The Christian Messenger. (Bonham, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 31, Ed. 1 Wednesday, August 18, 1875 Page: 2 of 4
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Fannin County Area Newspaper Collection and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Bonham Public Library.
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B#b. L. B. Grogan will preach at
Bradford’s school-house next Sat-
urday night, and also on Lord’s day.
--m » ^—;-
Dr. W. H. Hopson Has accepted
the presidency of Christian Univer-
sity, Mo.
■■■ » % m-
Bro. Z. T. Sweeney reports 67
additions at a-meeting at Jonosville,
Indiana.
The full result of Bro. Elgan’s
mooting in Hunt county, up to the
close, was 33 additions to the church.
-^ ^--
Bro. Knowles Shaw held a meet-
ing five weeks, in his big tent, at
Sterling, 111., and closed with 70
additions.
Bros. Scott and Parker, two
Bethany students, have during va-
cation held two meetings that result-
ed in 148 additions to the church.
Bro. Tate, another student, has
added 52, at two meetings in Ohio.
-m m m-
The state meeting of tho Christ-
ians of Kentucky commences the
7th of September. Bro. Lamar is
to preach the introductory' sermon,
and Bro. J. S. Sweeney is to speak
at night.
-m » ^-
A general debate has been going
on at Rodney, Canada, between the
Presbyterians and Baptists, on the
subject ot baptism. A number of
able preachers have been engaged
on cither side.
The venerable Dr. N. L. Rice
(Presbyterian) was recently inter-
viewed at Fulton, Mo. In speaking
of Alexander Campbell he said: “He
was a great man ; he was one of the
distinguished men of his time.”
—i ■ ■ 'm--
• We have some of tho advanced
sheets of Bro. Hayden's new book,
“History of the Disciples on the
Western Reserve.” It will contain
many thrilling incidents of the rise
and progress of the reformation,
and doubtless be a very interesting
work.
President Burgess, of Christian
University, Ind., recently held a de-
bate with Dr. tJndorwood, the cel-
ebrated infidel of Boston, at the
town of Aylmer, Ontario, which re-
sulted in a great victory for the
truth. After the discussion some
fifty persons were baptised.
-m ■ ^-
Bro. Elgan writes from White
Rock, Hunt county: “lam still
preaching at this place. Meeting
will likely be continued some days
yet. We have, up to this time, 24
additions. Interest still increasing.
\Large attendance. Bro. L. B. Grognn
' is here, and is assisting mo in the
meeting. I send you two more sub-
scribers.”
Dr. Bledsoe, editor of the Meth-
odist Southern Review, the ablest
journal in that denomination, says
that we must forever cut loose ftom
that old lallacy of Calvinism, that
“conversion is the power of God.”
The soul must be converted, if con-
verted at all, by moral means, not
by physical force. The Doctor is
right here, though he may get him-
self turned out of the church for
expressing his viows so plainly.
-m 9 ^-
A man that was condemned to be
hung at Atlanta, Ga., was visited by
a Methodist and Baptist preacher
and Catholic priest, ail at the same
time. They raised a discussion up
on their differences and tho excite-
ment ran so high the jailer had to
turn them out of the prison, and
ibe poor sinner had to dio “without
benefit of clergy.”
■■■• m 9 m-
Wo call special attention to the
new advertisement ot “Bonham
Christian College,” in tho Messen-
ger this week. Prof. F. J. Aber-
nathy has withdrawn from tho In
stitation, and Chas. Carlton, Jr., a
late graduate of Bethany College, is
now one of the teachers. The
school Is oornpleto in all its'dei*art-
inents, and its prospects for the fu
ture are bright indeed. We com-
mend it to the brotherhood through-
out the state as a good place to ed-
ucate their tons and daughters.
My Dear Friend :—Owing to an
unusual press of business of lute, I
have delayed writing to you fbr sev-
eral months, and would not du so
now had you not_in your last inti-
mated that I was under promise to
give you an article or two on an-
other feature of the question, and
that I had stopped short at the most
interesting pact of the subject. It
will be remembered that we were
just ready to take a scientific view
of the question, and that I told you
I would show, not only from reason
aud Scripture, but from science also,
that the Methodist theory of con-
version is erroneous. It is taught
by tho preachers, and I presume you
believe it, that tho heart of the sin-
ner is made anew at the mourner's
bench, that he literally receives a
now heart and a new nature, and
that his old Adamic nature is cruci-
fied and destroyed. lie was totally
depraved before his conversion, and
could not do a good deed or think a
good thought—his thoughts were
only evil and that continually—but
now he has received a new nature,
pure as an angel’s from the sky.
Now, this I squarely deny. The
nature a man is born with he carries
with him through life, though this
nature may be improved, or corrupt-
ed,- by the teaching he receives
and the practices of his life. His
nature is not totally depraved, nat-
urally, and is not literally regener-
ated or transformed or made anew
in conversion. But understand, that
I believe as firmly as any one in a
‘change of heart,’ and I recognise
that the Methodists have this change
of heart. They do not, however,
obtain it at the mourner’s bench, but
where the truth first strikes convic-
tion into their minds, which is be-
foro they go to the mourner's bench.
Conviction is faith. A change ot
heart is a change of views and pur-
poses, not a literal regeneration of
a person’s nature. Wo carry our
nature with us through life. It is
tho “body of death” mentioned by
Paul, from which wo are never de-
livered until we lay it down in the
grave. We can obtain the mastery
over it, but can never be separated
from it. Why is it that Christians
who have been regenerated, and
have this new nature alluded to, will
get into a passion and lot their evil
tempers rise, sometimes ? And have
wicked thoughts or desires? Are
they not new creatures, with now
hearts and souls, born of God? Why
is it then ? Do you say it is tempt-
ation, a temptation from tho Devil,
that the ‘Old Boy’ gets into them ?
Surely not. You can not believe
that the Devil ever actually enters
into people nowadays, especially
Christian people! There is no
proof qf the fact. It is only tho
impulses of their nature—tho effect
of the action of certain organs of
the brain that are trying to assert
the preponderance over the man
that they did before his conversion.
They have been kept under sinco ho
was taught by the truth that they
were wrong and that he could and
should kefip them under. But they
are not destroyed. When a man is
converted at the mourner’s bench, is
he not the same man he was before ?
Has he not the same body and brain
he had iiofore? His viows are
changed, and what he before loved
ho now hates. This is done by
teaching him what is lovable aiul
what is hateful. How is a sinner
"brought to lfeve Jcsns? By showing
him that in the character of Jesus
that is lovable. Phrenology teach-
es that tho human brain is composed
of different members, and that they
grow and expand as the}' are culti-
vated or exercised, and tho larger
they are tho more influence they
have over the character and life of
the individual. It teaches that they
can bo cultured and that man is re-
sponsible for their culture. If Mr.
A cultivates tho organ of Destruc-
tiveness, by a vicious life, until it
grows to be large in size, and then
goes off to your Methodist revival
and is “born again” at the mourn-
er’s bench, what goes with that organ
of his brain? Is it destroyed? lias
he got a new set of brains in his
head ? Or is it only his views arc
changed by tho power of truth, and
he is taught that he must now keep
umjerfhat tmrt of his nature that
will lead him into trouble uud . in ‘
opportunity arise, a temptation over-
take him, and that same attribute of
his mind will endeavor to assert its
old preponderance and drive him in-
to sin, and it requires an effort on tho
part of his belter nature to over-
come it. And this is the “war in
his members,” alluded to by Paul.
If we “train up a child in tho way
it should go,” as advised by Solo-
mon, theso baser organs will be kept
in restraint from infancy, and will
never exercise a controlling, influ
euce over the life and character of
the child, and it will be apparently
an easy task for it to live a true and
pious life. Science and Scripture go
hand in hand. Phrenology abhors
the idea of a direct operation of the
Holy Spirit in conversion, and that
a man is instantaneously regenerated
and made a new creature and given
a new’ nature that knows no sin.
Hence, there is not a raau in Amer-
ica to-day, who understands mental
science and believes it true, (and all
believe it true who understand it,)
that can for a moment accept the
Methodist theory of conversion. 1
have never seen one—I have nqver
heard of one. I was once talking
with a physician who was an educa-
ted man, aud a Baptist; and I said
to him that I could*not see how he
could entertain the Baptist idea of
regeneration, for as a physician he
must know enough of the human
organism to know that this notion
of a literal ro-craation of ourpiature
was contrary to all science and rea-
son. lie replied: “ I thank God
that I have been able to throw phre-
nology to tho dogs ! It is antago-
nistic to religion, and although I
can not dispute the truth of it, I
will not believe it! ” it was in vain
that we assured him that there was
no antagonism between the science
and the Bible, but that they were
both true and agreed throughout
most beautifully; that it was only
his unscientific theoryo: religion that
phrenology contradicted. He would
have it ihat phrenology was infidel-
ity. It opposed his theory of a
direct operation of the Spirit ot
God upon tho soni of man, and that
was enough. Phrenology touches
that man is a responsible creature*
and that religion tuts to bo TAunirr
into him ; bence it agrees with the
commission, “Go teach all nations.”
It abhors predestination, total de-
pravity, final perseverance, and
sanctification ; but tenches responsi-
bility, free agency, free will, growth
in spiritual life, and a gradual in-
crease and elevation of all the facul-
ties that make man a purer and
nobler and better being.
Yours in sincerity, .
B.
and bis own faith in the resurrection
unto life. Tho person who intelli-
gently embraces the’ Savior as re-
vealed in the gcfcpel preached by
Paul, has all the above elements of
the Christian life and character, and
thus fulfills the law of the Lord.
God and Christ and tho Holy Spirit
receives such a person, aud he is en-
rolled among the saints in the
Lamb’s book of life. Such a person
is approved by • all the heavenly
hosts, and disapproved by all the
hosts of the self-styled orthodox.
Tho comfort in this is, that God’s
ways are not as man's ways. Tho.e
who follow God must bear the scoffs
and sneers and taunts of those who
do not harmonize with God and his
plan of saving sinners. If we suf-
fer with Him, we shall also be glori-
fied together. Suffer then for the
truth’s sake. C.
No. 31.
A man in Ohio hid for half a day
under a hog pen rather than testby
in a lawsuit.
A Minnesota woman slaughtered
48 bushels of grasshoppers, and g« t
§1 a bushel for them.
A parrot in Dubuque recently set
two dogs to fighting by his natural
imitatiou oi the human “Sic ’em! sic
’em!”
It is said, that Ross, chief of the
Cherokees, has not been assasinated,
as was reported.
FROM TIIE FIELD.
are
Farmington, Texas, )
Aug. 14,1875. j
Bros. Carlton & Burnett :
I send you three names for the
Messenger, and would enclose the
money were I at McKinney. I can
not get a post office order here. I
have 814 00 for the Messenger, and
hope to collect more en route for
home. I wrill forward when I got to
McKinney again. Our meeting was
progressing finely up to this rain.
Nine had been immersed upon
profession of tho faith. Wo
hoping to continue soon. We were
disappointed ia not having Bro.
Carlton with us. Bro. W.G. Rey-
nolds is with us in labor. I send
you notes of travel from Wills'
Point. You must excuse me for
writing with a pencil, as I am lrom
homo without pen and ink, and it
rains too hard to go and buy for my-
self. I will write again from Mc-
Kinney, the Lord willing. Breth-
ren Clark and C. M. Wilmoth had a
good meeting at Hackberry Grove.
Nine had been added when I left
home. May the Lord enable us to
do a good work during the season.
Your brother in Christ,
11. C. Horn.
PASTORS AND TEACHERS.
Editors Christian Messenger:
It is believed from Dan to Beer-
sheba, that evangelists should be sup-
ported. But, what about tho elder}
who labors in word and doctrine,
the pastors, or local teachers ? Do
they not lose much time iri study
and work ; and is not their wmrk
more difficult and delicate ? And, is
not the duty of the churches to
pay them for the time lost in their
service ? Or, shall they demand
these men’s labor and time for noth-
ing? Every church ought to have
one teacher, and, all other things be- Ax a mcetini, Qf the disciples of
ing equal, he should be the wisest, j j*orth Texas, held at Plano, Collin
Under his watch-rare the few wkojcount December 20, 1873, for the
are qualified m mind and heart for pUrj)0ft0 of establishing a
teaching and preaching, could he de-
veloped. Why so many teachers ?
If all were the mouth, where were
the ear ? Arc all teachers ? 1 Cor.,
xii, 20. My brethren, be not many
teachers. James ill, 1. What is the;
80KKAE CHRISTIAN CCLLESE.
purpose of teaching? To produce
charity out of a pare heart, and faith
Christian College for' Males and
Females,
Bonham was selected as the location
for such College; and tho school
known as “Bonham Seminary,”
having been tendered to the' con-
vention. was accepted by them for
unfeigned. 1 Tim. l, 5. A lew ex- j a‘c purpose of opening said College,
traordinary men could do this sue-; ^ committee was appointed to pro-
cessfuliy without financial support, j cure fr°m ^bo Legislature a cnartcr
but they could do better with it. Mhr .the Institution, which charter
They must also preach the gospel, having been obtained, the trustees
and God has also ordained that the}'! n,e* Bonham on the _iOth of June,
shall live of it. Herc-is tho road to 11^'L and organized the College ac-
death: 1. Discharge tho preacherifording to the provisions ol the
from home duty and send him “ into charter. .
all the world.” 2. Fill his place by ^he second annual session of
an elder who labors on the farm six Bonham Christian Collage will
days in tho week. 3. And then I°Pen
what? Why, in Jess than six | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1875,
months that church will be trying to I And continue Forty Weeks,
get some competent teacher to come j The location of thc College is
and set them in order again. After I oJ tho bctjt in lbe SlaUj lor
winch he will 4 go into all tliej health, intelligence, and good mor-
world, and tluU church will go into I a,8 There arc not here the temp-
ail the world, ,oo. Better, far tetter j tationa incident to railroad centers,
select some man with clear head and
good heart, who will be able by
study, to draw the brethren togeth
or and instruct them, and every
brother give a portion of his time
or tho proceeds of it to him, so that
he may give his time to -the work.
Now brother, if you try to show
and young men and women ran
pnrsue their studies without inter-
ruption.
Tho course of study is full, ai.d
students will only be passed from
one grade to another as their attain-
ments will warrant.
The accommodations* of tho Col-
to .the subject, but don’t stick long,
unless you drive a lazy quill.
Yours in love.
Another Old Fogy.
NOTES OF TRAVEL.
that this is not G.hLs plan, stick close j ]c^,0 are first-class, being supplied
with thc best seats. r'. .qp
The whole control and manage*
ment of tho Sch->ol will he in the
hands of Mr. Carlton, (Mj\ E. J.
Abernathy buying resigned), assist-
_ od by O. T. Curjton, and such othef
I competent Jeucfiera as the wants of
Lady Flora Hastings, of the nobil- fj,e departments shall rw-
Tlio Religious World.
NUMBER TWO.
An Incident.
On Wednesday last we were called
upon to baptize an individual on thc
confession of his faith in Christ.
This event was peculiar, in tho fact
that the young man gathered up his
clothes and followed his father, who
When wo arrived at Wills’ Point
a report was in circulation that we
would begin the next week. _ It took
some time to make tho change
know’n. I began to speak to the
few assembled at the M. E. Church
on Thursday ni ht. The people,
ignorant of our plea, came through'
curiosity. 1 found a few brethren
in and around the Point who seoni to
be anxious to have help to build up
tho cause of the Redeemer. They
all seomed to havo their hearts in.
the work. I mot a Bro. Gray here
who is doing good as a preacher and
teacher. Among tho brethren and
sisters that I met here, was a very
remarkablo old lady. She could
not read, but was better acquainted
with the toachi gs of Christ and the
Apostles than many teachers whom
I have mot. She can quote the
Scriptures and explain them. She
says that her book gives her no
ity of England, has gone over to
the Catholics.
Sixty Methodist preachers were
"present at thc sea-shore ramp meet-
ing near Biloxi, La.
Tho St. Louis Christian Advocate
(Methodist) puts croquet down in
thc same list with billiards and
cards.
Ono hundred and fifteen mission-
aries have gone to foreign lands
from Mt. llolyoke Seminary, Mass.
Archbishop Purcell is one Catholic
that does not oppose public schools.
A great revival has been going on
among the Mothodists at Seymour,
Ind., in which 300persons professed j
conversion.
quire.
Thorough w ork will he required
of every *Ui !«»*, and nut corres-
pondence ami ttmipa^y Iwj'isg bo- . *
tween the young men and women
of the school, or others. Those
who cannot comply with this, need
not apply.
Thc Music Department and Or-
namental Work will bo complete
and thorough.
A liberal patronago is asked f«*r
the school, and thc lioarty co ofv ra-
tion of ail the patrons is earnestly
asked.
terms PER MONTH — (Four Weeks.)
Primary, - - . 82.00 to $3.00
Sub Collegiate, - 4.d0 .
Collegiate, - 5.00
Music—Piano, - 0.00
Matriculation Fee for Library, 2.50
Boarding ran be had with tho
. tight to call the “ pious unim-
had started to town, that ho might j mersed,” brethren, and she won’t do
there confess thc Christ and obey it. She has no children of hcrown,
him in the command, “ be baptized.” ; but ^as raised several. I baptized
How plain the Gospel is to those Itwo yo,in6 ktaies w hom sue had
who will hear what the Sp-nt saya
to the world and the church. How
dark, mysterious and difficult to
According to last census there arc priiaio lamflies,
in the United State 03,000 chureh moDU‘- W“d““* ^
edifices. I Students ran entea ut anytime,
The Methodists have bceu holding ; 1° ^1C advantage at the
opening of the session.
No deduction except for siq^ncss
of over two weeks' continuance.
CHAS. CARLTON, A. M.
CHAS. T. CARLTON. A. B.
thoso who turn an unwilling ear to
God’s word ! The young umn above
referred to had been attending
a protracted meeting of the usual
kind, where the sinner is taught to
believe and expect that God will
specially and-pcrsonally and direct-
ly reveal himself to tho sinner, and
that the sinner must pray and labor
and wait Tor such a manifestation.
As common in many cases, he be-
came interested in the subject of his
salvation, and did as tho preacher
and hi's co-laborers taught him to
do; but, when he was taught the
way of thc Lord more perfectly, by
seeing how sinners under the Apos-i ^((f to be first ever performed
folic preaching became saint*, ho in the place. Considering tho circum
taught the way of the Lord. She is
sixty years old, yet she never missed
a discourse, day nor night, while I
stayed. She rodo six miles to hoar
me. I consider sister Langfort a
remarkable woman. On Lord’s day
the Methodists had preaching in
their house. I met tho brethren and
sisters in a vacant store-house be-
longing to Bro. Hodges, and spoke
to them on “ Faith and Love.” We
broko tho loaf aftor preaching. I
spoke again at the store house at
night to a good audience. On Mon-
day we spoke at tho church, and con-
tinued over Tuesday night. We had
good audiences for the place. The
order was generally good, and re-
flects credit upon the society at
Wills’ Point. Two of the Metho-
dist preachers were out one night.
1 suppose they got their “jugs full,”
as they did not show themseives af-
terwards. The immersions were
came and cheerfully confessed his
faith in Christ,and was buried with
•stances, wo had a very good meet-
ing. 1 believe tho seed are sown
i . , , .. • . i ,i , , * | that will bring forth good fruit. My
l,,m h> Upturn, into deth, that hojh„mo KbUo "huru £a8 with Bg.
might walk in newness of life. This Hr. Bohannon and wife. In the
is tho way the hearers of the Aj>os-
tles did, without any mourner's bench
or altar of pray or, or any of flic
means and appliances of these times.
We want tho sinner to havo faith in
Christ; a faith that overcomes the
world, and'a repentance unto jite, a
godly sorrow that needs not to be
regretted, a lull and hearty confes-
daytimo I was kiudly received and
entertained by Bro. aiul Sister
Hodges, Bro. and Sister Brown, and
also l»y several families who were
not brethren. Any preacher calling
on any of these brethren will meet
a Christian greeting, and find a use-
ful field for labor. I shall long re-
member them for their kindness and
liberality. Will not snrue preaching
brother rail at Wills’ Point? I ar-
a national camp meeting at Old Or-
chard, Mo., with 15,900 people in
attendance.
Frederick Marsh, a blind man,
has completed a divinity course at
Durham University, England.
Buddhism and modern rationalism
are about identical.
Chicago has a Sunday theater.
---^ ^-
A MINISTER’S STUDIES.
Luther’s maxim was admirable:
“ Bene orasso ost bene studuisse ”—
no studios woll who prays well.
Prayer is the best kind of study;
first in itself, and second, because it
guides and regulates all other study.
No man ran study aright, who does
not study with prayer- “Not to
read or study at all,” says Quesnol,
“ w to tempt God ; and to do nothing
but study, is to forget the ministry;
to study only to glory in one’s
knowledge, is a shameful vanity; to
study in search of tho means to flat
ter sinners, is a deplorable prevari-
cation ; but to store one’s mind with
the knowledge proper to thc saints
by study and by prayer, and to dif-
fuse that knowledge in solid instruc-
tions and practical exhortations—
this is to be a prudent, zealous, aud
laborious minister.”
Add to this the remark of Bishop
Wilkins as to tho communication of
one’s studies to others. What is
thorough and prayerful will bo plain.
“The greatest learning is to be seen
in tho greatest plainness. The more
clearly we understand anything our-
selves, the more easily can we ex-
pound it to others.”
LOUISVILLE DEBATE.
This debate presents the very la-
test phase of the controversy on the
Action, Subject and Design of Bap-
tism. It is the result of a large
imount of labor and investigation
on the part of the disputants, aud
was puoltshcd after the same parties
had publicly discussed thc questions
involved four times in many diff-
erent places. No one who wishes
to be j*)ared on theso questions
should neglect to purchase it and
read it. Large octavo, cloth, 708
pages. Price, $3.00,
CUKMUNIMG8 IN THE SANC-
TUARY.
By R. Richardson, a series of de-
votional meditations written in the
author’s most attractive style;
printed on tine unted paper, bound
in cloth, elegantly embossed in
black and gold. A veiy suitable
giil to any one. Pnoc $1,00. «
. . - -..... -......0 — --------- ‘Studies ..., m„
sion ol Christ’s name, and the one rived at home and found all well.! prayer, though concerned with the Price 81 50.
1... •-.« 1.... i 4 . l.-.ll . 1. ^: ! 1 I * - 11 ...I I >4 IN! I t tr ■ 1 • X . ‘ » > * . ’ ’
COMMENTARY ON ACTS OF
APOSTLES.
(by j. w. MCGARVKT.)
This work is the only Commenta-
ry on any |*art of thc Scriptures yet
published by any of oar brethren.
It has rcccivod the highest^ommen-
dation from nearly all of the chiof
men among us; and* is felly estab-
lished as a standard work. Its pop-
ularity among tho people is evi-
dent from the fact that nearly seven
thousand copies of it have beer sold,
Studies that and that it is still soiling at the rate
are gainod in prayer are the most of about fivo hundred copies per an-
useful to ourselves, and most edity- j num. It is published at this office,
itig to others. Studies gained in Ortavo, femnd in cloth, 300 pages.
baptism that shall show his willing Heard Br<>. A. Clark pr.qich at Hack-1 highest mysteries, are always simple i
-obc h L' i to Chris!, the law giver, berry at night. R. C. Hoax. and plain.
Address A|H>stoli«.
Lexington, Ivy.
Ti mes office.
N
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Burnett, Thomas R. & Carlton, Charles. The Christian Messenger. (Bonham, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 31, Ed. 1 Wednesday, August 18, 1875, newspaper, August 18, 1875; Bonham, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth974484/m1/2/?q=Christmas+AND+slave: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Bonham Public Library.