The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1889-08-24
RELIGIOUS.

Ths Rev. NJ. L. Martin former
" OF our State, then of Texas
and no0 Of Georgia, has had a
large religious experience this
year. Mr.. Martin has boon accus-
ed by his church at Waco Texas
of teaching heresies also of going
through the country re-baptizipg
people who were already men,
bers Uf the Baptist church.
Tho church at Waco twice has
had Mr.. Martin before it tins
year.
Thu first time he was forgiven
entirely and u compromise was
agreed npon satisfactory to all
concerned.
Mr.. Martin then took hlS news
paper and removed to Georgia
where 1t is again stated that he
returned 10 his old custom. His
chCrch tEen took active measures
in his case, aad took away his
credentials as minister though
he was moi deprived of member
ship as his moral reputation was
without spot or stain.
He took his letter TO Wood
stock Georgia and was there by re-
gular methods again put in tho
work of the ministry and has
recently held a grand meeting at
winch he baptized seventy per
sons and Of this number fifty
three of them came from the
memberships OF Woodstock and
Monday churches Georgia.
THIS has aroused the Baptists
of Georgia and many pastors haye
closed their pulpits against him,
hut this will not deter the activity
Of this aggressive Mississippi
minister.
Without word being said for
the peculiar 4 ,ctrlnes promulgated
by Mr.. Martin, the fact is beyond
dispute that the careful scrutiny
once practIced by Baptist minis
ters, before receiving persons into
their churches has been totally
disrcgardcd in this section Of
country, and regenrrsted heart
heart no longer is regarded as the
sine que non of nembershi2, and
the result IS that the churches are
aorged with what Mr.. Spurgeon
calls, a fungus Christianity, that
fills them with sorrow and regret
and winch holds back the wheels
Of Ilen very largely.
a converted membership re-
quires CONVEX ted hearts among the
candidates, and this great fact can
only DC known To the candidates
themselves. la the giecd for
numbers this important consider
auon is overlooked, and mcmbers
are taken III and numbered with
the assembly Of the Saints who
are only awakened people, fesllng
an earnest desire IN their saliva
ton, and who have yet never had
the love OF God spread abroad in
their hearts. The Consequence il
the church languIshes and Is IN no
condition to do active service.
These considerations make the
membership Of Baptist churches
one Of the richest mission fields
ia the world and hence men hike
Mr.. Martin are coming IN TO CLEAN
IN these grounds aud gather in
the neglected sheaves.
Careful inquiry reveals the
Alarming fact that a very large
per cenlage of unconvetted peo-
pie have found their way in the
Baptist churches. The highest
estimate The writer has heard
made OF converted people is pat
dowa by a Texas preacher at
scyeniy-tive per cent. Our own
preachers locate the good wheat
Of the churches at from forty to
sixty per cent, while Mr.. Spur
geon, the great London preacher
with wide facilities for Iearning,
in his sermon on "Christ Precious
10 Believers vol. 6, page 253,
puts The clean wheat at but 331
per cent.
In view of these facts It is not
strange that men like Mr.. Martin
should start out to CLEAN in these
terribly neglected helds and that
members under gospel preacblug
( come out and find, not new
conycrscn-for theie Is no such
thing. but a genuine gospel con
version - which the New Birth i