ATLANTIC SYNOD The 56th annual meeting of Atlantic Synod convened in Washington Avenue Prebyteri an church, Macon, Ga., October 28th, with the Rev. J. W. Hol ley, D. D., LL. D., as retiring Moderator. At' the request of Moderator Holley, the Rev. Wil liam S. Marquis, D. D., of the Synod of Illinois, preached the opening sermon from St. John 15:11. The sermon was practi cal and yet profound in thought. Dr. Marquis and Dr. J. S. Mar quis’s great grandfathers were brothers, and Dr. William S. Marquis and the late Dr. D. H. Culp, Biddle’s first graduate, were classmates when in Prince ton Theological Seminary. After the constitution of the Synod with prayer the roll was called, showing 9 ministers from Atlantic Presbytery, 9 from Fairfield, 4 from Hodge, 7 from Knox, and 4 from McCellland, which was about 40 per cent of the Synod. After the roll call it was pleasant and befitting to elect Rev. S. D. Thom, of Atlan ta, by a unanimous vote, Mod erator. It is quite a coincident that Dr. Thom should preside over our oldest Synod in the oldest Negro Presbyterian church in the South, organized in 1838, and will retire as Mod erator in the church second to Washington Avenue church in age, Zion church in ancient Charleston—Dr. Thom’s former charge—where Atlantic Synod meets next October. The Mayor of Macon, who seems to be carrying about 80 years on his shoulders, and who is a strong Episcopalian—true to form—gave us. a very cordial welcome to thejgjtoj^^l&gK^ Dr. Long, a very , young man and pastor of one of the larg est Presbyterian churches in Macon, addressed the Synod in words so clear, direct, and God ly that some of the brethren asked the Stated Clerk: “Is he a colored man?” The reply was in the affirmative; but Dr. Long is a product of Statesville, N. C., where you can find many fine white people. The Stated Clerk knew Mr. Long’s antece dents. Tne . popular meeting, con ducted by the men of the Syn od, was held Thursday night with Dr. G. T. Dillard presiding over the meeting. The speak ers for this occasion were Drs. C. J. Baker, W. T. Frasier and J. E. Jackson. Friday night was given over to the women for their popular meeting. After a brief devo tional Service conducted by Dr. W. L. Metz, and a selection of music by Mrs. I. D. Davis, the President, Mrs. A. A. Jones, in troduced Miss Maud Kinne burgh, Dean of Barber College, who was the speaker for the evening. Miss Kinneburgh gave a clear and most comprehensive outline of the scope of National Missions as it is carried on by our Church. Miss Kinneburgh is a clear and easy speaker. The reception given by the ladies of Washington Avenue churchy Friday night after the Woman’s Popular meeting was In a class by itself in its enter tainment. Rev. T. A. Thomp son and his young people need to be congratulated on their ef fort to make every one feel at home and at ease. After the reception in the basement of the church, Synod assembled and completed its business Friday night; and by Saturday morning the brethren had “cleaned up” and left only Drs. Dillard, E. J. Gregg, and the Stated Clerk and Sabbath School Missionary H. 0. Walk er. The Stated Clerk hopes to have the minutes of Atlantic Synod printed earlier this year and by the Johnson C. Smith University press. On to Charleston for the next meeting of- Atlantic Synod in Zion Presbyterian church, or ganized by Flinn Presbyterian church people in Charleston in 1858. The late Dr. Alexander Henry’s great uncle once pas tured Flinn in Charleston and is buried in the church here. His name was Charlton Henry. Come to Charleston next Oc tober. You have not met here since October, 1908. Your ‘Stated Clerk presided here as Moderator. Come to Charles ton ; the islands will have a hand in entertaining. We are glad you, are coming. W. L. METZ, Stated Clerk of Atlantic Syn od. MARTINSVILLE, VA„ NOTES Evangelism in Southern Virgin ia Presbytery. Mrs. S. J. H. Dillard With the month of October came the evangelistic activities of the Western District in the Presbytery of Southern Virgin ia. The ministers and elders met in September and made out a program for better and more efficient servicees in the church es, by exchanging pulpits and carrying evangelistic yeast to stimulate the congregations and arouse them to more religious greater increase numerically, fi ancially and spiritually, knowing that a spiritual arouse ment will bring forth gifts and service The Church’s call to the local churches is urgent, and is a call that must be re sponded to if the great Church is to succeed in her work. The first Sabbath in October Rev. L. L. Downing, D. D., and Rev. G. P. Watkins exchanged pulpits. Revs. Fowlkes, Dusenbury and Carter made helpful exchanges, Iting for the good of the spiritual uplift and increases in membership. “Lift the Level” was a splen did demonstration manifested in a ten days’ meeting held each evening, and special ser vices held each Sabbath after noon at 3 P. M. here in Martins ville, beginning October 26th. At a ministers’ meeting they agreed to hold Union Evangelis tic services. They got together as was never known before in Martinsville. Presbyterian, Bap tist, Christian, Disciples, Meth odist and Holiness members all got together and held for ten days, a very successful series of meetings, which resulted in fifty or more conversions. Christians were revived and many prodigal sons were brought to Christ in public con fessions. Each minister was greatly revived and inspired and preached with powe^. At each service very impressive invitation was extended and each professing Christian was given an opportunity to make his own choice of church. AH five churches were added to, and were greatly revived. On November 16th Rev. G. P. Watkins was again at his best, as usual. His sermon was a doctrinal one, “Baptism,” and was appropriately spoken. Prof. Greene, a Baptist minister, was present and witnessed the whole service The church was well filled, there being many friends besides the membership. At the close of the sermon bap tism was administered to twelve persons; one father and eleven young people and four girls and seven young men. This was the result of the Evangelistic meeting with the exception of three who had made public con fession some time before and had only to be baptized. In un ion there is strength. A united ministry in Martinsville means a great deal to the salvation of of out people. It was a getting totgether of denominations through the ministry, where they emphasized spiritually “One Lord, one faith, one bap tism.” Each minister spiritually and influentially bore his sheaves, bringing them into the garner of Christ. The educational work is go ing on splendidly. All schools (Continued on page 4) AN OLD STORY WITH A NEW APPLICATION. The story, as we recall it, was of a man who wished to hire a coachman. The first applicant was asked how near he could drive to a certain precipice without going over. He named a certain distance. The second applicant was asked the same question. He could drive a few feet nearer than the first man. But when the third applicant was asked the question, he threw up his hands and cried that he would keep just as far away from the precipice as possible. Whereupon the em ployer remarked, “You are just the man 1 want.” The story used to be told as illustrative of what is the only safe attitude one can take to wards evil, and is absolutely true in its application to that question. But we have found a new ap plication for it, illustrating a 'modern and dangerous tenden cy among many of the leaders of church life. The forces of agnosticism, atheism, and ma terialism are attacking the Holy Scriptures with a determina tion, intensity and venom such as has not been known for a goodly number of years, and it seems to be the concern of many praechers and teachers of religion to drive just as near to the precipice of taking the supernatural out of the Book as they dare. They are becoming, many of them have become, un safe drivers. Some have al ready plunged, with those who have trusted to their guidance, over the precipice, on to the rocks of infidelity and spiritu al decadence. u. keepsas far away^Trom the precipice as possible. There may not be so many tassels on his carriage, nor so many gold buckles on his horses' harness. But his hands are strong and his eye is clear, and his one thought is to get his passengers through in safety and happi ness. He knows by experience that travel over this road is safe, and he is not going to im peril the hopes and the inter ests of those for whom he is re sponsible by any spectacular driving near places of danger and along highways of ques tionable safety. Brethren, keep away from the precipice! Do not see how near you can come without go ing over! The fate of Christian ity is tied up with the Book in which it is revealed. The trou ble with too many preachers is that they have no longer a su pernatural Book. It has be come a mere historic record of the life and thought' of a peo ple, and none too accurate a rec ord at that. It is lacking in the voice of authority. “Thus saith the Lord” has become a mean ingless phrase. We stand unhesitatingly, un compromisingly, without apolo gy and in utter disregard for in fidel scholarship, for a super natural Bible, impossible except by divine revelation and un breakable by the assaults of men. “Why, then,” some one may inquire, “this concern over the Book?” We are not apprehen sive over the Book. The prov idence of the Revealer will keep it from destruction. Our con cern is for the souls of men who, with faith destroyed in the Bible as God's revelation, will live in this world without hope and die without salvation. Without a supematurally re vealed message and a book with the fiat of the eternal God back of it, the preacher is a pitiful creature standing amidst the wreckage of human life, with no remedy for the ills of the world, no Saviour “able to save unto the uttermost.” We recommend the wisdom of the driver who kept as far away from the precipice as pos sible. Some men come too near and lose their Bible—their faith —their Saviour.—The Church Advocate. SIDELIGHTS HERE AND THERE "It surely is a great task to be responsible for the religious training of the young mind to day* But when we tell them the ; ’Old Story’ we cannot go far *rong.” This great task is for the church, the Sunday school and for every mother and father. The home has the first begin ning. It is fortified by the lat ter two. It is also a formidable task which challenges the best efforts of all these mentioned agencies. Yadkin Presbytery has suf fered the loss of one of its most popular ministers. Rev. W. T. Byrd, who pastored our church es at Mt. Vernon and Mocksville, has driven up that work and has accepted work in Kentucky .We hope for him abundant success in Ida new field of labor. - Friends everywhere are re joicing over the convalescing of Dr. I. H. Russell, the Synod ical Evangelist. In the midst of a-heavy campaign of work he suffered a breakdown. Dr, Rus sell has well demonstrated his ability for evangelistic work. We trust that when he is strong enough that he will enter upon his Work cautiously and that he will! remember that will power sometimes takes one beyond human endurance. The retiring sermon of Mod erator Frank Shirley, of Cataw ba Presbytery, is indeed food for .thought. The same condi tions exist in possibly all of out rPresbyteries. His facts are JHjig eontentiopa chiefly are against the Presbytery. While not entering upon any form of controversy, it seems to us generally a good many of his contentions can be remedied by an awakening of the laity of the church. There is no doubt that there is not a minister in a dual position who would not gladly relieve himself, if there were a hearty response to the much needed education along every line of church ac tivity by the laity of the church. Brother Shirley is abreast of the times and in his missionary work he can become a pioneer along many of the lines which he advocated in his very excellent sermon before the Catawba Presbytery. Deacon Samuel Johnson, of Logan Presbyterian church, Scotts, N. C., of which Rev. J. G. Murray is the minister, is ideal in operating the financial end of his job. Deacon Johnson has a certain number of mem bers allotted to him. Some of them live in Winston, States ville and elsewhere, having gone to these various places by reas on of better working conditions. Deacon Johnson never lets them forget their obligations, for if they are not too far away and can be found, he hops in his “flivver” and goes to see them. His visits are not in vain. He gets the money which is often times much needed for various church causes. Deacon John son gives us a good lesson. Our folks who go away should be reminded of the home church by minister, elder and deacon. They will be responsive if looked after. We would like to borrow Deacon Johnson for a few weeks in our work and af ter then we would be willing to demonstrate his method to some of the other brethren. But his pastor says, “I can not spare him/’ Speaking of self-supporting churches, we need more of them and ought to have more. Every minister would like to have them, we know. Every church ought to work to that end with every honest endeavor. It should be advocated in the same spirit. It is not commendable for one to advocate it who may be the titular head of a paro chial school and who may have families connected with some helping agency of that school and call himself getting all of his aid from his church