The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-06-01
Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.
SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION.

/ MASS MEETING-SPEECHES OF REV. DR.. SAM
! son, REV. DIR. BURROWS, AND OTHERS
| NORTHERN MINISTER'S NOT INVITED TO
! sEATs-CHANGE IN CoNsTITUTIoN-Fo-
! REIGN MISsIoNs-THE CONFEDERATE ARMY.
RUssELLvILLE, KY, May "a, 1866.
! An immense crowd collected last night
to hear addresses from Rev. DR.. Samson,
of Washington, ID. c.; Rev. DR.. Lorimer,
of Louisville Rev. DR.. Burrows, of Rich
mond and Rev. NJ. 7. Summer, of Ala
bama.
Rev. DR.. Samson said that our Chris
tianity had not been shipwrecked by the
war. The hulk built by Jesus must ride
the heaviest gale, and float forever. The
south is ruled ont of the political world
perhaps this was intended to drive us to the
| Cross, and make the interests Of the Church
dearer to us. The Scriptures teach that If
we are faithful to God, temporal blessings
will come and the speaker urged that we
trv it amid our present deSolationS. We
should not feel humiliatcd. To be subducd
by brute force is nothing if our principles
arc right. The early Christians, even un-
der the heavy yoke Of Rome, began at
their houses and spread abroad the know
ledge of the truth, and we are called to
" 90 and do likewise"
! After the first American revolution there
was tendency to infidelity, but the fathers
| in Virginia and elsewhere went to the Word
of God and taught the people to take II as
It is. Southern Baptists have the same
mission to-day. Infdelity is rife in the
north. the pulpit has been made mere
arena for political discussion; and we OF
! A. these
with the simple truths Of the Gospel.
Even politicians will respect us more if we
set our faces firmly against politics in the
pulpit. In illustration of this, the speaker
! mentioned that during the highest excite
mcnt of the past war he was called on TO
preach at a church, and on getting there
I found that the United States authorities
had raised the flag over the house of God.
| He refused TO preach because he regarded
! il as an infringement by Caesar of things
that belonged to Cod He wrote to the
! Secretary of War his reasons for refusing
! to preach under the flag, and learned alter
wards from friend that he said on read
! ing the letter, "Samson Is brave fellow,
and he is right" The speaker closed with
an eloquent appeal to his brethren to be
true to their principles and to come up to
the help of the Domestic Mission Board
in disseminating those principles.
/ Rev. Mr.. Lorimcr said that he supposed
he had been called on TO speak because he
was Kcntuckian, and that he expressed
| the universal sentiment OF Kentucky Bap-
fists when he avowcd himself in favor OF
standing bv our own organizations as south
crn BaptistS, and vigorously prosecuting
our work.
The speaker eloqucntly urged that the
| Gospel in its purity is the hope OF the lana,
and that this Board should be sustained
in carving to the destitute, both White and
black, the Word of Life.
! Rev. DR.. Burrows, of Virginia, spoke OF
the great work done i'll the Confederate
army, largely through the instrumcntality
of this Board, and OF the wide field now
open in the destitute parts OF the south.
We must give the Gospel to the negroes
and to the immigrants that come among uS,
in order to mould them to our society
neither cdt,cdtiOn nor lac can mould this
population. The Gospel must do 1t; and
this Board a very important means OF pro-
noting il. Kentucky has done a noble
work for the Board, and old Virginia, God
bless her, is beginning to do something
too.
Rev. NJ. T. Sumner, Corresponding Sc:
crctarv Domestic Mission Board, closed
with an appeal for funds which resulted
in the collection of six hundred and ninety
dollars.