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JOSEPH S. BAKER— Editor.
VOL,. XII.
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HUME MISSION UEPAKTMFM.
IOWA.
From Ilev. J. Seeley, Davenport. Scott co.
‘■During the quarter just closed, 1 have
pleached 85 sermons, ‘attended 20 confer
ence and prayer meetings,.and 12 church
meetings. I have made 113 religions vis
its; baptized 31 persons: aided m organi
zing a church, and travelled in the petlurm
auce of these dirties 481) miles.”
“In giving these details of my labor, my
gratitude is due to the Father of mercies
for die uninterrupted enjoyment of the hgiit
of his count nance. Never has Christ ap
peared to me more precious; never have
souls seemed more inestimably viduahle,—
The little sacrifice (perhaps I ought to
blush for using such an espr ssiou) made
in coining ‘hither lias, thus far, turned out.as
all my trilling sell-dentals herein! re— the
opening of a door to new’ departments ni
usefulness. The assurances giten me by
friends in New York of a reuiembcuu e at
the mercy.seat, have often been a source ol
comfort to me in my trials May they
never be forgotten.”’
Brothel Seeley, writes, that a very inter
esting stale nf iellginiis feeling exists at
several of his stations, that many hopeful
ronvci sinus have ‘occured, ami that the
pr ispeets of .several, churches m rapidly
growing villages sire very encouraging.—
Two of them situated on the wes'l bank ol
the Missisippi, are'now making arrange
ments in erect houses of worship, bile of
which will be of brick.
He also tells the same st irv of the gieat
need of ministers in thatcounirv which so
many others have told, and earnestly de
sires a strong reinforcement on die opening
of the spring. lie speaks of an inviting
field where a minister is much wanted, and
would be .Very comfortably supported with
out any aid from the Society. It is very
<1 -sirahle that one. whose soul is fixed with
solieitude for the welfare of /mu ami the
salvation of fallen nl*‘n, should visit'them
immediately.. Beyond a doubt, there are
litany such among our ministering brethren.
Here, then, is a wide and efl'dual .door
•open for one of them into an unusually ex
tensive field of usefulness. Already more
■than 50.000 souls occupy that fertile,
-healthy and important territory, and thou
sands of others will follow them on each
:suecessive season for years to come. “The
population of every village is multiplying
with almost incredible rapidity, and the
agricultural districts, but as yesterday cloth
ed only in nature’s livery, exhibits, to a
vast extent, and in all directions,- cultivated
farms burdened with rich harvests, with
comfortable habitations, and happy occu
pants. This is the place for ministers who
love to do good—whose study is to know
how and where they can do the most good
in the shortest time. It is anew world,
opening new fields for religious labor—a
new theatre for the acquisition of ministe
rial reputation, . influence and usefulness,
and where, though secondary in its nature
and in the plans of the man of God, his
temporal condition will soonest and most
effectually be imptoved, and a better provi
sion can be made for his: children. He
that keepelh this fig tree shall eat the fruit
thereof. Benj. M. Hill. Onr. Sec.
Clmrcli Discipline.
A GENERAL view of the subject.
Continued.
’ 3. Os Practical Godliness, or the act
ing out of the precept a of the bible.-—\
proper regard for ilte preservation of disci
pline in our churches, imperiously require,
that our church members he exercised in
the practice of all the moral and social virtues
enjoined in the woid of God. The scrip
tures not only require of us that we “ cease
to do evil,” hut that we “ learn to do well.”
‘The requisition to love and serve one anoth
,er. to minister to the necessities nfthe needy,
not to forsake the assembling of ourselves
together, to contribute for the support of
the ministry, to aid in diffusing abroad the
blessings of the gospel of Christ, are as ex
press as the prohibitions of immoral acts.
But, unfortunately, we seem to lose siglil
of this important fact, and attach more im
portance to duties of a negative and quies
cri> eh racier. than lo those, that are p -sV’t*
and ative. NVe make that primary which
should lie seeon larv. and that sec-mdari
which should he primary. We are more
.careful to punish an offending member, than
we are to instruct, and train the unoff-nd
ing. We would not hesitate to exel-ul
from onr cn-nm'i ‘iim a servant who posi
tively refused, in but one or two instances,
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX.
to disobey Ins master, while we retain in
lellows.hip those who hab.hially neglect tin*
•mo t peremptory commands of then- God.
We thus declare by our acts, that we esr
teeni it a greater otfence to neglect a duty
to a fellow creatute, than lb neglect our du
ties to God. If a member will but abstain
Iroui open iniihoraiiites, and attend bis
church conferences once in two, or three,
or six months, we hold him in lull fellow
ship, and report him to be in good standing,
though lie afi'ord no fruit ot his love to
God or evidence of his interest in the
prosperity of the chuiclt!
To see that our chuiclt members are em
ployed in doing good, is one of the most ef
fectual means ol keeping them frohi the
comm.ssiou of evil. The more they are
employed .n the dunes of religion, the mote
will they and. light in them, and the less will
they relish those sinful -imliilgeucies which
expose one not only to the censures of-the
church, hut to the displeasure of God.—
Knowing then, as ive do, that the neglect
<3l duty prepares lor the commission of
crime, il we connive at the one, wo cannot
but-lie field responsible lor the other. Unit
what justice, or u irhwhal propr.el) can we
set m judgment upon an olfemliug brother
il we witnessed Ins iiisl di-reli.-tours of duty
and m-gltcleil in admonish him ! —if, when,
be first turned aside from the palls ol duty,
we said, by our silence, if in mi oilier way,
•* Brother, go on; you are in the right way;
God speed lin e !”
11 ce lliren, there must be a reformation al
so in ibis department of discipline, before
the churi-li cun appear to the lu-linldcr as a
beautiful labile, compactly built ol poitslied
stones. Il we would nave our i hiircli mem
bers m be ns a company ol horses in Ibia-
I'non's chat mi tu- must put them lu the
harness, allaen them to.tot/ chariot of the
gospel, amt be as cart-lid lo make lliein pull
Liraa.'tl. as we are lo Keep llicm Iro.ii-ruii
nl.ig n.iek iv ini: Tiieuii.paiiU--p.il in am
tie ajipi etl u lien mey st..p and rei .se to
work, as weir as wueii met make atit-iiiots !
to. break loose a.id sh.uve oil Dm.rgen. —
tV ny was .lie li .rre.i ug uve wioieie.l by
the rurse ot tue. Sa-'lu.u ? VVe le.at-iiol
tn.it it tiore i-i'll fruit; but it Was barren —it
yielded mi good iruii. (.Malt. gi. It), 20.
See also Die parati.e 24. 3•• Every iree
Iflat bmigetu not fiiilll guild Iran, is to lie
lieivii down ituU east Into ibeti.e. ‘ (Malt.
3. 10.) I lns is deelared iti-liu an ordi.i mee
ol ne.iien, by linn wlio was sent lo prepare
Hie way lor Ine building up ol me r.iiiren
ol Glirist. The Saviour eoulinns the t! ■-
eree, ami deel .res, “Every br.ineli mute
that br.ireth not Inin he lakedi away.”—
(John 15. 2.) And tig hi, •• Ila man abide
not in uie, lie is east forth as a iiraiieli and
is and men galiieruieiiia.nl easl
tlieiii. into Die fire, and they are burned.”
(v. 0.)
Tins branch ol church iliseipline merits,
and sboul.i receive, more attention ilia i we
• invg Inuierto given lo it. Ills Willi eiiinvb
members as-willl matins; the mam tiling
to secure commendation nu.i success hi their
only vocation, is “action.’’ lake gooil
soldiers and good scholar*, they must be
r gnlarly amt y sleiiialieally i xereised hi
llieir several duties.- tV e should Wale.ll.
over each outer, therefore, not only t- at we
limy reprove eaeli oliiers ofi'em-es. but that
we may stir up each ollieis laiigu.d affi-e
----tious, and excite to good works. We tt-p
----resent the negltct ol duty as a very little
sin, (alid so Hoes Satan,) but in the wind .ol
God it is represented as a sin of so great a
magnitude-, as lyjustily the excluding from
heaven all such as are guilty of it; *• How
shall e escape-if we neglect so gieat sal
vation ?” (Hub. 2. 3.) ‘• liiastiiucl) as ye
ilid il nut to one of tjie least of these (bis
disciples) ye djil it nut to me,” is represent
ed as the language of the Judge of all the
earth, when sentencing to, final bauishitieul
from his.presence, those who claimed lobe
his peculiar people. (Matt. 25. 45.) Ob
set ve, that, they are excluded nut because
they persecuted, oppressed, impoverished,
or imprisoned his disciples ; but because
they neglected lo visit and administer Lo
their beetlesities. But if ibis afford just
ground of exclusion from heaven, it must,
it does afford just ground'of exclusion from
the privileges ol the church.
Tue iuleretice which we would draw
from all that has been said on this subject
is, thill to he faithful to God, and just ami
impartial in our administration of the laws
ol Christ’s kingdom, we must subject to
the censures of the church, not only those
who do evil, hut those, also who neglect to
do good ; lor the word of God admonishes,
“to him that knoweth to do good, ami doelh
il not, to hi ii it is sin.” (Jus. 4. 17 ) Lei
this lie borne in remembrance, and let the
actions of our churches lie regulated accord
ingly, and our church registry will he less
frequently stained with the record of the
guilt of our members.'and its png -s will lie
more frequently embellished with entries
ol acts til benevolence, and with the names
of new recruits in the cause ol Christ.*
* Baptist Churches in some instances, have
sanctioned the principle for which we con
tend—the principle which leads us to deal
with members lor the neglect of duty; The
K-'hiiliee Association, in 1783. conMdere.l
Hie following query : •• What sliu I u church
do with a me oh-r who sba’l a -s.-ui hi it
self trout the com-n in ion of th •L>r Ts m
---tier?” They retimed the answer. “ That
it is the duty of the ehtireh to inquire i t •
‘he reason of his thus nhspiitiiitr himself
I’m it tile- poom mion. i-id if In’ does n o
render a sulif ictorv teas-m the church shall
ileal with him.” Hist. Kelt. As. p. 68. In
FOR THE BAPTIST.CONVENTION OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA.
Pi:AFIELD, GA., JIAUCII 1, 1844.
4. Os l Itunett Censures.** —Admonition
is the mildest lihiii ot church censure. . li
is to be administered to those who bye in
the neglect of any known duty. The
church should commission one or more ol
her r number to visit such and labor to im-.
press their minds with a sense of their ob
ligations to God and the church, and with
lit - evils resulting to themselves and others,
from their Omissions of duty. The right
‘and duty to admonish the negligent, are
plainly taught in the sacred Sciiplurcs.—
Paul, in Ins epistle to the Romans, express
ed Ins confidence that those to whom he
addressed his epistle, were “ filled with all
knowledge, able also to admonish one an
oilu-r;” (Rom. 15. 14) and in 2d Tiles. 3.
14, 15, In: directs explicitly, “ If any obey
not our word by this epistle, note that man,
and have no company with him, that lie
may lie ashamed. Yet count him not as an
enemy, hut admonish him as a brother’”
W .truing,"coupled with admonition and
reproof, should lie administered to those
who through ignorance or inadvertency, or
some momentary impulse, rather than
through a settled purpose to do evil, con
tract the guilt of violating the rules of God’s
utilise: “Warn them that are iniriilv,” is
an express injunction, given to llie ehureli
-at Tltessalouini; (J Tliess. 5. 14 :) and
the church at Ephesus is instructed, to
‘ have no fellowship with the unfruitful
works of darkness, hut rather reprove
them.” (Eplt. 5. 11.)
.Public relmke conveys a higher degree of
censure. To tins it is sometimes necessa
ry to resort. (I Tim. 5. 20, and ‘Tit. 1. 13
and 2. 15.) . One who continues to live in
the neglect ol duty, after being duly admon
ished, or who peistsls in any disoMeily
eon ,uct, alter being .faithfully warned,
should lie cued in appear before the ei.ureli.
and should lie puhln-ly tiolilied, that the
church rail mi.longci, by tolerating Ins eon
tin i, sanctum what sin- com i-ive- to h,-.ilis
liouora If ami injurious’, alike lo G id toe
| Onuivli ami biiif-ed. .1 be should receive
Die lelmke km di , eaiflll ill tickuo a li-dgi!
ms ,-ii'or, and i.i go a! faith pr -uiisi- aiiieu T
lilt-ill, me m ot r m y in: ilisiiii.-si-ii .without,
any inrt.iei action ; butt! lie reject reproof,
seek to jii'Dl v Ins i-.oii.bicl, mi l r l.ise t*>
rclor.il, tin; clniirli should, without and lav,
withdraw fellowship trout him.
Exclusion, or 111.- wiludiawing ol fellnw
shi,i from a member, is a last resort -lor re
claiming oflemlers and preserving tlie puri
ty of Die church. Tins eoiisiiinies Hie
lllgliesl glade of clnir II censure. To ibis
.we are t<V'result,'’lst, In the ease of those
who persist ill tin* neglect til important tin
lies. (R ad and rellt-el on the hearing til
2d I’lies. 3. 10, 11. 12, 14, an I the princi
ple therein sanctioned, Re.-ur also to the
pas ages t iled in a Imiuer pari of Ibis es
say, di refereirec to me neglect of duiv.)
2.1. In the.ease ol those t-oiuiiiiiiiig disor
derly, alter due endeavors Ii ive been ma lu
to reclaim llivm. (3 T’iies. 3. li.) 3d. In
the ease of’ riieiiraoii- s hisinaiies. (Tit. 3.
10 ;• 1 and im. 6. 3—5 ; .<(mn 11>. 17.) 4th.
lu the case ol those who hold doctrines >wb
versive of Die Inn lamenial doctrines of the
gospel. (Gat. 7 —o ; 2 Joint It), II ; Rev.
2; 14, 15.) stli. In tlie ease tis siie.i| ns.arc
guilty of open immoralities. (| (!nr. 5. 1-5, -
9 —ll, ami 0. 9—10.) For open immo
ralities we know til no remedy but exclu
sion. No til konwledgeinenls tliat’ an mi
nimal mau may make, can repair the wrong,
lie lias .done, or restore confidence in him
heliite lie has had tune o’ evince tlie sm
ceriiy of Ins peiiitenee by a reform it ion of
the Minutes of the Georgia Association, lor
tlie year 1835, we find the following que
lies and answers, in inference Mi llic same
subject, l. Is it tlieduty ofcliureli mem
bers to partake of the Lord’s .slipper, when
regularly administered in the elitireh ! Jin
ttiver - yen! 2. Are members excusable
who lake llieir seals in order, hut refuse to
partake of the elements l Answer, no! —
3. Is it the duty of the chu. cli or not, when
members take llieir s -ats and do not com
mune, to inquire into the reason thereof?
Answer, yes! 4. When members take
llieir seats, at. communion, and fail to par
lake mi account of a want of fellowship with
some brother or brethren, and yet do not
lay charges against those for whose sake
tlie) refuse to commune, ought the church
to deal-with them woo thus act ? Answer,
yes, after gospel steps have been taken!”
In the minutes of tlie same Ass icialion, for
1798, is thefollowing query,. “What shall
lie done with those pmfessois who thi not
hold worship in their families ?” Tney
auswei, *■ It is our opinion that the church
es to whom such prolessors belong,-first,
admonish, exhort and reprove them, hut if
they will not he reclaimed, then ileal with
them as negleeters ‘of known duly ” lit
the Mi mites lor 18U8, the following query
at.itl answer occur, “ Should a brother lie
eriutiimed in fellowship, who, though aide,
will not assist iu supporting the gospel?
Ans. —We are of opinion where the ahi'l-iy
is obvious on the one hand, and the unwil
lingness positive on the other, and the liro
liter cannot be brought to liis duty bv prop
er means, he ought to he excluded.” Hist.
Go, As. p. 1311. 132, 138.
Our views tin ibis si.ihjert are thus sus
tained by tlie saere I seiippires and by the
express decisions, of I irge il l i resp -e :ih|
p irti-ms ot our ileiDi-ni'iatsiii. Our misfor
tune i-'. n 0 that we ln-k light no this sub
jeet. Ini’ ‘that, ive I-. 1-k t!t • z -a) eu rgv a t I
moral coiirng-’ which is req -isite t i-the flit -
I’ll tliseh irtre us nor ilulv. () ir- liar Hies
are often a< ne ‘leetfu! of llieir doty as the
most unfaithful of the.r members.
hie. V\ tilt Die opr'ity unmoral, ttieielore,
.atlmnjiiiiims, ‘Warnings and. oitimary re
prools are mil ol place. AdmmmioHS are
tor neglectful or simhtul inemliers, warn
jrigs lor the unruly, putiltc rebukes lor the
. obstinate, anti exclusion, prompt exclusion,
is the just desert ol the immoral, ‘idle di
rectum ol the Saviour to forgive an ollemi
mg broiliei, not only seven tunes, hut se
venty times seven, or as often as lie olleuds
and repents, (Mat. 18. 22) is not applies-:
hie here. The direction is given to an iu
nrilividual, in relerenee to an olfence com
muted against himself, by another indiwil
ua|. It is not given to the church, as a rule
oiyhurch action, iu the ease of an olfence
cflijii.itttt-il against the - cause of Christ and
the well-being of society. ’To apply it,
iherelore, as such, is a manifest perversion
ol it. To apply a gospel rule to any otliei
end than that for which H was originally
given, is lo legislate over llie head of a di
vine legislator. We should he careful to
guard against such a rash act and such con
summate arrogance. We may ami ought
to lorgive tr sspusses commuted against Us,
though ollen repeated ; hut we have no
right to lorgive tiijiirles emiilliitleil against
G"d. The his cause is a sacred
deposileyniriisied to ilur care. ‘The man
who abstracts Iroui it, by open iiiiinoiali
tli s, should lie immediately ejected. To
continue linn iu the chinch would bo to en
danger that winch is.not our own, lo betray
a sacred Dust,, and evince.a Itignl) 111 initial
tmlilfcieuce to the dearest oi all interests.
Nor slioulil an excluded member he read
mute . to lell-iivslup until lie hud restored,
by a vi run ms Die, wn.u lie had abstracted
by Ids vicious practices. If lie is received
h lore lie restores himself ni the eo liilen'ee
ol the eommilniiy, the,-honor oi tlie eatise
ol Christ, which we have re|Mescnied as a
tlejiostie ctimmuit-ii lo onr custody, must
mevii.i.ily stiller loss- Far lieut-i wmil.l it
(>c m iceeite hack into l -e employ ineiit of
a haitU. liejtire'he lias'ivsliin-tl v\ Hal lie lias
ii.isliiieietl. toe ~.nn uno Da,l pmndeteil Its j
Vital Is, loan lo reeeive hank Into the ditireli,
lie- man w.jo lias robqr-d God ol Ills |nmo. ,
iielov ne lias repaired; i.i some degree -it
least, im wirings oe lias tlone lo the eatise
ol Cm isf.
T ic passage in Gal. ‘O. 1, is often addu
ced ai j a.-my Ine u-uiimug* in lellowship
the g ‘-issest odeoileis; .Upon .heir .iliaii-fug a
pu.iDc aciin-i,i ledg.-ment ol tin'll’ sills. Cali j
any one iea-1 alo-oliveiy Die .writings’ ol
Paul, I, ts toe iioer a-i.iorreuci* lueii be j
exp.esses lor the immoral, practices- W ltieii
prevaileU in ills nay , as iu-li as ill ours., Die |
urgency Willi wiiico lie e-joins mi Die
canircli low lliiih'atv (mill those iViiu ijululge
lo loeiivjiie ueavy eeogares tie pass s n
souie lor rti.iiiiiog su,cli in Icllowship, and
men’ suppose, lor one moment, ipul lie bad :
l clcivri- e to open loiiiKii'.tillu-s, lu Die pas
sage to w .ne. t we re ter ! Wiiti would
citarge Die apostle nonsuch inconsistency.’
Certainly no one. ‘J oe aposde sjiqaks ol
Junks, ‘ mil ol vises ; m errors Dial orig
inal, iu Hie bead, or in Hie. Dili mil ties til me
llesii, ami util of Hiose lllal originate 111 a
corrujii earl, and ate asstici ileil wifba jiet
verse will. 1 Ins is evident Irom Hie rea
son no assigns wny niey simuld require
i stl-elt ail line I.i tin: suiuliil meeiiiiess, -*em
---si 4 ieriiig tnysell I si Inmi also hivieoipn-d.”
Call it lie p.issttne Inal Ine ajmsHe, who
eoiiiemieh mi streuiititisly tnal ine people ol
God Were predestined to good works, that
they would ne preserved in a state of holi
ness, by Hie power,, ill Geld, through faith,
unto saivutioit,” lot-ended to inlfniyitg that
they were liiemselves predisposed to he
guilty ol drunkenness, fornication, adultery,
uieli, murder, &c., and therefore should
deal gently with suen. as were guiltyof
the same ? We cannot believe it. Tithe
apostle had designed to muuialc that-they
were predisposed to Comtnili-sueli tints, wit
cannot believe that lie would have sought
to inllueuce llieir present conduct by hold
ing out a hope ol impunity in the future in
dulgence ul their sinful propensities.
But, let it be observed, that the apostle
supposes the case of 01114 who is seeking to
evade, who is tunning away from liis faults,
hut is .unfortunately overtaken by them.—
Now, there is a wide difference between
such an one, a id one who seeks evil, runs
into temptation, anil plunges into vice. The
latter ovei lakes his faults, the former is
overtaken bv them. It would he exceed
ingly pernicious, as well as absurd, to ap
ply, in the one case, a rule given to direct
oo’ conduct 111 the other. ‘The apostle evt
denlly speaks of one who errS involuntari
ly. We are speaking of those who volun
tartly, and in a flagrant manner, transgress
die laws of God. Tnc direction of the
apostle, Iherelore, cannot he ‘properly.ap
plied 10 cases like those of which we are
treating,
But again. “Ye that are spiritual, restore
such a tine”—restore suen a one to what?
To the fellowship of the church? No, we
have no reason to believe that the apostle
has any alnision to an excluded member, —
And if lie does allude to such, the passage
is. inapplicable, when we ,are discussing,
not-whether,an individual sliall be; restored
to tlie church, but whether he -shall he re
tained iu fellowship, after being guilty of
an open immorality, provided he is willing
10 m ike an aekunwhtdgnieut ami profess
penitence. Ii is 111 the latter ease that the
•passage is generally ohj -ete.l to us. As m
the propriety of reso 102 ex luted, mtuii*
hies, li si to .1 g-nllv life, an I then to the
f-110 .vsliip of the ehtireh, there exists tin
hvi-rsitv of sentiments among us. But
th ■ apo-tlc is m,’ speak n; of redlining a
member ill fellowship. He is speaking of
restoring tine to something. We have
seen, that H cannot he to church Icllow snip,
as the individual is mu'supposed, even by
our objec.lers, to-have been an eu ciuueU
member, ihe question then again occurs,
to what are such to be restmed? We an
swer, first- to our allVction, if m an unguar
ded u.mnent they have done any thing t--
alienate them; seeouilly, to their'right tea
son, if through the infirmities of tlie flesh, •
they Lava suffered llieir tempestuous pas
sions, or the cares and vexations of the
world, to distract and disturb llieir mind;
and, thirdly, to the consolations of the gos
pel, if through the weakness ol llieir frames
they have been drawn away from these, and
are now mourning the absence ol their for
mer joys- Whatever may he the meaning
of this passage, one thing is certain, it can
have no possible allusion to the course to
he pursued when dealing with individuals
who are charged with gross immoralities. ‘
Cmuie contend, that a church Inis a right
lo suspend a member’ for a limited time;
and that tins constitutes another inode of
inflicting censure. We deny the right. If
an mitmdual is convicted ol unchristian
Conduct, ami does not give ample satisfac
tion, In’ ought to he excluded, and not sus
pended. ‘ll he lias not been convicted ol
uiicnfisium conduct, to suspend him is to
ito him grealiujust.ee—it is to censutc him
before In is proved worthy of ccusuie. —
.Many ol our ablest writers on chuiclt.dis
cipline seem to he involved iu a labarymil
ol difficulties, when they engage m Hie
discussion ul this subject. Even the astu.e
An. Jiiiiii-s, seems somuwhffl bewildered
iit-re. lie adieus that there is no s-t: 11 pin
eal warrant lor an ai l ol suspension, yet
aigues, inconclusively, we Hu k, :t favor
ol such ad act. He asks, “w hat is to hr
done 01 illose casts where lieitliei the guilt
1101 the iniiheenee- ot an HiiliviiHial is al
once apparent 10 tlie ehiuvli; lint still a
stioiig, very strong ease, so far as prin.u
facie cvtueiice got-s, is mailt- out against
j hum; nr w iil-re lucre is some appearance
“I peiiitcm e, hut y i-t that pi-nni-me is e
([.ilvocal? Ait: we to admit mat 111d1vnlc.11
l, i'iie In'll privtit gt-s til Goiiiii.tiiiitin? wind,
white lus i-Uinmcl is under examimiimii.
aou Ins. tM.o.iciri, to say die lust, suspi
cious!” Church Memo. Guide, Note oil
1 [l. 1 4. . It e answer, there is no need til
i till act of the cinucli in tins ease. I lie
j Incal’ Ftilintli-r ol tlie ell.ucli has met it
a tin a rule: *tl iliim bring thv gill to the
- altar, ami Int-re j’e-iieuiot-iesl Unit thy broth
er Inmi oitgiit agai.i-l thee; lean- Uicd
|my gift hi-loie me altar, and go ihv wav:
first lie reeoficileil to tliy hioilier, and then
coiiie and oiler tliy gilt.” Malt. 5. 23.—24.
This rule mtertlu-is die preseuliug a puh-
Ite Oilermg to Gml while a .lumlier- Inis
; aiiglu against Us, anil req tires tts .louse all
’ law ml means to 1 e ec licit and lo our 1 rutlt
er, to r store otnsetn-s to Ins euul’M.leiic.e
and allt-einms, heiore w e present ur offi i'-
lug. Now in it ease like that supposed by-
Mr. James, not only: aii unitviiinaS, hut-tin
whole ehtireh are sjjspieKms of h.m ami
disalleeted towards him. “Are ive l:i ad
not that individual,” Mr. James asks-,, “to
the lull p ivilleg; sos cinimnmiiiii'?” ‘Tin
scriptural rule quoted dirt-i-.s, that lie- slioultl
first lie ret <>■■•*■ it'll to los brethren; and to
tin this lie must clear litmsi-lf of all jns.t
grounds ol sttspicioii. The spirit ol -the
rule clearly mculeates, dial no mdii iilmil
having a ilillieulty with another, or.(a ne
eessarv inlerem e) wnii the cloirch, should
participate in any rehgiims acts of a public
character lllal is peculiar -to church mem
bers. It cannot lie iiileii'tlt-il to ihterdiel
private acts of devotion;’ for the same au
thority enjoins us to pray for those that ile
spitelully use us; anti those tiiat maltreat
us must certainly have something against
us. But what it is the duty of an individ
ual to do, it is .the duty of a church to see
that he does. It is her duty, therefore, to
see that no one repairs to the communion
*lt has been a question with some,
whether exclusions should not be publish
ed from the pulpit. Some Christian socie
ties think the scriptures require it, and act
accordingly. It was the practice of the In
dependent Church, within whose pale we
were raised, to read out, before the congre
gation, the names of excommunicated mem
bers, and decline them to be no longer mem
bers of the church. But this practice has
never, within mo knowledge, prevailed a
imiiig Baptist churches in our country. —
The question was brought before, a general
cmilcrence of the Kehukee Association, in
1782,’ in the follow mg forth: “Has a chinch
any authority from God’s wool, to lay il
upon- theit ministers to get up in a congre
gation, anti publish the excommunication
of a disorderly member?” The confer
ence answered. “We think that the olfeiid
ing member being dealt with in a public
conference, is sutlicent without any mote
publication.” The-question indicates that
some church or churches thought that the
exclusion should be made public. The
answer, which was sanctioned by. the Asso
ciation at its next annual meeting, evinces
that the practice ‘was not generally ap
prove! by the churches of-thal day, though
it evades the question relative to the “au
thority ol God’s, word.” ’There may ex
ist a necessity for the puhlication'of exclu
sions in those socieiies in ivliieit’a few se
lect individuals, met in secret session, aie
allowed the right to ex-'oiumunic it mem
bers; hut as in Baptist churches meni ieis’
are’trieil .111 I acquitted or-exelmT'd bv the
whole church, 111 -t in public eonleronee. a
they were in the days of hrist and t e
apostles, such a necessity does not exist.
PunLtsiiEß— BENJ. BRANTLY.
table who is lying under suspicion, or- has
unsettled difficulties with any portion of
the church.
.But is not die enforcing this rule the
same, in clicet, with an act of suspension?
Certainly not. The rtife is general.. It is
not made lor any one individual in particu
lar. It does not presuppose either the
guilt or innocence of the individual upon
•whom it is enforced; lor the innocent, as
well.as the guilty, are required to observe
it. But an act suspending a member, is a
rule made for that nidiviUual in pawirtlktr.
It presupposes some degree of guilt,.and is
an act of censure. We object to - such an
act, that it is unnecessary. It moreover vio
lates the rights of the individual, and- that
joineiple admitted in all legislation, human
and divine, which requires, that every indi
vidual he presumed innocent until lie is
proved guilty. The act to which we ob
ject presumes him to he guilty, and pun
ishes him accordingly.*
In conclusion, we would impress- upon 1
the mind of every one who desires to be
instructed in things appeilaiuiiigt o the king
dom of Christ, die absolute necessity of
seeking wisdom ol Him who giveth liberal
ly anil upbraideth not. The preservation
of due discipline in our churches .and the
discriminating between different offences,
and proportioning the censure to the of
fence, will call fur the exercise of great pa
tience and’ prudence, in the inv. situation of
difficulties, unwearied asstiliuty in ferreting
out evil, anil great firmness ‘and meekness
in ‘awarding justice to all. ■ Anil the exer
cise of .these, again, will require intn-ii of
the giace ol God ami iinieli of the*influ
ences of die spirit - I Jlirist. May the
Lord, in liis great mercy, t-iiuloitn to to los
will 111 all things, ami preserve us “holy,
’and nnhlamivJife, and uioejuiiveub.c, in Ins
sight.”
*Tlie question d'siMiss-cd above is not a
novel one. It has idlt-ti been coiisiden ti ill
tnirf'litirt'li I'oiilert-iiecs, ami in onr A- s- 1 ia
tiotTTil and Ministerial int-t-tings; ami the
general seiitimeni ami prat in e ol onr tie*
Humiliation, asl'arnswt- have had all <>p
poriiinitv ol acquainting omst-ll w 11 1 1 them,
harmonize wiib li t views express* il above.
As eailv as I*B3. die Kehukee Ass'i inlion,
which met at Meglnmre’s M. 11.. Vas, re
euided ii as their opinion,. in answer to a
special qiierv on this subject, that “there is
no degree of i-loireh ceiiMire to he itillu-teil
mi an imp iiiient meinher alter a public
hearing iu die ■ linri-li. I esnles 1 xcoininuni
cation.” Hist, Kell. As. |i. 07.
From the Missouri A Illinois Baptist.
Sayings cs. Doings.
Mr. F.ditur —’This was characteristic of
the Jews tliev talked nnit'.li about piety,
hut H was all talk. Snell is our tig . We
have 111 our Slale l.’oliveiiuiui, say, 100
eliurclies ami 6 000 members, and yet l
have nliseivetl lull three paving subset filers
for the Illinois Baptist! Why. tlie “Signs
of the Tulic's* a paper issued by the timi
nos.-ii-n loiks. vvloise chii-f trail -s “do 110-
riuiig.” is cnciilmt-il in scores, hundreds,
and thousands, w 10ll 1 we. win toy. n,l>i It
about onr support ul hem-v 1 fit-til t-I jec s, tire
doing nothing ! \\ hat a jirool id onr text!
Util Mr. Apology may answer, that the
w Ireat ami pork have not vet been sold: y et
pat mg subscribers w ill crow tl in hy-and-hy,
Y*>s, when the capita! and.credit and pa
tience til the publishers are all exhausted,
and die concern giv n up as a had job, they
may ; but then it will lie ton late.
11-yott, or your soil, wished ammunition
to enjoy a Christmas hunt, or money to see
an elephant or monkey, you would haul a
load of wood to town, a load of poles or
staves to the cooper, and get il any how—
bent on a certain object, you would secure
it; if you bail to work out at 3!j cents per
day ; yet you are a missionary, a benevo
lent mail, neglecting the very principles and
practices which you avow !
” Sayings us. Doings :” are not your pro
fession and conduct a true illustration of
our text ? You reasoned, perhaps, that
others were not so much straitened in their
circumstances, and would forward the need
fid immediately ; but you must be excused.
So you have all reasonod, till the heart of
your editor aches — aches that our texts finds
so many illustrations, and that the publish
ers find it to their loss that the books writ
ten iu die lives of professing Christians are
in ere title-pages,
l went around wh\\ talking, soon after
the convention, but not a subscriber did I
procure. I changed my course ; 1 prepar
ed ;t small book, pul down my own name,
paid myself a dollar out of funds that I
wished inappropriate to some temporal con
cern ; then 1 went to rouse friends, and pro
cured three names, which I will forward
directly. This is better than nothing. I
am stingy enough in all conscience, hut,
as I have screwed out one dollar, I hope
your readers will be encouraged to follow
suit. The Illinois Baptist must be sustain
ed. We need its influence-in our families,
to operate against the errors of the day ; to
give its news of revivals in our own land,
and of the.'triumphs of the cross in distant
regions. Brethren of lllimt's. shall cur de
partment be sustained ? 1 hen- vout an
swer, “ It can—it shall—it must.”
PARVUtVS.
Dhrishnas day. 1843.
Tlie'P is a minister iu Franklin, ft. who
h is In-ou settled over a chuiclt fln years.—
I lie is now 99 years of age and still preaches.
NO. 9.