Home and Foreign Journal, October 1857

OLUMB VII. RICHMOND, VA., MARION, ALA., NASHVILLE, 'l'ENN., OCTOBER, 1857. NUMBER 4. -i- - PUBLISH HI) BY THE . BOARDS OH THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION. im OF DOMESTIC Ш 1837. A Time ot‘ Need. truly a lime of Croat The present u -ill, the Board of Domestic and In j iw Missions. Evidence* of embarrass- , ' ,ar« too apparent. Ию rcce.pb or , ' |,.tt«o quarters do not exceed the, ^titles of one. The large balance » , c treasury April W, has kept the Hoard | e vMt. That balance is exhausted. j l amount repot ted by the treasurer at , j rf,mlar meeting for September will not , are than meet the salaries of iniwiona- 'es which fall due October 1st. If the jme decrease continues the Board will lat he able to pay the drafts due Decern- :r ЗЫ. , , Arompatison of the receipts from April .t, to September Ы, with the receipts of corresponding period of the preceding ear, shows a tailing ofT of 84,327 58. tVe feel the necessity of calling earnest I r.) prayerful attention to this subject.— • here is need of a speedy effort to arrest IU retrograde movement. Otherwise icre must be an entire suspension of all ;;ressive movements on the part ol the hard. It will be necessary to go beyond | !,.. There must be a reduction of the i slides of missionaries, or a removal of ame of them from their fields. A rcduc- 1 ion in their salaries would drive many of, hem to the necessity of the abandonment i if their work, or of devoting a portion of i heir time to some secular business to | ate bread for their families. Indeed the j neagre appropriations in some cases have een wholly inadequate to furnish a com- triable support, and the self-denying mis- ioaaiies have with much pain and reluc¬ tance associated their ministerial labors 4th worldly avocations. Brethren, our appeal is to you. With I лад are the means of relief, and with you j W rest the responsibility of crippling ^embarrassment. Shall this state of affairs ontinuc ? .Must all aggressive action be impended? Must the present number of W-sionaries now in the field, bo diminish- J, or a portion of them become seculari- ed ? Shall those interests which have *« planted at much cost of money and amistcrial labor be abandoned and relapse ato a more deplorable condition than they 'fre in before these efforts were underta- en- Bielhren we ask you to pause, рол- pray and act. growing tip in ignorance and vice, and destitute of a Bible. This we supplied, and requested her to semi her children to the Sabbath school. She declined on the ^ ground that they were not suitably clad, ' and that she was too poor to improve their ! condition in that respect. This objection I was removed by apiomise to provide them ' with apparel uf which they should not be ashamed ; and lierlconsent gained for the children to attend. Their wants have been supplied by the benevolence of friends, and they are regular attendants, rapidly improving and are the first to meet and greet us on Sabbath morning ! О this is delightful and encouraging to us." California. Brother Shuck in a letter dated August •llli, gives an account of a visitto Auburn, ami remarks: “ I wish we had an assist¬ ant Chinese preacher stationed at Auburn. There is a large Chinese population there. As I was detained over Sabbath, I preach¬ ed twice to the Americans and once to the Chinese. Very seldom is there any preaching at Auburn. I suppose llieio will be a very large Chinese emigration to California this fall I do not know but it would be best for the Boaid to arrange it so that I can get loose from the pastorate of the first church, and let me do more in exploring among our own people and also the Chinese. — Delegates from a number of churches aie to meet with us in tins city, in about live weeks, to fnim a new Baptist Association for the Sacramento valley. Another As¬ sociation is to be formed this month in the Petaluma valley. Cap, you not send a man to Maysville, and one to Sonora ? Records of California. The “ Steamer Union,” a newspaper of Sacramento, of July, records 76 marria¬ ges, 22 births, 13 deaths, 8 murders, (i accidentally killed, 4 drowned and 3 sui cides. Texas! Sabbath Schools. One of our missionaries in Texas wiilcs : Thaie organized three Sabbatli schools, me in each church which I supply. And have made arrangements to organize *l,ee or f°ur more in other ncighbour- •OOlll.1' ICs hoped that all our missionaries will ‘fare no pains to establish these excellent institutions where it is possible to he done, jdiaps no form of instrumentality has en more signally owned and blessed of to the advancement of true religion rai Sabbath schools. ANOTHER, Si-ter Summar of Burksvillc, Kentucky, •frites:" Wc are toiling on, and each ee 'displays some fresh manifestation ‘d oar bbors are not in vain. We have "=01 the most interesting Sabbath schools .. ever had the pleasure of attending. ,te n*ter Seen from the school since I J7°uin Louisville in May. We feel pi * u.i to GoJ Ibat he has given us a ci'J 'П •l*'e J,e,r*s de parents and ^'s Place, notwithstanding the Ikj "je °r opposition with which we i|iet ,a ,0 ooniend. During the year in rc8l,lar attendance 92 и*' 'У® l,0Pe by the end of the quar- Ы 100, " e have a sma|l library e “a .much need of more books. «зим » °.Пе circums,ance of interest |,v, e '’"I1 •his department of our • bill briefly relate it. fn one of for qj' !r ‘l,e counlO' soliciting children ’ we V‘3'"C(1 a P00r> afflicted, *idow. with a large family Rev. R. Howard of Burnett county, writes : “ I have ju«t returned from a tour out West. La-t Thursday I visited Fred ericksburg, containing a population of 600 inhabitants, all Germans, except about a dozen. A majority of whom are Roman¬ ists. Tlie next in numerical strength arc the Lutherans. No Baptists. I attended a Lutheran meeting. The confusion and disorder exceeded anything I ever witness¬ ed at a meeting professing to be religious. After service I accompanied the minister to hits home. Here I discovered a new mode of making friends— it was by shak¬ ing hands and kissing. This exercise was kept up for some time, until there were evident signs of devoted friendship in the company. These are emphatically hea¬ then in our midst. A German Trial. The Lutheran minister of Fredericks¬ burg, Texas, whipped one of his members, for which he was brought before the ma¬ gistrate to answer charges, and plead guil¬ ty. He was fined the full sum of five cents by a German court." In a subsequent letter brother Howard gives the following interesting statements : " I have been holding some meetings of late which have been of much interest. There were some 25 or 30 professed con¬ versions, 21 of whom were baptized. Hav¬ ing no aid, I am compelled to labor alone. I preach once and twice every day— the Lord is opening a door ef utterance, and is pouring out his blessings upon us. To him be all the glory. Pray for me— this is a time of need. I leave to-morrow to be absent from my family four weeks.” Mississippi. A letter from Rev. B. Hedges, received during our absence contains some impor¬ tant facts in relation to a large scope of country lying between the Yazoo and Mis¬ sissippi rivers. There is perhaps no field in our country in mote need of missionary labor. He writes: “This vast field contains six new counties, and embraces a small poition of five or six of tlio old counties. And there is but one Baptist preacher in all this field — and perhaps the richest por¬ tion of tlie world. This field— this vast field, once inhabited by wild hca-ti and wicked raftsmen, is now rapidly filling up with the most intellectual and wealthy people of our State. The traveller will sometimes pa-s fields of a thousand acres each, of the richest land thseye over be- held. And the Baptists as yet, the Yazoo Association excepted, have never sent one •single missionary there. I love foreign missions, and would detract 'nothing from the noble work, but why should our Asso¬ ciations and churches turn their attention to Foreign, to the negled of Domestic Mi-sions? lVhat else cam they expect than that the fountain will dry up? Home evangelization forms tlie foundation of our social, civil and commercial interests.— "The Greeks are at our own doors," in their rags and nakedness, •'l uting the past year some of these counties increas¬ ed in population more than 2,000, princi¬ pally blacks. This year, from present pro-pects, the increase will be 'much great¬ er. A large portion of these blacks never hear tlie gospel in ils purity." and send such an one here, our cause, would soon be in the ascendancy and be self-sustaining.” tions. I desire an interest in your prayers for my prosperity and success." All our missionaries close their corn mu- Rev. J. W. Miller, Wild Haws, Ark. , ideations with the icqucst to be remem- " I have no good missionary news to com- ; tered at the throne of grace. Wc desire mnnicate this quarter. God in his All- ; the churches and brethren, who are can- wi-e Providence lias seen it best to rorely I tr'ibuling their means lo sustain these mis- alilict my family with ‘Scarlet Fever.' ] sionarics, lo make mention of these sup- Myself and wffe only have escaped. It [ pliants, when they bow at the family Altar i,;'4 frnm "* A'M“" - or in the secret closet. Your self-dcny. has taken from us two darling children— -a son sixteen years of age, and a daugh¬ ter. five. Our family has been a scene of di-tress for two months. The surviving have not yet iccovercd their strength. Brethren remember your poor, unwor¬ thy missionary in your prayers, that (he blessing of God may test upon his family.” We deeply sympathize with our afllict- ed brother. Surely the hand of the Lord lias rested heavily upon him. None but those who have passed through like trials can adequately appreciate his alllictions. It is a happy reflection that lie knows tlie source from whence coinfort is derived May lie fully realize the consolation of the promise, “ All tilings work together for good to them that love God, See.” Alabama. Rev. Bailey Bruce, Princeton: “I have devoted 74 days to actual service, rode 760 irilcs, delivered 59 sermons and ten lectures, vi.-ited 150 families and aided in the constilution of one cliurchjj The cause of religion, though low now, Tennessee. Rev. Wm. R. Green, Nashville : " I have labored hero to build up the cause until my physical strength is so nearly ex¬ hausted as to render it necessary for me mg missionaries feel they need your prayers as well as your money. Itev. IF. Jlarnhursl , St. Louis. “Our iillle band is very united and encouraged. We will Irv to walk alone next year. Such will be our elicit. Still we shall not (ergot Ihe Domestic Mission Board. Prob¬ ably this fall wc shall try to leir.ove our little debt, which done, wc shall lie able to breathe more freely. We are hoping for a precious blessing, May God grant it." INDIAN MISSION'S. Mission Box. The excellent sisters of the Baptist church in Marion, Ala., have resolved to make up a box of clothing for the family of Bro. Buckner; and they are actively en¬ gaged in the work. They will have it in readiness by the time the Arkansas river is navigable. The Juvenile Society has to suspend labor for a season. I desire j determined to make up a little box you to release me as your missionary ai j •*1C samo purpose, and are more zeal- is improving. Increase in congregations, and of general interest afford'okouraging evidence that my labors have not been in vain. If strength permifp'l-sbjSfcfion-lipld a series of meetings at tlie several church¬ es where I regula.ly preach. My gene- j ral health has been giving way so lapidly j for several weeks, that I fear a resignation of my mission will become necessary." Л communication just received from Dr. Rice of Princeton, gives the sad intelli¬ gence that our missionaries fears have been realized. Though he has not left Ins field and probably will not, yet Im is unable to , render much service at picsent. The coil- j tcmplated meetings were held. The Dr. i adds : “ There have been revivals in quite ! a number of our churches since our pro¬ tracted meetings commenced. I flatter myself that in this Association we shall he much strengthened before tlie dose of. the year." ENCOURAGEMENTS TO PRATER. | The I)r. continues: 11 Dear Bro.— You [ cannot imagine how rejoiced 1 am. Eigh¬ teen years ago, when quite a boy, 1 set; out alone, not knowing that any of the , family were professors;. Since then it has j been my constant prayer that God, in his I mercy, would arrest them in their down- ! ward career. And blessed be his holy i name, I have lived to see my father's en- ; tire family, sons and daughters, all mem- • hers of the church. My father, 62 years j of age, was baptized a few days since.— | Our minds are now burdened with our children. May God enable us to tiain them as we should.” Here is an example of a pious and use¬ ful physician. His talents are as actively employed for the healing of spiritual dis¬ eases as for the cure of bodily suffering. South Nashville." At brother Green's request, lie has been released and wc have no missionary, at present, in charge of that interest. Camden, Benton County, Tenx. ) June 30M, 1857. ] Dear P. Holman, — Herein I send my report ending June 30th. i have been able tojnjet all my appointments in this quarter." SincSmyjIStTJome thhigs-lure- taken place that I will relate. I have been pleaching in a Methodist meeting house ever since I received my commission ; and this war at their own lequest, sometime in November last. Some prominent mem¬ bers of their society requested me to preach a sermon on Baptism; that is, to pleach what Baptists believe on this much vexed question. Tlie subject has been urged from time to time till my last ap¬ pointment. I complied and preached the sermon. But used uo personal remarks, confined myself to the scriptures, and his¬ tory, and the confessions of Pedo-Baptist authors and commentators, which the Me¬ thodists stated to me were correct. But now comes tlie bane of contention,— an old, white headed member of their socie¬ ty, said there were objections lo my occu¬ pying the house any longer, though he, as an individual, did not object. I then call¬ ed for the objector to rise to his feet, and who should rise but John Andrews, the very man that said he was not opposed to my preaching there ; and tlie only one that did rise, though he called on one of his brethren to get tip. Yet it would not do, there lie stood alone, a sad monument of the Ibice of sectarian bigotry. I very politely returned my thanks to them for the use of their house, told them they had done nobly. The sermon, I think, will have a good cffecl. In fact the majority of the society arc in favor of Baptist prin¬ ciples; the worldlings are enlisted in my favor, and say that they intend I shall have a house to preach in. Wc have no¬ thing to fear, this cause will make for the interest of Baptists. I shall still keep up my regular appointments, at a school- house one mile from the former point, un¬ til the people can build a house. I hope I shall be able to report some Baptisms before the end of the year, i ask an in¬ terest in the prayers of tlie Board. Yours truly, J. F. Arnold. ously employed than their mothers. These little Misses have taken their own private funds, and purchased the lie- nccessary materials, and their own fingers are engaged in making useful garments for the self-denying missionaries. it is pleasing to see these early bud¬ dings of benevolence. These humble ef- forts to contribute to the .necessities of l nosc"w ho afo'jireaClfiBgrfltSrgtepcno' poor, will leave impressions upon their own minds, which will exert a benevo¬ lent happy influence upon their future life. It will be gratifying to the missionary family when they look upon nnd handle the garments, the handy-work of those little, willing fingers. Hope for the fu¬ ture will lie inspired. Л more zealous generation is coming. Arkansas. Bro. Kennard of Brtesville, says : " 1 1 assisted in the organization of a church in j Fulton county, Arkansas, consisting of 12 J members ; one of whom, Bro. Cochran, is ^ a promising general licentiate. At their j next meeting there will he some 8 or 10 I more additions. ! Datesville is, and will continue to be, an important place. It is rapidly improving, j The Baptist church is weak, it numbers j 49 members, three of whom are black. Most of the members are poor. We ought J to have a man of commanding talents and , dccp-loncd piety, to devote his entire time . to this point. If the Board could select Missouri. Rev. E. K. Fort, Stulville : " During the last quarter I have travelled 550 miles, delivered 40 sermons, and 8 exhortations, More Boxes Needed. Two more— one for tlie family of Bro. Moffatt, a missionary to the Choctaws, and one for the family of Bro. Slovcr, among tlie Cherokees. To each of these families, a box of substantial clothing would be equally usofnl and acceptable. Tlie salary of all these missionaries is very small compared with their neces¬ sary expenses. Clothing of all kinds is extremely high in those nations. Mis¬ sionaries also must entertain a great deal of company, which greatly increases their family expenses. All public meetings and Associations are attended with much expense. The missionaries are expected to bear a very considerable portion of it. I heard them stale that they rarely passed through a camp-meeting, or an Associa¬ tion, without its costing them fifty dollars. Will not other sisters take up these last mentioned families, and тзке them a good box and forward? Others might send them a bill of gro¬ ceries. Coffee and sugar at twenty-five cents a pound, makes a large place in a small salary. baptized 2 persons. My field consists of four entire counties and one-half of two others. I have a hard time. There arc but few missionary Bap¬ tists in my field. Thcyare mostly Metho¬ dists, Campbellites and Anti-mission Bap¬ tists. The Lord being my helper, Г hope lo accomplish some good here. I have succeeded in gaining their attention my last tour of preaching there was unu¬ sual feeling manifested in the congrega- Creeks. „ A letter from Bro. Buckner, received during our absence, contains statements of interest to the cause, and we give the following extracts: “ We do need two more missionaries to the Creeks,— one to the Seminoles,and one or two more' to the Cherokees and Chocktaws. Besides, we are rather in¬ debted to the Osages, from the fact that a certain sistn bequeathed $500. for the support of a missionary to that tribe, and the old Board at Louisville failed to ap¬ propriate the money to that object . 1 have an indistinct recollection, that brother S., , of Ky., mentioned such a fact to me. I “ know that others have spoken of jure- ^ out-posts here are net well “ Our