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JOSEPH S. BAKER— Editor. VOL,. XII. TERMS PER ANNUM. Cty The Christian Index, published on Friday m each week, (except two in the year), will be furnished to each subscriber at 50 cents, in advance; or $3 if not .paid within the year. ij“ Post-Masters, where the’ Index is taken, are re [nested to forward remittances for subscribers at their respective offices, according to a decision of tile Post-Master General as to their right to do so. All pa trons and agents are requested to notice this. Every Agent (and all. Baptist Ministers are particularly solicited to become agents) who procure and pay for live copies of the Index, shall be entitled to a sixth, as a com pensation for his trouble. ■ Letters on business, or-coramunications, must be addressed to the Editor, pout paid. Advertisements may be inserted on usual terms, at the discretion of the Editor. 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.