVILLE CORRESPONDENCE.
Dear Brother Gaines:—A recent trip,
by private conveyance, to Yorkville, S. C.—a
distance of about eighty miles—impressed us
with the idearthat there is a want of energy
and enterprise among the people of the up
country. The roads, in many places, have
been neglected until they arc almost impassa
ble. For the most p. it, the buildings are old
and dilapidated, and the fences arc needing
repairs. Our route lay along the line of the
proposed Air-Line Rail Road, from Atlanta,
Georgia, to Charlotte, N. C., and doubtless the
completion of that road will change the ap
pearance of the country through which it
passes. ( It will infuse a spirit of energy and
enterprise into the people] and develop re
sources -of wealth and power, which havo for
ages lain dormant. We saw some school
houses and churches on the road, and in their
vicinity there were indications of energy,
wealth and culture, not perceptible in sections
more remote from them, thus illustrating the
truth, so often repeated, that education and re
ligion carry with them whatever dignifies and
ennobles human nature.
On our return, we spent a night at Lime
stone Springs, enjoying the generous hospital
ity of that excellent Christian ir»"*,cl,,an> Or. ;
Wm Curtis. Tt our first visit to this ;
well-known and deservedly popular institution
of learning, and though we had formed a most
favorable opinion of its attractions and the
facilities there afforded for the education—Of
young ladies, it is but just to say that rye
were in no sense disappointed."' ft is located
in a beautiful country, blest with pure air and
good water and iias aniple accommodations
for two hundred pupils or more. Dr. Curtis,
the Pripcipa], seems to us to be peculiarly veil
fitted, for the position he has so long held ns
«b instructor of the young, and we feel sure
that parents who have daughters to educate,
could not do better than to place them under
his charge at Limestone Springs.
' The end of our second day’s journey found
us at the residence of Brother Foster, who
gave us a Christian welcome. He is a good
Baptist, now past his three-score years and
ten, and though physically infirm he manifests
a deep interest in our denominational enter
prises. We left his home feeling very grate
ful for his kindness and hospitality.
F ther A. D. Phillips, returned Missiona
ry from Africa, is now with us. He spoke at
the prayer meeting on Thursday evening last,
and addressed the congregation last night in
behalf of Foreign Missions, in an impressive
manner, He addressed the colored people on
Friday evening, and made a good impression
i upon them.
^JfeBthcir WvIX Ujo.in^, our pastoL baptised
two yu^fuWdonvertS last Fridajr'nfternoon;
He left this morning on a Visit to ..Virginia."
..His place vrtll be supplied duriijg his absence,
"by the preachers residing here, .', ■ X. r
7 GaEf syim^k, 8. C., Aug. 2r 1880. *■ $
^
,-'A r'.i.
; ^ For tlie Wojklng Chriefian.
licentiates. *
In addition, to what was said at the Conveh*
tion on this subject, we would make some re-'
marks. The question is “are licentiates cler
gymen, or laymen/’- • >.i . -
■ It appears to us that this question may be
relatively considered. If there is a Church-in
which there are several licentiates, all of whom
preach somewhere, but none of whom preach
to the Church with which they are connected;
all of whom occasionally or frequently attend
the services of this Church, not assisting the
pastor, but taking just the same part that the
other members take, it would seem that as
they exercise it in no ministerial functions,
that they may be regarded as laymen, with re
spect to that particular Church; but these li
centiates are certainly ministers with respect
to those churches to which they preach, There
are some ordained ministers, members of some
large city Churches, who in these Churches
perform no'ministerial functions when present;
they perform those duties only that laymen
perform, not leading in any part of the ser
vices ; as far therefore as any ministerial work j
is concerned, they cannot be regarded as min- j
isters with respect to these particular Church- ]
es, and with respeefto these would come more
nearly to being laymen than ministers. Yet
these persons may have charge of Churches in
the country, or in some village or town out
side of these city Churches and not only preach
the Gospel, but baptize and administer the
communion. With respect to these Churches,
they are certainly ministers.
Iu the “Treatise on Church Discipline,”
(which work is appended to an American edi
tion of the London Baptist Confession of
Faith) in a “form of a license,” the Church
say, with reference to the candidate, that they
do not doubt, “but that in due time, circum
stances will lead on to a more full investiture
of him in the ministerial office, by ordination.”
In another place (No. 5.) under the heading
of “ministers” it is said—“After a licentiate
has been on trial a longer or shorter time, the
Church may proceed to invest him more fully
witli and confirm him in the ministerial office
by ordination.”
In the form for an ordination service under
the same heading, after the candidate has
satisfactorily answered the questions proposed,
one of the ordaining ministers says, “wTe feel
willing to proceed in setting you apart, by the
authority of God and this Church, more fully
to the important and most solemn work of the
ministry.”
In the certificate of ordination under the
same heading, the one holding this certificate
is said to be fully authorized to minister at
large in the Lord’s vineyard, wherever Di
vine Providence may direct his course and to
administer the special as well as more com
mon ordinances of the Gospel, on every proper
occasion.” -s >
We suppose that what we have quoted ex
presses the general sense of the denomination,
which we judge to he, that licentiates are min
isters ; they are licensed to preach the Gospel;
the expressions here used seem to show that
they are regarded as ministers before they are
ordained; for example, “more full investiture,
&c.” invest him more fully, &c.
Though we have said that the question may
be relatively considered, yet we may consider
the question in its broadest sense. What po
sition do licentiates occupy with respect to
mankind generally ? We answer; they are li
censed to preach with reference to the spiritual
condition of mankind generally. After they
are licensed, though there are times at which
and circumstances under which they do not
exercise their ministerial functions, (just as it
is the case sometimes with ordained ministers)
yet, if they exercise these fun tions wherever
in the providonce of God the way is opened
for this; if they do not lose sight of the object
with reference to which they are set apart;
it seems to us, that they are ministers. It is
certain that there is no half way ground be
tween ministers and laymen. When a church
gives a license to a particular memlier, she
gives authority to this member which she does
not give to others. After the license is given,
though it*- s, rint iv 'niemon' in common with
others, and bound to the performance of all
duties as others, (jj»fr as an ordained minister,
is) yet he po&r occupies a position different
from Others and has one work to perform, not
eofiimitted by the Church to-others, namely
the work of preaching,
As there can be no middle ground between
the minister and the layman, it seems to us,
that the question will be the same, if put in this
form : “are licentiates clergymen or not ?”
The question concerning the propriety of
our present system of licensing is another mat
ter. B. W. WHILDKN.
ror ins working Christian.
.% WORKERS OUT OF SEASON.
“May it pleaae your worships, these men
are great disturbers of the public peace; they
cannot meet, a man on the. road, but they
mast ram a text of scripture down his throat.”
This is truly Shakspearean, and sounds as if
k came from the great dramatist. It was
delivered in Virginia, and was the indictment
of the lawyer against three Baptist ministers,
who were arraigned before the Court, June 4,
1768, as disturbers of the public peace. Their
only offence was "preaching the Gospel, con
trary to law.” »•' f*
Our ancient brethren were zealous workers.
They would preach to the people ; and if put
in prison for it, as these men were, they
preached through the iron gratings of the
windows. Surely, in these (julet times, "with.
;ftone to molest or make us afraid, ministers
ought to labor more abundantly, “in season
'and out? of season.” Who is now accused of
ramming texts of- scripture down men’s
throats, in the public highway ? Is it becau^
we lack the zeal, which seeks every occasion
d(0 do.gOod? • • *
/ v , mm I ill t r—— -y ^ .
r *. ' For the YVotkinnChristian. f
r THE BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION.
■ Kmisvit.i.E, 8. C., Ang. 2, 1869.
Ho the Executive Board of the
' Baptist State Convention:
Dii.ut Brethren : In glancing over your
report for 1868, a conclusion forces itself up
on my mind, that the failure complained of a
rises, in a good degree, from two errors. The
first is, in sending out an agent or evangelist
alone. It is unscriptural. The great Mas
ter sent out his missionaries “two by two into
every city whither he himself should come.”
The great design of Christ doubtless was, that
they would not only be company to each oth
er in their labors and journeyings, but also
witnesses lor each other,“that in the mouth of
two or three witnesses every word should be
established.” The second error is that, the
Mission is too secular, embracing objects in
dispensable in their place, leaving the weighti
er matter uutouchcd; that of rousing the
churches from their slumbers and saving
souls. It i3 urged that the failure in carrying
out the glorious design of the Convention rests
upon the fact that the material aid requisite
for carrying out those important and interest-,
ing objects, has not been furnished by the
Denomination of the State. In view of these
embarrassments, sutler a Lay-Member, with
all due respect, to suggest the following plan,
as a basis of immediate action to your honor
able Board. -.
1st. Would suggest the divisions ol the
State into two districts—Upper and Lower.
Select the best ministerial talents to occupy
these districts; say two evangelists to each
division not lets, with instructions to visit the
desolations of Zion and to repair her waste
places; to urge a more extended effort in
missionary operations Educational interests
and Sabbath Schools. But great care must
be taken not to blend the secular with the
evangelical department. The success of the
former must necessarily be looked to, in the
glorious results of the latter. And for the
permanent occupancy of the State, would*
suggest the raising of four thousand dollars
($4,000) to carry out and sustain such enter
prise. The amount suggested, to be raised as
follows :
1st. Ascertain (if practicable) the number
of churches in the Htate^ Then open a cor
respondence with the Deacons of each, setting
forth the great and glorious design of the
Convention, and holding upas an inducement
to unity of effort in the good cause, the great*
blessings that must necessarily follow the pe
riodical visits of the evangelists; urge upon
each church the necessity of coming up to the
help of the Lord in an enterprise that has not
had, at least in these latter days, a precedent.
The amount required from each church as a
pro rata dividend, can be made known as soon
as the number of churches can be ascertained.
Those blessed with large hearts and strong *
hands, will not have to be prompted to aid the
feeble churches in their desolate and almost
forgotten relations.
- Lay Member.
. For tli« Working Christian.
unexpected testimony.
We find unexpected testimony to the posi
tion, that the word baptism does not signify
only to immerse,\n the last number of the Bap- ,
tiil Advocate. The Rev. Alexander Carson,
'LL. D., who had long been champion of the
Baptists, and a copious writer on the necessity
of immersion to the validity of baptism, re
cently died in England. One of his disciples
and admirers thus deplores his loss, in an Acros
tic, published in the Advocate last week:
“Nor does America refrain thy loss to mourn,
Deep iu thednst slicsits, her tears baptize thy urn.’*
It is really too bad, that a man who fought
so stoutly for immersion during his life-time,
should be baptized by his followers by sprint- *
ling after his death.—Church Chronicle.
We find the above in an able pedo-baptist
paper of this State, taken from the Church
Chronicle. It reflects little credit either upon
the reasoning or logic of its author. Truth
is eternal and immutable, and is no less truth
if some of its advocates to-day are its foes to
morrow. Admitting that some of Dr. Car
AJMnn citrwrtc,-n+r&n fuaiitlcCttSpr111Klib
how, we ask, can that affect the position of *
the Doctor—that immersion alone is baptism ?
If that is a truth taught in the word of God,
to a sound reasoner, it would be poor “testi
mony” indeed, to the contrary, to be informed
that some who were adherents to this truth
are now practicing a different mode.
With equal reason, might it be claimed as
“testimony” that the spirit of Rome is not in
antagonism with the teachings of the Bible,
and the best interests of man, because some of*
the followers of Protestantism have gone over
to that church, “the mother of sin.” Nor can
we see how any “testimony” “unexpected” or
otherwise, can be reduced by any just inter
pretation of the language of the “follower”
referred to. The object of the writer was to
express in words, the overwhelming sorrow of
the heart, at the loss of one whose qualities,
both of head and heart, had made him an ob
ject of veneration and love. And what lan- *
guage more expressive than that used ? His
friends baptising, immersing his urn with a
flood of tears. Excessive weeping is here in
dicative of excessive sorrow. It would have
been but a poor compliment to the memory of
the lamented author, to have said his urn was
tmly sprinkled with the tears os his followers.
To find “testimony to the position, that the
word baptism does not signify only to immerse” *
from the case referred to, we judge one - *• >
“Must have optics so keen ; *•
V ... As tq see things that cannot be seen.’* .