New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-15
Message Of j. r. Winston, President.

Message OF j. r. Winston, President.
To the First Regular Free Mission Association OF
| Louisiana:
| Dear Brethren of the Association-We
day in the Second Baptist Church. the
first church we organized, in the year
1866. The pastor of the church had the
| honor of being the first PRESIDENT. /, your
humble servant, was your first secretary.
| served you seven years in that office faith
| fully, without charge being made against
| me: am happy to say l am your president
| to-day. have served you one year. ! am
also happy to say you have seen fit to elect
me the second time. In the year 1866 this
association was organized with fl We churches
and membership of about 500 members. I
am also happy to say that we have had
added to our numbers about ninety odd
churches, with membership of about
$4,000 or 10000. This will show that we
have not been idle. The pastors who or
gained the society in 1866 we're Rev. George
w. SteptOe, Rev. Thomas Miles, William
Moody, Charles Satchell and Robert Fus.
tan.
am sorry to say two of those pastors
have fallen in the field; they were the VIC
Tins OF death. The Rev. Mr.. Miles was
with us only about two years, and Rev.
He died in the field. He was the pioneer
in this great work, and brought us well on
the way. / would here state, with regret
that don't think that his place can be
filled in this vicinity. Our labors are not
finished, and will not be until we shall
all have passed away, one by one, to meet
our brethren gone before US. l would saw,
in relation to myself, l have served you
faithfully and without prejudices. l have
not been partial to any ene and if there
has been any complaint against me it has
been on account OF carrying out the laws
made by yourselves.
In relation to doing away with the an
nual meeting of this association, this uues-
ton came up, and you have very wisely
voted to sustain your organization, for there
is too much work to be done in this State.
would state, at the same time, the neces-
slty OF consolidating the Free Mission and
Southern Associations, and form an annual
convention OF this State, and home local as
sOciatiOns.
In relation to ministers meddling with
politics, it has been said they ought not to
do it. beg leave to differ with any one
who may say this. l am prepared to prove
the contrary. If this be true, ministers are
not bound by the laws made by the Legis-
!atures and Congress of the great nation.
l hold that every man is subservient to the
laws of his country. ''By the sweat of thv
brow shalt thou labor all the DAYS of thy
ilfe." There are two parts of the mantle
inner and outer man. Politics must govern
the outer man; the inner man feeds on
spiritual food. the necessity of religion,
the existence OF the universe and the ad-
mirable order which reigns throughout
necessarily suppOses wise and powerful
cause. That cause is God.
The necessity of sterling religion, to
belleve IN the existence of God, the i'm
mortality OF the soul, the rewards and
punlshments of the other world, or, at least,
having nothing satisfactory to say against
these great truths, yet to live as though one
were persuaded OF the contrary being the
case, Is an inconsistency which can only
arise either from ignorance or hcentious-
ness; 1t is quite true that the most form
liable enemies of religion are darkness of
mind and depravity of heart.
mere would be fewer unbelievers If re-
lIglOn were better known, and there would
DE nOne-nOt One-were men without pas
siOns.
But neither the guilty negligence of the
one, nor the corruption of the other, can
ever do away with that which is. Now,
the unanimous consent of all nations the
secret consciousness of every MN, the uni
verse and all that it contains, are 80 many
witnesses attesting the existence of God.
The thought, the will and the intelligence
of the soul, all tend to prove its spiritual
ity, and consequently its Immortality.
Such Delng inc case, how are we to &C
count for the supid Indifference of those
who, without precautlon and without fear,
dare to advance toward the fatal point
which must decide their eternal doom2 i
know not, say they, what is to become Of
me; all that can say is that shall one day
die, and on leaving this world shall either
tall into humiliation like the brute, or into
the hand. Of God, to be judged by Him.
Know 1t there b . God, He must punish ALI
HnxA - 60
arepnd tells No God does exist.