Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-11-18
Statistics Presented at Meeting in
Norfolk This Week Are Very Eli
couraging.

he meeting CnlS week IN Norio!k
Of the Virginia Baptist General As
socation has been one of the most in
teresting in the history of the Bap-
tist Church in the Old Dominion. The
reports presented this week show
that this denomination is in a pros
porous condition. and the many mem
bers throughout Virginia have much
TO encourage them in their work.
DR.. J. 4. Watts, this week spoke
on the Sunday school and colportagc
work. He reported 13S.000 members
in Sunday schools of Virginia; 5000
conversions, 2,022 normal diplomas
granted during the years of work.
and that 2,Gi9 persons have taken
advanced work.
The report of the Foreign Mis-
sion Board was made by Dr.. K. 3.
Garrett, of Portsmouth. The total
amount given to foreign missions in
1915 was SG,2l0.55. This from all the
Baptists Of the United States. The
only money given by Virginia was
$3.50. This year Virginia Baptists
gave Sl37,000. to foreign missions.
This was 10000 more than was given
by all the Baptists of the south 20
In. tl,A,
have been GAIL converts and II new
churches on the foreign field. Now
have 459 churches and 1862 mem
hcrs. .Ninety-fivc are sclf-supporting
Four hundred and siXty-two Sunday
schools with l0,490 students. Four
hundred and fifty-three mission
schools with 1881 students. Six Of
these are womtn's Bible training
schools with 2OG students. Ten Thco-
logical seminarics with l9l students.
Nineteen medical missionaries, 9 hos
pitfalls and 10 medical dispensaries.
Over shadowiug all other notable
events which have featured the nrc-
ty-third annual meeting of the as
sociation was an address by DR..
Robert Stuart Macarthur. of New
York, president Of the Baptist Worl,!
Alliance, who closed the program Of
the meeting last night. He spoke OIL
5he "Baptists. Their Principles. Their
Progress and Their Prospects," and
his address was pronounced by Bap-
fists the greatest intellectual, rc!ig
ous and inspirational address ever
delivered in this city.
There is nothing too good for
Raptists," he declared, and proved
that the great Tie Deum Laudamus
vas a Baptist hymn, charted anti
phoRally at the baptism of the great
Augustine in the ancient cathedral
of Milan, as he was coming up out
Of the water. And he further de-
clared that the Baptist who does not
love his denomination must have igro-
rancc instead of knowledge in his
brain and ice water instead of blood
in his veins.
Il do not denouncc all crecds," said
DR.. Macarthur. "for they have thpir
usds, but creeds were made by man
in one age and they can be. changed
by man in any other age He be-
walled the fact that the law of Eng
land forces men to adopt a creed
which they do not believe, and would
give praise that American Baptists
have written in the constitution the
separation of Church and State. Il
am a Baptist because by;mother was
taught that the Westminster confess
sion was not right. thank God that
Baptists never rest. on creeds made
by man--they go to God as the ulti-
mate authority.
"Thc greatest evil in Professionalism
today is the custom of infant bap-
tism. All churches that practice this
are offshoots Of Romanists. The time
has come whcn we ought to teach
men and women better regarding
this custom" the speaker said. and
told a graphic personal story Of an
experience with 1ngersnll told him
upon inquiry into his life that this
custom of infant baptism and predes-
tination to eternal Joy of eternal
damnation regardless Of conduct and
character had driven him to believe
that there was no God. And the
speaker said that if he believed the
same thing himself he would have 10
hate Cod.