Th« Christian Sun.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, JS77.
EdIT0R-1N-ChIEF, 4
Key. J. T. WHIT,LEY.
Corresponding Editors,
Uev. C. A. APPLE, Holy Neck, Va.,
Rr.v. W. S. LONG, Graham, N. C.
OUR PRINCIPLES.
JrXTRACT FROM TIIK DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES OP
TIIR CHRISTIAN CHURCH.]
“ Wc may well afford to dispense with all
those doctrines and tenets which set the brethren
ut variance, and to take the following primary
constitution as the ground-work of our organiza
tion, viz.:
“ k. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only IIead of
the Church. The Pope of Rome, or any other
pretending to be head thereof, should be regarded
a* that man of sm and son of perdition, who ex- j
nlteth himself above all that is called God. (J
“ 2. The name Christian is the only appella- j
lion nettled or received by the Church. All party
or sectarian names are excluded as being unneces- j
nary, if not hurtful.
“3. The. Holy Bible, or the Scriptures of the
Old and New Testaments, is a sufficient rule of
faith and practice.
“4. Christian Character, or vital piety, is a
just, and should be the only, test of fellowship,
or of Church membership.
•‘5. The right of Private Judgment and the
liberty of conscience is a right and a privilege
that should be accorded to, and exercised by,
nil.”
Notice to Correspondents.
Articles intended for publication should be
addressed to the “ Editor of the Christian Sun,
Suffolk, Va,” and should be mailed so as to reach
us before the Friday preceding the date of their
publication. Write in a legible hand, with ink,
only on vne side of the paper. All anonymous
communications will be thrown into the waste
basket. No article will be inserted for any one,
unless deemed suitable for publication.
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
Chautauqua Lake, Y. Y., \
August 10, 1877. )
My trip has been so completcly
crowdcd with incidents worthy of
being committed to paper, that I find
it impossible to publish my experi
ences as fast as they occur. Within
the past few days I have enjoyed all
the glories of the Hudson from Yew
York to Albany, the magnificence of
Yiagara Falls and the cool glades and
numberless delights of Chautauqua
Lake. The details of these pleasant
experiences must be reserved until
future issues of the paper. I wish
hereto speak particularly of my Sab
bath in Yew Yor\£tu
One of the most plt£ ^ it episodes
of my trip was the pray*.? meeting in
which I unexpectedly found myself
on Friday night soou after my arriv
al in the city. The meeting took
place in one of the smaller rooms of
Dr. llepworth’s Church,and Ilro. J. E.
Brush was the leader. The members
present took part actively in the meet
ing, praying and exhorting briefly
and impressively, while the siugiug
was spirited and full of devotion. 1
« felt that it was good to be there. Dr.
Uepworth is absent on a European
tour, and it was touching to hear the
frequent and tender allusions tojhim
in the prayers and talks of his people.
Early on Sabbath morning, I start
ed tor Brooklyn to hear Dr. Talmage,
Mr. Beecher, whom I specially want
ed to hear, being absent from the
city. My friend Lyman White met
me at Fulton Ferry and kindly escor
ted me around during the day. The
house in which Dr. Talmage preach
es is an immense building construc
ted in amphitheatre style and capa
ble of holding about six thousand
people. The organ, which is one of
the largest in this country, sits im
mediately at the preacher’s back. It
is manipulated by Morgan, ouo of the
most celebrated of American organists.
The siugiug is led by a precentor
who stands by the preacher’s side.
There is not even the shadow of a
choir, the whole congregation joining
in the music.
Dr. Talmage is not much hand
somer than the Editor of the Sun,—
a comparison which all our friends
will appreciate. In fact, the Doctor
is quite homely. His stature is about
that of an average man, aad his voice
is rather harsh than otherwise. He
is full of Talmage isms; that is, like
no other mail in the world, perhaps.
On I his occasion his text was : “And
Hod shall wipe away all tears from
their eyes,” and his subject “The
Ministry of Tears, and the ending of
that Ministry when Ood shall Wipe
Them all Away.” The sermon was
a striking one, lull of sharp points and
telling hits. As a piece of rhetoric
it was a failure; as a sermou it was
good in spite of the mannerisms of
the speaker. After the service I
walked forward, handed my card to
the preacher and was most cordially
received.
Dining with my kind escort, Mr.
White at his pleasant boarding house
in Brooklyn, 1 went after dinner back
to Yew York-''and attended at b
o’clock a Temperance mass-meeting
at Cooper Union. The congregation
was quite large, and the exercises of a
most interesting character. The!
" principal address was delivered bi
Mrs. Susannah Evans Feck, and was
exceedingly clear and good. 1 am
not iu favor eucyuragiug women to
become public speakers: but if any
of the fair kox should take to the pul
pit and the platform, the privilege
ought to be confined to such modest
aud forcible feminine orators as Mrs.
Peck.
After tea, in company with Broth
er Brush I went to hear Rev. C. F.
Deems, D. D., at the Church of the
Strangers. The Church building is a
neat and substantial one on Greene
Street, near Eighth, not tar from
Cooper Union. The congregation
was largo and devout, and the music
exceptionally good. Dr. Deems is
well known in the South, as a North
Carolinian by birth, and a member of
the North Carolina Methodist Episco
pal Conference. For several years past
ho has made his home in New York,
and there he has taken high rank
as a minister aud an editor, having
acquired .1 national reputation. The
late Commodore Vanderbilt eonceiv
ed a great liking for him, manifest
ing his partiality by making him and
his congregation a present of the
Church building in which they now
worship, and by bequeathing to Dr.
Deems personally the handsome sum
of twenty thousand dollars.
The subject of the evening sermon
was “Earnestness in Religion,” based
upon three different texts. The dis
cussion was exceedingly happy, the
thinking being close and logical, the
illustrations appropriate aud helpful,
and the manner of the speaker grace
ful aud full of force. The duty and
necessity of being very earnest in re
ligious matters was clearly and pow
erfully set forth, and the congregation
cannot have failed to be profoundly
impressed. Dr. Deems is unques
tionably a much greater preacher than
Dr. Talinage. Ilis matter is more
solid and nutritious, aud his manner
is immeasurably superior. Of course,
I went forward and made the Doctor’s
acquaintance, and I found him as af
fable in private as he had been elo
quent in public.
It may be supposed that after so
much Church-going during the day
and early night, I was ready to rest
when bedtime came. Indeed the con
stant travels aud excitements of the
past few days had quite worn me
down and my sleep was deep and un
broken. J. T. W.
MINISTERIAL STUDENTS AGAIN.
The first thing that I would say is,
that I am getting tired writing about
this matter, and the next is, that you
my brethren, are tired of reading
about this matter. What a pity ! I
find comfort in these words: “Be not
weary in welldoing.” I do not know
where to point you for comfort, but
to the subject.
A statement was made a few weeks
ago of the indebtedness of some body
or somebodies, for the board of these
students. The amount due at that
time was one hundred and thirty-two
dollars and twenty-two ceuts. Since
that statement I have received from
various sources, twenty-one dollars,
leaving a balance of one hundred and
eleven dollars and twenty-two cents.
I suppose I must look to the Eastern
Virginia Conference for this amount.
Brethren don’t let me look in vain. 1
requested the Pastors of the Confer
ence to have a collection taken up in
their congregations for this special
purpose. This is the only plan to
raise the amount that suggests itself
to my mind. If you have a better
one dear brother, let us have it.
Any assistance rendered will be
most thankfully received. The next
session of the Suffolk Collegiate Ins
titute will commence in a few weeks,
and this matter will have to be atten
ded to, or else the Board of Educa
tion will have to make other arrange
ments for the board, &c., of these
young men.
E. W. Beale.
Kev. J. Pkessley Baeeett
writes :
My meeting at Johnson’s Grove be
gan the first Sunday in this month.
Up to Wednesday night there was so
much rain that we conld not manage
the meeting to the best advantage.
On Thursday and Friday the interest
greatly increased. Up to Friday
night there had been forty-one con
versions and there were sixteen peni
tents left, seeking the Bread of Life.
At this point and with this interest I
was compelled to leave to meet my
appointment at Spring Hill, it being
my quarterly communion and pro
tracted meeting there. However, the
meeting at the Grove was continued
up to Sunday night, Kev. J. T. Kitchen
and ltev. K. H. Jones continuing it
i'or me. It is hoped that many more
were converted ere it closed.
I am under many obligations to
Ltev. M. B. Barrett,ltev. J. T. Kitchen,
jf our Church, and Kev. K. H. Jones,
>f the Episcopal Church, who worked
most earnestly for the salvation of
souls and brought this church under
much gratitude for aid rendered.
The Church will be much strength
ened and built up by this blessed re
vival.
It was painful to leave the interest
here to go to some other place and
commence anew. I make this remark
to suggest to our preachers the pro
priety of having no two appointments ,
lor protracted meetings to follow in
two successive weeks. And now I .
am oft to Spring Hill, where I hope j
God’s blessing may be poured out in ■
abundance.
THE CHRISTIAN’S REWARD; GATHER
ING THE SHEAVES.
He “shall doubtless cotne again,
with rejoicing, bringiug his sheaves
with him.” Alter seed time comes
the harvest. The husbandman who
has toiled through the long, weary
days while the seeds were sprouting,
the plants were growing, and the
grain was maturing, now goes forth
into the Helds with new and triuiu
phaut feeliugs. The grain falls bt
bore the keen scythe wielded by his
sturdy arm, and is quickly bundled
into sheaves ready lor the garner.
With shoutings of “harvest home”
he returns at nightfall amply repaid
in the pleasure of that hour for all the
labors of the mouth’s gone by. There
is now no fear of want amid thesuows
of winter. The farmer can look for
ward with gladness to those days
when the earth shall be stripped of
vegetation and the streams fast
locked in icy fetters, since his family
will be supplied with the comforts
and luxuries of life.
With some such feeliugs as these,
intensified a thousand fold, will the
Christian worker hail the dawning of
eternity. Through the heat and cold,
the wet and dry, of earth’s long year
he has traversed the fields broadcast
ing the seeds of truth and moistening
each trutlj with a tear. By the way
side, on stony places, amoug spring
ing briers and on fertile ground, with
unflagging step and courageous soul,
yet with the falling tears of anxiety
and telfdistrust, he has lavishly
strewn the precious seeds of that Cos
pel that is the one hope of a ruined
race. And now seed-time has passed,
the grain has ripened, and the sower
becomes the reaper. Forth from the
field of the world he comes, his arms
laden with the golden sheaves, and
while the fading twilight of time is
blending with the opening dawn of
eternity, he ascends the royal avenue
of Heaven and lays his glittering tro
phies at the foot of liis Saviour’s
throne. Oh, what sheaves are there !
Perhaps one sheaf is a beloved child,
or a dear wife, or an intimate friend.
This one is a Sunday scholar, this a
father gathered by the loving hands
of a son, this a stranger unexpectedly
reaped in life’s broad field. Yet all
are sheaves. All are precious souls,
regenerated and saved by the grace
of God and the agency of the unwor
thy sower.
We are taught that God’s children
shall have the inexpressible happiness
of presenting before him at last the
souls they have won. No one else,—
no angel, no seraph, no man,—shall
be delegated to this important work ;
but each worker shall go personally
to his Saviour’s feet aud lay his
sheaves down as au offering of love.
Surely there wilt be rejoicing then.
Joy will diffuse the face of the sue
cessful worker; joy will be imprinted
upon the glowing faces of those who
are brought as sheaves ; joy will fill
angelic hearts ; and supreme joy, such
as mortals never kuewr aud angels
never realized, will swell the bosom
of the great Redeemer as he looks
upon this happy scene.
There is one word here used that
must not pass unnoticed. “Shall
doubtless come again.” God distinct
ly assures us that the mission of tears
and pathetic entreaty shall be suc
cessful. The man who works with the
cold instrumeut of logic aud philoso
phy alone may be unsuccessful. He
who preaches for worldly applause
will surely fail of the highest success.
. He who works with indifference to
results or with proud self-complacen
cy, will accomplish nothing. Rut the
man who weeps with genuine emo
tion as he works, who is profoundly
affected by the danger of sinners aud
the goodness of God—whose souls
thrill with sorrow at human wretch
edness and gratitude for the love of
Christ,—this man shall doubtless come
again with rejoicing, bringing his
sheaves with him. The seed may
long lie dormant in the soil; the ten
der blade may he scarred by the at
tacks of foes; rigorous seasons may
vent their fury upon the springing
grain. A thousand discouragements
may arise, and Despair may throw its
baleful shadow' on the path of the
future. But the germ has been ren
dered imperishable by the baptism
of tears, and steadily the grain pro
gresses toward maturity. No power
in the universe can stay the sower’s
triumph, for God Himself has assured
the victory. No more certain is it
that God reignj^and that Eight will
eventually trii^iRih, than that “He
that goeth forth and sveepeth bear
ing precious seed, shall doubtless
come again with rejoicing bringing
his sheaves with him.
Let these reliections comfort and
encourage the hearts of all those who
are sowing the seed of divino truth.
Ministers, Sunday School teachers,
all Christian toilers, may draw inspir
ation hence. God has wisely ap
pointed His children to toil in this
present life, and this toil is often at
tended with great weakness and des-.
pondeucy. But at last when time
shall be swallowed up in eternity,
when toil shall meet its reward,
;beu God shall wipe all tears from toil
jr’s eyes aud place upon his brow the
fadeless crown of everlasting joy.
Let us work then, each in his sphere,
mtiently doing aud suffering His
rill, knowing that our reward is both
[Iorious autl sure.
WHAT THE CHURCH NEEDS.
,ln the late Pan-Presbyterian coun
cil, a very earnest and important dis- 1
cession arose as to bow the church is to ;
meet the attacks made upon it by i
the learned and acute Rationalistic
philosophers of the present age. Wo
very much regret to see that Ur.
Howard Crosby earnestly advised his
brother clergymen throughout the
world not to attempt to meet the op
ponents of the Christian system upon
logical grounds at all. He says that
our religiou appeals to the heart and
not to the head, and that, in the bat
tle upon merely intellectual ground,
we shall be beaten by our cultured
and skilful adversaries. He thinks, :
therefore, that we should leave them ;
to their fancied victories, and that,
by appeals to the moral feelings, we i
are ultimately to triumph in spite of
their apparent demonstrations of the
logical unsoundness of our position. i
We say that we very much regret i
this because, coming as it does from
one so eminent in the Christiau ;
world its Dr. Crosby, it cannot but be i
productive ot harmful results to the
church. To grant what ho appears i
to graut, is, at least to the minds of
our opponents, to yield the whole i
question. The adversaries of Chris
tianity aro bound to conclude that^T#8
we refuse to discuss the poiuts'rfTuis
pnto with them, we do so, not as Dr.
Crosby alleges, because the subject
does not belong to the province of log
ic, but because we feel the weakness of
onr position. And if it could be ad
mitted that Dr. Crosby is right, it
could hardly be disputed that the op
ponents of Christianity are justified in
assuming that our faith is little better
than other systems of religions belief.
The God whom we love and worship
is as much the God of the head as of
the heart. Logic belongs as much to
morals as to the physics, as much
to religion as to science; and we can
no more afford to dismiss it from the
one than the other. Man’s nature
and man’s conduct are as incomplete
without the intellectual as without
the emotional. We cannot afford to
ignore enner.
Dr. McCosk of Princeton takes a
more rational view of the case. While
he confesses that not all clergymen
sent forth by the church are compe
tent to the task of contending with
-those profound thinkers of the Ra
tional school, yet tho church may fos
ter a set of champions and defenders
fully qualified to enter the lists of log
ical combat, and come off with honor
to the cause. We cannot afford, as
has hitherto been too much the case,
to ignore such men as Darwin, Spencer,
Huxley, and Tyndall. Nor can we
afford to treat their arguments with
contempt. These men are above the
effects of mere vulgar abuse. There
has been too much of this among
theologians. Wo want men who can
appreciate the arguments of infideli
ty and answer them. Empty headed
cavilling will no longer answer the
purpose. The world demands think
ers—men who are not so bound down
by the miuutive of so-called ortho
doxy, that they dare not do other
wise than follow in the footsteps of
others. We want Christian Phil
osophers. If Christianity be not
logically tenable, then it is false; and
if we cannot afford to know
the truth then is our cause lost in
deed. The Christiau, as well as the
Scientific world, wants a class of men
to do its thinking and develope its
truths. A.
The Herald also quotes an expres
sion of this paper, where it is said
that, without some newspaper as an
organ, our denomination must “go to
the dogs.” Then, Bro. Dickinson
says, ‘what would the dogs do with
ust’ If Bro. D. will pardon us, wo
will quote Hamlet’s remark upon She
character of the grave-digger: “How
absolute the Knave is, we must
speak by the card.” If we must ap
ply the figure literally, we may reply
that tho auimals have already been
barking at us most furiously; and if
they got us, we suppose they will
feast upon our bones without invi
ting anybody else to the banquet—
they will hold a sort of “close com
munion” over us—perhaps. Howev- ,
er, we own that the expression was ,
not an elegant one, and since Bro. D. .
chastises our literary sin, he must j
excuse our being like Mr. Micawber,
“in difficulties,” aud so making our
way out in a somewhat “snarling”
way. If Bro. D. will set us a better
example we hope to improve both in <
elegance of style aud suavity of man- '
nor. A.
1’HE Religious Herald, in reply to i
our interrogatory as to whether it t
regards us as idiots, says it would not 1
“put it quite so strong as that.” l
Idiots may be a strong word, and the t
Herald may w'ish to say that we are 1
only a few degrees removed from r
that. But if it means nothing of the i
sort, our question is still pertinent, j
though the Herald, did not quote it; <
“Must wo think tho Herald bereft of ■
its reason, or was it only jesting ?” t
One of the three must be true, when 1
the Herald declares that the “Chris- 1
tian Church” is bound to baptize a 1
man with oil of vitriol, if he desires ‘
it. A. 1
BIBLE CLASSES^ SUGGESTIONS.
As to the organisation of Bible
Classes in connection with any school,
at least two courses are open. Ouo
or more classes may be organised from
the adults and advanced youths, to
be taught during the regular hour for
recitation in the School. Or, officers,
teachers, older pupils and others may
be gathered into one class, taught by
the pastor, or some intelligent and
pious layman, to recite at some other
time. This latter plan is especially
advantageous in connection with
schools that use uniform lessons; for
then the teachers and older pupils
may review the last lesson, or else
study under tuition that which some
are to teach, and others to learn on the
following Sabbath. About every
school there are lookers-on—some
members of the Church and some of
no religions profession—who impress
a busy worker with a painful sense of
idleness. While all is activity around;
while the hum of voices is heard on
all sides, as teachers and pupils are
studying the AYord of Inspiration ;
they alone sit with folded hands and
silent tongues. There seems to be
no place for them. They may be
either unable or unwilling to teach;
they cannot bo properly classed with
boys and girls. To gather all these
supernumeraries into classes and
transform them from idlers into dili
gent students of the Bible is a work
of great importance. This may be
done in almost every community by
patient, persevering effort.
With regard to the mode of pro
cedure after the class has been or
ganized, a teacher chosen, and time
and place of meeting chosen, we sub
mit the following suggestions:
1. The International Bible lessons
are incomparably the best that can be
found. They are chosen by compe
tent Biblical scholars and arranged
chronologically in a regular course.
Half of each year is given to the
Old Testament and half to the New.
First rate lesson helps, such as ques
tion books, lesson leaves, teachers’pa
pers, can be obtained anywhere at
prices that are within the reach of all.
This system is commended, therefore,
by many advantages.
2. Ilegularity and punctuality are
essential to sustained interest and
the highest success. Infrequency of
attendance, upon the part of teacher
or of scholars, will break down the
class. These things should be im
pressed suitably upon the minds of
all.
3. The lessons should be carefully
studied at home, so that each mem
ber of the class may bo able to contri
bute to the common stock of knowl
edge. Togo into the class with mind
perfectly blank, or else filled with
thoughts of other things, is a sure
way of injuring the interest of
the occasion. But when teachers
and scholars alike have carefully
studied the lesson at home; when
they come into the class room having
left books at home because they have
the subject in their minds and hearts;
when the teacher shows himself fajly
prepared to enter into the intricacies
of interpretation and shed light upon
every difficult point; when each
scholar vies with his companions in
the answering and propounding of
questions ; when a spirit of solemni
ty and prayer pervades all hearts as
the truth is displayed in more and
more of its glory aud power;—then
the Bible class will be a blessing to all
who are connected with it.
Pastors, superintendents, be sure to
organize Bible Classes. Gather into
them those who are fruitful, and those
who are now almost profitless in the
Church. Place your teachers in it for
training. Go into it yourself, if you
can. Study the Word of God, that is
able to make you “wise unto salva
tion.” Let your school rally around
the Bible as its most precious heri
tage, daily learning its truths, imbib
ing its spirit, feeding upon its pro
mises and practicing its precepts. As
the tribes of Israel marched through
the barren and inhospitable desert
with the ark of the covenant- in their
midst, receiving instruction and draw
ing inspiration from its presence; so
carry the Bible in the midst of your
school, us tire chart or your journey,
the^nspiror of your activity and the
fountain of your consolation.
DOUBTING.
That phase of religious expcn'cnee
ordinarily known as “doubting” is
very common and very distressing.
Very few Christians, comparatively
speaking, have reached that state of
mind which enables them to say with
jonfideuce and joy, “1 know in whom
1 have believed”; “I know that I have
missed from death into life. That
such a height of assurance is attaina
ole in this life, admits of no question.
The apostle Paul unquestionably lived
in an atmosphere of serene faith and
oyous hope. Thousands of other
ffiristians unknown to fame have lived
in the same atmosphere. Not that
they have forgotten their own infir
mities and indulged vain imagining,
but that they have in spite of their
frailties clung to Him who is able to
‘save to the uttermost” those who
trust in fiim. Fully conscious of
their shortcomings, they have never
theless continually rejoiced in Him
whose superabundantgiaco completes i
the unfinished enterprises of his peo
ple. Not forgetting for a moment i
that their hearts ate dollied with sin,
they have been lilted continually with
delicious experiences of joy while ap
propriating to themselves the truth
that “the blood of Jesus Christ, his
Son, cleanseth us from all sin.” Hut
this has been the joy of the few. The
great mass of God’s people live upon
a lower plane. Not clearly appro
bending the great doctrines of the
gospel, or not diligently applying
them to their hearts, they are living
far below the position which they
might occupy’if they would. So many
people are in doubt whether they are
saved. So many are not sure that
Death will be to them but the vesti
bule of Heaven. So many regard
their salvation as a difficult problem
to which only death can furnish the
solution. These people are walking
in darkness when they might bo waf
ted through the sunshine ; they are
choosing the dark labyrinths of the
valley when the path over the breezy,
sunlit hill-top is free to them as to
all. God has not shut up any of his
children in Doubting Castle; those
who are there incarcerated entered of
their own accord, and their own hands
turned the key of their dungeon. If
they will, they may come out aud
walk with the few tho paths of joy
and peace.
Iguorauce of the Bibio is one chief
source of doubts. Most of those who
are constantly tortured with fears
that God has not accepted them and
that they are not prepared for death,
are thus tortured simply because they
are uot familiar with the terms of
salvation. The remedy for their
troubles is a careful study of the
Scriptures so as to understand the
terms upon which wo are saved.—
When once they get firmly fixed in
their minds the grand truth that “We
are saved by grace, through faith,”
and not by our own feelings or deeds,
their spiritual sky will grow bright
and their souls will be filled with
peace.
The habit of doing nothing has a
great deal to do with the habit of
doubting. Those professors of relig
i^n who are doing nothing to prove
their love for the Saviour may well
doubt whether they are indeed his
own. Spiritual indolence begets a
morbid doubting, which reacts in the
increase of indolence. If the doubter
wants to lose his doubts and tind
sweet assurance let him study the
Scriptures, inquiring, “Lord, what
wilt thou have me to do ?” and then
let him go to work diligently doing
that will which has been revealed to
him in answer to prayer. Under
standing God’s will, and honestly
striving to fulfil it, he cannot fail to
rise above his doubts and dwell in the
pure atmosphere of peace.
LEARNED TRIFLING,
We were much struck a few weeks
since in reading a grave discussion
between two eminent divines upon
the subject of baptism. One, a pse
dobaptist, or more properly, perhaps,
an advocate for aspersion as the pro
per mode of administering the sacra
ment, made much capital of the text:
“I indeed baptize you with water
contending that the word with would
not have been used, if immersion had
been intended. The immersionist re
plied that the Gresk word en here
translated with more properley means
in, and that “with” is a mistransla
tion. But of course any one at all
familiar with the original language of
the New Testament aud with classic
Greek, knows that this word en is
used iu quite a variety of significa
tions. The mero fact that it is ren
dered with in this place, by no means
decides the question as to whether
the water was to be sprinkled or
poured upon the person, or whether
the party baptized was to be im
mersed iu it. The original may ad
mit of either inference. Certain it is
that en may mean according to the
connection iu which it is used, in,
amongst, by, with, over, by means of,
or upon.
But the Baptist went on to apply
his opponent’s translation in a manner
which ho evidently thought conclu
sive of the question iu his own favor.
After remarking that his opponent’s
conclusion was that, all things con
sidered, pouring is the true method
of baptism, ho substituted the word
pour for baptize in several passagos
to show its absurdity. “How,” he
asked, “does it sound to say: ‘I in
deed pour you with 'water V ” This
he thought sufficient to show the uu
teuableness of the other’s position.
But suppose we simply substitute the
word sprin kle instead of pour. ‘I in
deed sprinkle you with water.’ Is not
the grammatical propriety at once re
stored 1 Iu fact the real transitive
force of both verbs is the same; only
usage has permitted us to dispense
with the word upon after sprinkle,
while the same liberty is not allowed,
after pour. But the immersiouist#
proceeds to draw a wonderful distinc
tion between sprinkliug and pouring.
Would it not have beeu well for him
to have stopped to inquire what is
the essential difference between these
two words I Is not et|ii inkling a spe
cies of pouring after all! When the
rain comes down lightly, we say it
sprinkles; when it is heavy, wc say
it pours. To sprinkle is to pour out
in such a manner, that the iluid falls
iti detached drops or in iniunte
streams. What is usually termed
pouring, ia only an intensification of
this process. The difference is only
one of degree. We may tarn a car
riage wheel so slowly that the eye
can perceive each particular spoke,
or wo may tarn it so rapidly that we
cannot perceive the separate spokes,
and the wheel appears to he a solid
disk. Such is the diil'ereneo between t
sprinkling and pouring. In the lat
ter process the eye does not perceixo
the detached drops and separate
streams, luit they are there neverthe
less. Yet upon the great dill'eienee
between sprinkling and pouring wa
ter upon the person, at a rcliijiounact,
does our brother immerslonist dilate
at learned length. Surely the Monk,
who thought he, had arrived at a
mighty pitch of piety because he had
uo less than three thousand patches
upon his breeches, is not without a
sort of posterity in our own day.
And there are not a few patching do
scendents of his, who will have it, 7
that it would bo something like a
mortal sin, if olio of those patches,
however small, were omitted.
All this too from men regarded as
lights of the church. When grhvo
men, who olight, at least, to have
thonght deeply in Christian philoso
phy, and to know in what respects
religions truth is important to man
kind, speaking in this way, we cannot
so much wonder that skeptics and
nationalistic thinkers arc disposed to
to class Christianity with the mytho
logies of Greece or of India. If wo
are to go on contending that onr Mas
ter was weak enough to magnify such
comparative trifles into great and vi
tal doctrines, do wo not thereby ex
pose ourselves and our religion to the
contempt of the cultured infidels and
materialistic philosophers of our dav f
A.
THE BAPTIST UNION MEETING.
It was my privilege to be at the
Baptist “union meeting” at South
Quay church the 5th Sunday in July.
I reached the church about 10, r. m.,
and found quite a large congregation
assembled, which increased till about
11.30, the preaching hour. About
one hour, or more, was spent by tho
delegates before tho regular church
service, in discussing the pre-requi
sites to a good Sabbath School. Tho
ltev. Mr. McManning advocated mu
sic as one of the pre requisites, and
Mr. Jas. Ii. nones, a leading layman,
and a uici/rbyr of tho South Quay
church, ai]YiH6j^p|>r:iyer. Both ftf
these addresse^^rq earnest and to
the point. \ ^
According Nfo the programme, it
was arranged for two sermons in the
morning, liev. Mr. Conncel to preach
in the house, and ltev. Mr. McMmi
ning in the grove, ltev. Mr. Cotm
ccl is a man who has passed the me
ridian oi life, possessing some educa
tional advantages. He is from Mat
thews Co., Va., but was raised in
Southampton County, and is on a
visit to friends. I did not bear bis
text announced, but from what I
bear of tho sermon, concluded tho
subject was faith. His remarks were
plain, practical and scriptural, and
were delivered with ease and pathos.
His doctrine was such as might bo
advanced by any good, evangelical
minister. The subject of Mr. McMan
ning, was “the great and terrible day
of the Lord.” Mr. McManning is a
youug man of promise, and delivered
himself well under the circumstances,
being surrounded by an element un
favorable to good order,—young
men and young ladies piomanading,
laughing and talking. Many, how
ever, listened with much satisfaction
till the services were broken up by a
heavy fall of rain, which made‘all
outside scamper, some to tlio bouses
already densely crowded, some to a
school-house near by, somo to their
carriages and buggies, some under
umbrellas, and some even crawled un
der ihe house to escape a drenching.
Many, however, got a thorough wet
ting.
After an> interval of about one hour
and a half, the communion services in
tlie house closing and the rain ceas
ing, many tables were spread and
many hungry visitors, including your
correspondent, gladly participated in
the hospitalities, so freely oU'ered.
Between 3 and 4, i*. in., wo were
reminded that another service was
about to commence by songs of
praise in the sanctuary. The 'ltev.
Mr. Deans preached. Pews being
free and the church not so crowded,
your correspondent found a seat.
The speaker’s subject was the “lift
ing up of Christ.” His sermon was
telerably good under the circum
stances; (the attention not being
much better than in the morning in
tho grove.) He had liberty of speech
and made some good points.
These “union meetings” are made
up of ministers and delegates, from a
certain number of churches, called a
district, convening Saturday before
every fifth Sunday, for the purpose
of agitating and advocating certain
church work, providing l'or destitute
churches, &c.
Besides the ministers already
named, ltevereuds Howell, Owens and
Ward were also present and partici
pated in the meeting. I did not bavo
the pleasure of forming an acquain
tance with either of the ministers.
B. U. U.
Kev. 0. J. BAlston writes this
week:
“Wo had a gracious meeting at Da
mascus last week, which resulted in
(the conversion of 33 souls. Bov. Bros.
Beale, Butler, C. Jordan and W. Jor
dan assisted me during the week. It
was Bro. Butler’s first visit to Damas
cus and the people wero much pleased
with liia efforts.”