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CHEROKEE PHfflTIX
•' AWD INDIANS’ ADVOCATE.-
CHEROKEE NATION, PROPRIETOR, EDITED BY ELIJAH IIICKS.
\oh. v.
IVEW ECHOTA, CHEROKEE NATION, SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 1833.
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From tlio Connecticut Observer.
BEECHER’S LECTURES,
i second of the series of lectures
■pticisin by Dr. Beecher, was de-
don Sunday evening, May 19th.
house was crowded, and the au-
i included a large pul'tion of the
itellcct and intelligence of ouT
The text was Hebrews v, 12.
Doctor opened his lecture by
ling to thft modes of acquiring
ledge. All science and knowl-
ipends on first principles. There
; principles in respect to the na-
iniverse, and first principles in
into mind and moral government,
exist in all the departments of
ivine system, and are obvious in
liter which may be made the sub
consciousness, or intention, or
or obvious analogy, or testimo-
riiey lie at the foundation of ev-
Isuperstructure. They are tho
i throwing their light ahead to
nur footsteps and lead our reason
iloriug the truths which arc more
lito. In studying law, medicine,
other science, wc lirst become
of its elementary principles.—
truths of revealed religion should
idied in the same way. Theolo-
Ia science, and has its first princi-
No one would think of plunging
ie midst of mathematics or as-
iy, without any elementary
ledge of the subject. Yet peo-
think they can understand the
lot of Divine government, without
, or reliection, or any knowledge
first principles. They are mista-
■theology must he studied careful-
'stematieally and with honesty of
iic.
ic lecturer resumed the enumera
ble cause of scepticism.
The pushing of investigations
rat first principles, and competent
rations, and competent study, is a
pil cause of scepticism. Such is
dependence of high and sublime
is on those which are obvious, that
un, who neglects the elements of
ledge, can ever unlock her secret
teries. What mind can reach the
„ of mathematics, or the heights
-ironomy, or the secrets of chemis-
wilhout the alphabets of these soi
ls? What progress was ever made
acquisition of‘knowledge, with-
s aid of elementary principles?
iwithout compass, lamp, or guide,
pliliige into the profound of the-
and rend and tare away, and
up the subject, until, in dospe-
or despondency, they end their,
>-*8 labors in a state oi scepticism.
Pushing investigations beyond tho
J aries of knowledge, is a cause of
ifagement and scepticism—going
d the sphere of consciousness,
ion, the senses, analogy, and eVi-
1, into tho region of theory, and
■“ ht of conjecture. This is of-
__ by men of vigorous u minds,
indencc and high daring—and,
. like, they launch out into the
wlless space, but having gone be-
' all the centripetal force, they fall
ir own density amid the bogs and
„ Jires of chaos, or become wauder-
*tars to whom is reserved the black-
of darkness forever. Or like the
iturous navigator, without coin
chart, they launch out on an un-
- sea, tempest-tost and not com-
I, straining the eye upon darkness
ie constant expectation of the
ng out of some great light, to
i is still reserved the mist oi dark-
For though their strength were
to that of Polyphemus, it is ex-
without vision, in smiting on the
waters only to raise a mist around their
own heads.
3. Another cause of scepticism is to
be found in the society of sceptical men,
who are scoffers, and partisans in the
unhallowed war against revealed reli
gion. All men who are unsettled in
their minds are not scoffers—many be
lieve in the utility of the Christian reli
gion, and no sooner than a believer
would they impair its influence on other
minds. But there are those whose evil
communications corrupt good man
ners, kc.
4. It cannot be denied that the creeds
of reformation have been made by ma
ny, the occasion of stumbling. They
were written in the midst or ardous de
bate, and with the eye fixed chiefly on
the errors and philosophy of the day,
and of course some of the allusions and
expressions familiar then are in a de
gree obsolete. They present truth
also, rather in isolated propositions
than as the symmetrical parts of God’s
moral government They give the re
sults of controversy without showing
tne Steps by which great and gifted
minds arrived at their conclusions.—
They are mere skeletons —bounda
ries—not expositions of the book of
God. Hence the enemies of religion
always lay hold of our creeds. i
The evil is aggravated by the carica
tures of the Calvinistic system with
which all sides abound.
5. A false estimate of the attributes
and prerogatives of a reason. The
Doctor considered reason as a faculty
uf the mind acting on evidence of mor
al fitness. It is reasonable to believe
in the presence of competent evidence.
11» Nat. Philosophy whatever accords
with the laws of matter is reasonable,
and h.\ moral government and theology,
whatever accords with the nature of
mind and the principal of law. The
fallacy is, that loose and false concep
tions of reason are adopted. It is made
by some a god, clothed with little less
(ban unerring conscience; or it is a
moral sense, or instinct, which by feel
ing, discriminates infallibly between
right and wrong.
(!. The liberties which modem crit
ics have taken with the inspiration and
exposition of the bible, lead directly to
the undermining of public confidence.
IIaving decided by reason what the bi
ble ought to mean, the next effort is to
make it so understood—to bend its
stubborn dialect—to stop its mouth—to
make it prophesy aright by the rock—
or lop off incorrigible passages, which
cannot be made to compromise.
7. The confounding the physical and
moral power of God is another evil.—
The physical omnipotence of God ex
tends to the doing of whatever in the
nature of things can be done in relation
to matter. Moral omnipotence is the
capacity to do by the laws and moral
influence whatever is consistent with
the nature of mind. God did not make
the sun and solar system to go by law,
nor the mind to be governed by force.
Now many confound these distinctions,
and inquire, ‘why did not God make us
believe? He is good, why does he not
make us good?’ &c.
8. Mental dissipation. There are
multitudes who think their thoughts.
9. Some fall in scepticism from the
habits of dissipation.
10. Undefined conceptions of the na
ture of experimental religion, and de
fective unworthy exhibitions of it, some
times by good men. The Doctor was
full and very happy in his illustration of
this cause.
11. Implicit confidence in the distin
guished talents of men who have been
unbelievers- It is taken for granted
that these have examined, and found
good reason for their belief—that they
have examined with candor. But this
is generally not true of them. They
commonly have not read—never studi
ed the bible, and most, often are under
the bias of prejudice or an unholy life.
Freethinkers, as they are called, claim
to think independently, yet are guilty
of the inconsistency of pinning their
faith to great names, because they say,
such men as Hume, Voltaire, &c.
could not be mistaken.
The remedies of scepticism are two
fold; studying fairly the evidence of
the gospel, and living according to it.
The course is direct and experimen
tal, and consists in abandoning specu
lation, and the concentration of the en
tire mental energy upon reducing to
practice the plain undeniable truths of
natural and revealed religion, with re
ference to the immediate attainment
and exhibition of the Christian charac
ter and practice. This is the theory of
that declaration of our Saviour: ‘If any
man do his will lie shall know of the
doctrine whether it be of God, or whe
ther I speak of myself.’ Ascertain by
a sober perusal of tho bible what Chris
tianity is as a religion of the heart, and
as distinguished from creeds, and forms
and external conducts. Enter upon
the inquiry with humble determination
ol obeying the gospel—corroborate
this resolution by a rigid non-inter
course with all topics ofperplexing ten
dency. Refrain from associates and
habits of thought and conduct which
would be liable to impair the intensity
of your purpose. Read, meditate, and
pray sincerely. Some minds are so
constituted as to require different treat
ment: let such go back to first princi
ples, in the society and confidence of
some able and experienced friend.—
The doctor also recommended the stu
dy of Butler’s Analogy. He said that
in the course of a long experience he
had never known these remedies fail,
when fairly and honestly applied.
From tho Boston Recorder.
MR. BADGER’S ADDRESS.
At the late Anniversary of the Massachu
setts Missionary Society.
Mr. President.—The Report which
we have just heard, ought not only be
published, but it ought to be read, to
every church, and by every Christian,
in this Commonwealth;—that it maybe
known in the church, and that grati
tude may go up from it to God in Hea
ven, that the cause of Home Missions
is beginning to take fast hold of the
hearts and the treasures of the people
of God. I say beginning, to take fast
hold. For I remember liearing, in for
mer reports,—and within a few years
too—of an empty treasury—a treasury
overdrawn to the amount of some thou
sands ; and yet not a dollar had gone
from it farther west than the limits of
the state. The story which describes
the melancholy condition of hundreds
and thousands of the sons of the Pil
grims, who have planted themselves in
our western wilderness, had been told
to the churches, but not a dollar had
gone to their relief, and even our bre
thren who were famishing for the bread
of life at our very doors, had been but
poorly fed,—and the officers of this so
ciety were almost ready to hang their
harps upon the willows, and sit down
and weep over their perishing coun
trymen, because so fetv cared for their
souls.
But the cause of Home Missions has
since received an advocate, who has
not plead in vain. I refer not, sir, to
the untiring energies of our devoted
Secretary. God give him his reward.
I refer to the unearthly eloquence
which has been uttered in its behalf.
The Holy Ghost has overshadowed the
churches. And the Spirit of the High
est has proclaimed: The silver is mine,
and the gold is mine, and the cattle up
on a thousand hills are mine. The
Christian, as ho heard it, started from
his slumbers, crying, Lord, what wilt
thou have me to do? An unseen hand
directed him to the treasury of the
Lord; and there lie deposited his sub
stance. The sinner, too, who was pul
ling down his barns and building great
er, waked by the Spirit of God into im
mortal life, has brought all that he had,
and all he could command, and laid it
down, cheerfully, at the foot of the
cross—consecrating it, with his tears
and his prayers and his brofeen heart.
This, sir, is the secret of our success.
It is not by might nor by power, but by
the Spirit of the Lord. I was remind
ed of this a few days since, as I saw
one recently a busy wordlieg, but now
through grace, a polished stone in the
temple of our Lord,—as I saw him cast
his ten dollar bill into tho annual col
lection which is made for your society,
and as I heard him, a few hours after
ward, in prayer, say, Lord, give us
silver and gold, but not without wisdom
and grace to use it for thee. O give it
to us, that we may know the blessed
ness of doing good with it] but for
nothing else. Our treasure be in hea
ven.
What a glorious object is this Socie
ty seeking to accomplish. Strange
that the churches which Christ has
bought with his blood, should have
slept over it It is no less an object
than to feed these hungry ones, and
clothe those naked ones, of whom
Christ has said, Inasmuch as ye do it
onto one of the least of these my breth
ren, ye do it unto me,—and to furnish
them, not with the meat that perislieth,
nor with garments that wax cold, but
with meat which endureth unto ever
lasting life, and with garments whose
lustre shall outshine the brightness of
the firmament for aver and ever.
Could all the servants of God, who
have been sustained by this society, in
this Commonwealth, the past year,
come up before us one by one and give
an account of their labors, I doubt not,
as we heard them relate how many had
been awakened and converted under
their ministry—how many had been
added to the church—how many had
gathered into the Sabbath school—how
many instructed in the Bible class—
how many had become temperate—
how many tracts had been distributed—
how many mites cast into the treasury
of the Lord—how many difficulties had
been healed—how many mourners
comforted;—I doubt not, as they pro
ceeded, this whole assembly would be
ready to exclaim, What hath God
wrought! Behold how great a matter a
little fire kindleth! Our charity how
small! It was but as the three loaves
and the two fishes in the presence of an
immense multitude. But in the won
der-working hand of Jesus of Naza
reth, it has fed thrice five thousand,
and yet, have we taken up many bask
ets of fragments, anti sent them to our
brethren perishing in the wilderness.
But could these embassadors of
Christ appear before you to make their
report, how small a portion of what has
been accomplished through their instru
mentality could be rehearsed. The re
sults of their labors can never be known,
until it shall be reported to that great
assembly to be convened at the judg
ment seat of God.
And what has been the cost to-the
church of all this labor? Nothing, ab
solutely nothing, will be our reply, if
not now, when wc shall see the fruits
of it in the light of immortality. From
facts well authenticated, it may safely
be said, that the churches aided by this
society, have paid back in various
ways, into the treasury of the Lord,
more than they have received. And
from facts which have been reported,
and from the well hnown nature of that
system of influence, which has been
set in motion, we may confidently hope
that a crown of glory will bo won, for
every incorruptible crown that has beefl
expended, O air, the expense, the
cost of missionary enterprize—it will
not be thought of, when we shall see
one soul, redeemed through their in
fluence, striking his golden harp in the
high praises of God and tho Lamb.
But this society has not confined its
efforts to this Commonwealth. It has,
this year—4o God be the praise—sent
its thousands of dollars westward. Its
missionaries have scattered themselves
among the trees of the forest. They
have been employed there in organiz
ing churches—in establishing Sabbath
Schools—in erecting the temperance
banner—in raising the spirits of mis
sions—in preaching Christ and him cru
cified—in turning the very health of
the desert, into the garden of the
Lord. And this has been only the be
ginning of good things to the places in
which they have labored. It lias been
only laying the foundation on which
other generations are to build. It has
been only planting the root, from which
are to shoot forth branches innumera
ble, whose leaves will be for the heal
ing of tjie nations.
The planting of a church which may
stand through all coming time, and
spread its influence to the ends of the
earth, and bring its multitudes of re
deemed ones to glory, is a great event.
And to be the instrument, honored of
the Almighty, in setting in motion such
a train of influences, is an exaltation to
which angels would count it matter of
joy unspeakable to be raised. And
yet, this exhaltation is within our reach.
Who could desire a finer field for be
nevolent enterprise than is now open
through the channels of this society?
Who could wish to invest capital where
it will yield a larger income than it will
here.'' A few hundred dollars, expen
ded now in organizing and sustaining
churches of Christ in our new settle^
ments, will rool in, at the feet of the
ransomed on the hilT of Zion, a reve
nue of glory, compared with which all
earthly crowns are but toys—all creat
ed worlds but chaff.
I said, the churches of Christ were
beginning to awake to the claims of the
Home Missions. They are only be
ginning. Day light is not yet poured
upon the thick darkness under which
they have slumbered. They do not
yet realize their amazing obligations.
Tour thousand churches, even now,
have no Pastors to break to them the
br^ad of life. There the sick and the
afflicted have no man of God to give
them consolation, and the dying none
to commend their departing spirits to
the Atoning Lamb. There iniquity a-
bounds, and the man of sin holds his
iron sway. When, O when will the
prophet lilt up his voice over nil this
valley, and cry, Yc dry bones, hear
the word of the Lord?
Sir, the churches of Christ, must a-
wake to this great work which God has
gi ven them to do. The cause of Home
missions must be sustained. Not one
flickering light of Zion must be per
mitted to expire. But other lights in
numerable, must be lighted up, and
strung out, rising one above another,
till they shall reach the very going
down of the sun. Then will the light
of the moon, be as the light of the sun,
and the light of the sun will be seven
fold, and the night of ignoranse and in
fidelity and scepticism and popery and
death, will flee away. This work must
be done. And every individual church
must feci under the same obligation to
put her hand to it, and carry it forward,
that she does to provide the elements
for the celebration of her Saviour’s dy
ing love. And every individual Chris
tian must adopt this society into his fa-
ndly—make it as one of his children—
give it an annual stipend—give it his
daily thoughts and his daily prayers—
and give it a place in his last will and
testament. If the cause of Home Mis
sions falters, won will betide every oth
er benevolent enterprize; and woe,
woe, woe, will be written over the
land. But sir,, it must not falter. Ev
ery Christian must thurst out both his
hands to press it steadily forward; and
not*a muscle must he relaxed, nor a
heart faint, till great voicos are heard
in heaven, saying, It rs done. The
kingdoms ol this world have become
the kingdom of Christ. To us, it is
committed, to carry forward the work
to this glorious triumph. And we must
do it,—yes, sir, we must do it, even
if we have to make the sacrifices the
pious peasant made in France, laying
aside a potato a day, and when they
had net these, withholding from their
soup the very salt with which it was
seasoned, that they might give it to
Christ.
From the New York Observer.
FLAT HEAD INDIAN MISSION.
In the Christian advocate and Jour
nal of last week, we find the following
jetter from the Rev. Wilbur Fisk, giv
ing information respecting the measures
adopted by the New England Metho
dist Conferonce in relation to the con
templated Mission to the Flatheadg.
Our readers will rejoice to learn that
before the close of the year 1834, these
interesting heathens will probably hear
the gospel invitation in their own lan
guage.
Middi.etow.v, June 17, 1833.
Dear Brethren,—A brother in Christ
as I doubt not he is, signing himself, a
“Presbyterian,” has recently written
me on the subject of the Flat Head
mission. He says of himself, “that lie
procures a livelihood by the hand of
daily labor, but desires to bear some
humble part in our contemplated dis
pensation of mercy, to this tribe, by
appropriating $5 to those bretnren who
will obey the injunction of our Lord.”
and asks for further information on the
subject of this mission. Now for the
information of this brother, and all oth
ers who may be interested, I would say
that our esteemed brother, Jason Lee
was appointed by Bishop Heddlng, at
the lata session of the New England
Conference, for that mission. Brother
