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Joseph s,. baker— Editor. VOL. XI f. TERMS PER ANNUM. W” The Christian Index, published •n Friday in each week, (except two in the year), will be furnished to each subscribei at •2 50 cents, in advance; or *3 if net paid within the year. (C7* Post-Masters, where the Index is taken, are re [uested to forward remittances for subscribers at their respective offices, according to decision of the Post-Master General as to their right to do so. All pa trons tnd agents are requested to notice this. Every Agent (and all Baptist Ministers are particularly solicited to become agents) who procure and pay for five copies of the Index, shall be entitled to a sixth, as a com pensation for his trouble. letters oil business, or communications, must be ad tressed to the Editor, post paid. Advertisements may be inserted on usual terms, at the discretion of the Editor. I'oiihsMuns or Declarations of Faith: The Duty of Churches to make a public. Declaration of their Faith considered ’ and maintained. Section 3.— The Dutv aroued from CERTAIN PROHIBITIONS OF SCRIPTURE. We are instructed in the sacred scriptures, not to receive any into the church who hold doctrine*.contrary to the gospel of Christ, (1 Tim. vi. 3—;5. 2 Jno. x. ii. etc.;) and churches are severely censured for holding such in fellowship, (Rev. ii. 14, 15—20 ) Before receiving a member, then, ii is our duty to learn something | his doctrinal views and practices; and in order to do this, we must interrogate him and elicit his views. But rights, privileges, and duties are reciprocal. If ! have a right to inter rogate anothei. touching anv matter, lie has the same tight to interrogate me; and if it is his duty to reply to my interrogations, it is equallv mine to reply to his. Moreover, it is as much his doty to acquaint himself with my views, before he proposes to unite with me, as it is mine, to acquaint myself with his views, before l receive him: for if he unites with me. while I hold- doctrines, or advocate practices unwarranted hy the scriptures, he becomes partaker of mv sins. For the passages of scripture to which we have already referred, and others of a like import are binding nit individual members as well as oil individual churches. It is just as impossible for an individual who is sound in the faith, to unite with a church which is unsound, and maintain his inno cence, as it was, iiinler ill • Levitical law, for the clean to Imld communication with the unclean, and retain his purity. (Nunt. xix. 22.) (Hag. ii- 13.) Here the question recurs. How is the individual applicant to learn the views of the Individual church, if that church has no declaration of its views to which he may turn! The conclusion is obvious. It is the duty, which the cliiiro.li owes to oth ers to have a public record of her views, to which those may he directed, who may de sire to acquaint themeelyes with her faith and practice, previous to seeking her com- 1 imimon. To deny this is. in effect,’ to sanction the anti-scriptural views af those who represent, that tt is a matter of little importance what are the particular doc trines or rites observed in a church, provid 'd! tlrot church is sound in the main—that is, provided it a knowledges that salvation is to he obtained through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through him atone. We con tend, on the contrary, that an individual who feels it his duty to unite with the church, should feel it a duty equally impe rious, to unite with that, church which is most strictly conformed in its doctrines and practices to the constitution and ip.nlel of a Christian chiirch. as presented in titer New Testament. If we are right in this, it must be important that every church should first examine and decide what .are the leading doctrines inculcated in the word of God, and what are the rites and cere monies institut'd and commaded to he ob served by the Christian church; and sec ondly. to make the result of her examina tion known,.bv a public declaration of her views, that **he that runs may read,” and may he left inexcusable, should he neglect his duty in this important matter. It is by hanging out our lights that the darkness of others is made manifest. By a public declaration of our views, if those views be corret, the errors of otheis are exposed, attention is directed to them, the world is admonished, is put upon its guard, and is excited to engage in the search of truth. Does not the church, then, that ne glects thus publicly to promnlge her views, hide her light under a bushel? Does site not neglect an important means afforded of contrasting truth with error? of commend ing the one and repioving the other? of calling to the sons and daughters of.inen, “This is the way. walk ye'therein?” Is it surprizing, if she refuses to hold out her light, that they should be led astray bv the false lights of those who have departed froni the faith? But a more solemn inquiry re mains to be made—ls those who are en ticed from the paths of truth and holiness, perish in the evil ways in which they are led. mav it not, with propriety, he said to the church that has veiled her light, as was said of old to the murderer Cain. “The voice of thv brother’s blood crielh unto me from the ground.” (Oen. iv. 10.) An argument involved in the preceding remaiks, we would embody in a somewhat different form, and again present before the reader. A confession of our faith is ne cessary. in shield, others from the conse quences of the misrepresentations of those THE CHRISTIAN INDEX. who differ from us. That those who op pose the views of a particular church often do attribute to it sentiments and practices that are pernicious and absurd, and repug nant alike to the doctrines of the gospel, to the dictates of common sense, and to the views and practices of the chinch, as really entertained anil followed, is a fact of too hequent orctiirence to admit of a denial. It is also a fact, as true as it is lamentable, that lit is is often done, for the exptess pur pose of deterring individuals (rum seeking a connexion with a church, towutds which they feel impelled, hy a sense of duty.— S ch a course of conduct cannot be too se verely reprobated, for it is at variance with the common principles of honesty. But while we reprobate it, we should also us? all lawful means to pievenl its recurrence. It will probably be asked, do you suppose that a confession of faith would prove a safeguard against this evil? We answer, wejlo believe that it would lessen the evil, first, hy causing it to recur less frequently; and, secondly, by obviating, in a considera ble degree, its effects, when it did occur.— Our reasons we proceed to give, 1. Indi viduals would be less likely to resort to such false representations, when they knew that the means of disproving them Were at hand. 2. When such representations were ■made, an individual would have it in his pow er to ascertain, with certainty, and with but little trouble, whether they were cor rect or not. Some will sav, he might do this as effectually by consulting individual members of the church. This will not do —The serpent is “more subtle than any beasi of the field ” If you respond that A and B. members of the church, had repre sented facts differently, he will make anoth er coil, and then, as he did in the days of Adam, make a leap in the face of truth.— He will boldly affirm, that “A and B. good anil honest men as they are, know nothing about the matter. They very probably hold the views which they h.ve ascribed to the church, hut—vott mav rely upon what l sav—-they know nothing about the matter. I have had belter opportunities than they have had of learning the faith and practice of the church. Whatever may he the views of a few individuals. the church, in general, believe and act as 1 have stated.” He lavs a peculiar empha sis upon the words “in general,” and, with a significant look, seems to sav, ‘•You had Tietter take mv word for it, for you mav re ly upon it. I know much more than I think propet. to express.” Out with yonr lights, then, we would say to the churches, that the youthful pilgrim may discern the cloven foot of the wily adversary, and make his escapo, ere his feet be taken in the snare that is spread for him. Ii is evident, that the misrepresentations to which we have al'luded. must also exert a delete ion* influent'',’ upon the church it self. If, therefore, a public declaration of her views would tend to prevent thesp mis representations, or expose their falsity, when made, a time respect for her own char acter should lead. h“r to make sm It a decla ration. But this remark more properly ap pertains to a branch of our subject over which we hfivn already passed. We ab stain from fit riher retrogression. Let it be noted, that our arguments go to prove, not that it is expedient, but that it is the duty of churches to make a public dec laration of ti err faith. We know that ob jections will arise in the mirtds of many, and. thin ihostt who are opposed to confes sions off faith will seek to ensconce behind those, objections, and thus endeavor to shiehl themselves from the convictions, which the views we have exhibited may he calculated to produce. Many seem to think it sufficient to justify them in rejecting a truth, or neglecting a duty, to he able to rttise some plausible objection against it.— lit matters of mere expediency, it is not only allowable, but necessary, that we should weigh well the objections to any preserib and course, and dec'de for or against it; according as the advantages preponder ate. But it is not so in cases of duty. If a duty he clearly demonstiated,- we are bound to yield to it, whatever disadvantages may appear to be therewith connected.— And, whether it he demonstrated bv a soli tary argument,’or hy a series of arguments, objections to it can avail nothing, unless they involve an impossibility. The ques tion in such a case is not, what are the ben efits to result from this course, blit does du ty require us to pursue it? Thecalls of flu ty are imperious. She speaks but to com mand, and commands but to be obeyed. If we resist her calls, we do it at our petit.— Let this distinction between matters of’du ty and matters of expediency be borne in mind, and before any reject the conclusions to which we have been led, in the examina tion of the subject beloie us, let tlrem •at least show wherein our premises or our ar guments have been defective, or wherein our conclusions have been illogical. For the Christian Index. To “A Particular Bcptist.” Dear brother —ln No. 11 of the Index I have found an article over your signature relative to a subject which I had previously htonght to the notice of the public, and now proceed to examine vour examination of the subject. Your admission (hat there is a wrong is well, but that it is wrong lororrlplain of the tough and unseemly garment which truth may sometimes be made to wear we can by no means admit. Our views on this FOR THE BAPTIST CONVENTION OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA. PEN FI ELD, GA, MAY 17, 1844. point are given in our last article. We for bear repetition and heartily concm with you that 11 the Bible is the standard of ortho doxy,” yet a work of infinitely lower au thority is used by some as a standard, if we mistake not. Your examination of the Ar ticle was but partial, and we had hoped that in a subsequent number you would finish what had been commenced. As this has not been done, we can but go with you as far ns you have gone. So far as my knowl edge extends, you have labored under a mis take in the very outset, in supposing that the words eternal and definite contain all that is objectionable in the portion of the article quoted, iV And we can but express oursurptise that you should have taken so much pains to establish that which there is no controversy about, viz : that God is eternal in all his purposes and designs, and that a definite number ol the human family will finally be saved. Among those who are said to he dissatisfied on this subject we know <d none who object to these truths ; indeed they are in the abstiact altogether unobjectionable. Yea further, that Uml had an eternal choice is freely admitted and forms one of the strong pillars of the Chris tian’s hope. But, Oy Brother, it is the in discreet and unauthorized use made of these wort’s to which we object. When we are mhl that eternal election is unconditional, this idea is associated with the communica tion ; that Gotl in the exercise of his sov ereign v\ ill set his love upon a part of the human family, ami adopted measures which, should he specially calculated to effect their salvation without the possibility of failure, and that the remaining part, though crown ed with blessings and loaded with benefits through light of day and gloom of night, are tmt the special objects of his love; that no special provision has been made for their salvation, hut merely a general one, which although in itself sufficient (this is general ly admitted) is rendered insufficient in effect on account of its rejection, the knowledge of which rejection was as eternal and cer tain as was the knowledge of the plan.— We cannot then understand the plan. God is love, and the perfection of his nature for bids the idea of his acting inconsistently, and as it would be inconsistent for him to love an unworthy object, and as we have a plain demonstration that He loved man, the conclusion that man is worthy of his love is irresistible. We speak of man in his primeval state, as he came forth from the hands of his maker in his own image. The only worthiness, however, that can he as cribed to him is the perfection in which he was created and the exalted station which ho is permitted to occupy, a mere passive worthiness which God was pleased to be stow upon him. We hold then, that inas much'as it hath pleased God to elevate man to the highest station occupied hy animated matter on earth, he is consequently the ob ject of the highest degree of love from his Maker. We might offer as an additional reason why man should so pre-eminently share the favor and love of his Creator, that he only, of all hi* works, was selected to constitute the link as it were between hea ven and eat th, the only tenement of clay permitted to enjoy the indwelling of an im mortal spirit. Perceiving then from the light of reason as well as from revelation, that man is the peculiar object of his Crea tor’s love, it necessarily follows that that love would be so exercised as to benefit man in the greatest possible degree. In deed, to suppose the contrary would he an admission that God might devise an imper fect plan, which is an impossibility. Inas much then as God is love, and man is an object of love, and as a perfect plan has been devised sot the exercise of this love, man will be benefitted iit as great measure as it is possible for him to derive benefit from this plan or the exercise of God’s love. Now as this plan makes requirements and proposes conditions that must be complied with in order to be beneficial, and as it is general in its provisions, addressed to ali the sons? of men, it follows fiat all to whom it is addressed, by the aid of the Spirit, can comply or they cannot. If they cannot comply, the plan is defective, wliioh is im possible, therefore they can comply ; yet the very fact that terms are ptoposed and compliance made necessary to derive bene fit, shows conclusively that rejection is pos sible. We arrive then to the ultimatum of our argument thus: God loves all his crea tures according to the degree of worthiness he has bestowed upon them ; man, origin ally a unit, had this worthiness bestowed in but one degree ; his progeny, the de scendants of a common parent, alike con stituted and alike fallen, can have it in but one degree: His love therefore is the same to all, and He could not have had-a pecul iar ail'd distinguishing love for the persons of a part only, a doctrine which I under stand you in common with many others to advocate, and which seems,, lo the writer ol this article capable of being, supported only by a Tirced construction of scripture, and a subversion of the principles of sound argument, j | Wie tfpHSve in the doctrine of eternal elecimr., in the peculiar manifesta* tion of God’s love to his peculiar people, who are those that obey the gospel of his Son. But we cannot find authority nr rea son for basing this eternal choice and this peculiarity of love upon his partiality’for persons ifrespective of obedience. As to the sovereign will of man spoken of by you, we have only to say that we know of no authority'fit ascribing to man that which belongs alone to Deity. Y-.tt's in love, INQUIRER. For the Christian Index. An Essay on the Christian Religion. Sec. V. — Temple of Christianity—the In struments used in rearing the structure. Got! in His infinite wisdom and good ness has conferredupon men the honor of being the instruments in llis hands by which the work of salvation is carried forward ; they ate the tools used by the Great Archi tect in rearing the structure of the Temple of Christianity. There are various ways in which these instruments are used, and various kinds and degrees of lahor assigned to each. Every power and faculty which God has conferred upon man is designed to be employed in this great work ; as see ing, hearing, reasoning, judging, reading, writing, &c. ! : but two great means are more especially ifenjoined—praying and preach ing, Thtf'prayer of faith and the sermon of truth ure essential to the promulgation of Chrislianjty ; they hand it from heart to heart, spread it from community to commu nity and fiom land to land. No country has ever been christianized except hy these means ; no people have been changed from idolatry to the worship of-the living anil true God except by the means and through the instrumentality of His Ministers.— Hence the Minister of the Gospel may be said to occupy the most responsible, the moat honotable anil the most useful office among m'4n*; he receives his authority rroitt God, and goes forth in the “power of His might,” to do battle in His cause against .the enemies of Truth. If God calls some men to engage in the advancement of His work, is it not reasonable and scriptural to conclude that He designs that others should aid bv affording the wprldly means which He has given them ? The minister and the laymember.'the wealth of the world and the world itself, are His, anil should he de voted to His setvice. lie knows and ot ders all things, and designs that all things shall promote Ilis glory, and the good ol His creatures. This is shown by every work of His hands ; it appears in the super latively wise dispensations of His provi dence , in the glorious work of redemption; in-the regulation and preservation of Ilis people in every age of the world. These things should tench us to admire and love Him ; to trust and confide in him ; to raise our prayers and praises to tlis throne ; and to how with submission to His will. How greatjis the Love ofOod for his crea tures ! How wise His designs and arrange ments for their happiness ! How dear the gift of His Son to die for, and redeem them from death! How kind the glorious reve lation of His will, and the promises he has made them ! llow awful His punishment of their enemies ! Oh, how wise, dear and kind are all His actions towards them ! -Then, as instillments in His hand for the enlargment of His dominions, are they not bound by gratitude, by love, and by their interests, both temporal and eternal, to he ever actively, universally engaged in the great work ? Sec. Vl.— The Excellence of the Chris tian Religion. The excellence of Christianity may be shown by a consideration of tlie following heads: l. The Character of God, as at tempted to he pointed out in the foregoing Section. 2. The character of man, as a reasonable and accountable cieature. 3. What is required of man by his Creator, as obedience, love, confidence, reverence, &c. 4. The plan of pardon, as made through the atonement of the Saviour. 5. The for mation, nature and ptogress of the church of Christ, as shown by the scriptures, and hy daily observation and experience. 6. The resurrection of the dead, as establish ed by the resurrection of Christ. 7. The rewards and punishments, that await the conduct of man, in a future state, as laid down in the word of God; There is noth ing in the Religion of Christ that is calcula ted to make the soul revolt from its env 1 brace , nothing that is unholy, impure, or immoral; nothing is required by it that is not beneficial to mankind ; nothing is for bidden hy its precepts that is not injurious; nothing is in it that does not lend both to belter our temporal condition, and to impart hope and confidence for Eternity. It i? the fountain from which flow the streams o! charity, of benevolence, of filial ohedienee. of parental kindness, and of brotherly love : it gives freedom to nations, security to so cieties, harmony to families, and liberty ol conscience to individuals. These excellen cies of the Christian Religion arc strong ev idences of its Truth, and arc calculated to make it sought after and cherished by eve ry rational mind. How can nten, who know these things to be true, reject it ? (The reader is recommended to peruse Pa ley’s of Christianity.”) The excellence of Christianity appears in its advancement. Scorn, derision, torture and death have been in vain attempted to cheek its march. Thousands upon thou sands of its followers, of every age. sex and condition, have been consumed in the rag ing storms which have been taised against it by its enemies ; still.it has been, and is. onward ; nothing can stop the advancement ofTruth, defended by Almighty power.— At our day it flies from heart to heart, and ftoni land to land, and its folio wets now, like the Israelites of old, increase more rap idly as scorn and persecutions are heaped upon them. The frozen regions of the North, the burning plains of the South, the mountains covered with the snows ofa hun dred winters, the valleys glittering in the robes of everlasting spring—aii, resound with the prayers and the praises of Chris tians. Though religious persecutions have not eeasei!, yet Christianity advances, and the Kingdom of God is enlarged. Corrup tion begins to tremble-upon her throne, for Truth in its power is approaching her do minions. Will persecutions against the humble fol lowers of Christ never cease ? “Is there in he no change in this tragic, this direful scene of blood and slaughter? Shall bro therly love and cordial affection never be come universal; and peace never wave her white banner throughout the earth ? Is there no durable institution, (minded in vir tue, and permanent as the eternal rules of jtldtlrß 1 1 thru: wiH<lvn yroiwis* i - rock, on which Truth and Reason may build a fabric, that shall never fall ? Yes ; there is a Kingdom ; its foundations were | laid of old ; its King is the God of Heaven; its Law is Perfect Love ; its Dominions are wide, for they extend to the wise and virtuous in all worlds ; and its subjects are safe, for they are defended by Almighty Power.; and they shall rise to eternal pros perity and glorv, when all earthly king doms shall vanish like a shadow or a dream.” (Whclpley’s Cotnpend of His tory; vol. 2, p. 81;) There is one sublime anti glorious thought connected with the present advancement of Christianity, that makes the heart of the true believer bound with joy ; and that is the contemplation of the time, when the Religion of Christ in its purity shall be uni versally acknowledged and embraced by men. For the Christian Index. Silver Run. Ala., April 24, 1844. Fro. Faker —Spring with all its beauties nnw surround us, (he weather is delightful, it is a business doing time, our wheat crops promise an abundant harvest, our seeds are sown. Vegetation is springing rapidly a round us. The whole vegetable kingdom bespeaks life and animation in our midst. Alas ! Alas ! When we turn our eyes to the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus, dreary winter with all its chilling winds, and fro zen icicles surround us. Surround ns did I say 5 O if this were all! Indeed the purge has been so great that our affections have felt its power, its keen wilherisg winds have tonched our hearts, our sins separate between us and God, our Great Spiritual Sun shines upon us obliquely, consequently we seem to be approaching near to the free zing point. I tremble for the ark of God. Truly this is one of the most trying times I have seen in Alabama. Is it thus with you, my dear Georgia Brethren ? Let us adopt the language of Hog. 6 : 1, “Come and lei us return unto the Lord.” Come brethren of Geoigia and of Alabama, let us return. It is time, yea, high time to return. I want to see another revival, I think sometimes, that if called to die, I should not be satisfied unless I could see another tevjval, 0 Lord revive u*. In the'churches here where we have had such great revivals, there ate some (and thank God hut few) difficulties, now rnd then one returns to his bottle and is ex cluded. We-try to maintain a wholesome and strict discipline among us ;an 11 tejoice and thank the Lord that drunkenness, and ignorance is passing away front the Baptist denomination. Ooe thought in relation to the Index. I am exceedingly fond of the paper, and feel Publisher— BENJ. BRANTLY that 1 can turn its pages and converse with my brethren and old Iriends and he edified. But I do most seriously tegret its change of form, and all the Alabama subscribers, as lar as 1 have seen, regret it deeply. lam sorry for it, for two or three reasons. Ist, The matter it affords, often is worth a se cond, a third, and even a.tenth reading.-—-’ Many of us here were exceedingly careful • in filing it away, and marking in a little book, many excellent and superior things in it, the Vol. No. page and all. So that it could he turned to in a moment. 2nd. I intended to make it a part of mv library, not only for my own benefit, but lor my children after me. When a Newspapei is dentloras wrapping paper,-even thechildren would tell each other you must not get or tear an Index, Pa, you know wants them. I he out edges of the paper were cut off', and each No. carefully filed away, and each particular or good-thing well marked. Now when I am gone my children exam ine my papers, they come to this, see it so well fixed, and its pages every now and then marked, it must attract their attention, and will be another source of improvement to them. I know as it is it may be hung upon a rope or a siring in the midst of the dust, where it would take from a half to an hour to find any thing you wished to see a second time, and the children after would say, O its nothing but some Newspapers, and they are thrown away. I know 1 might get them bound at the Index office, hut then there is a deal of trouble,.and more expense, and besides all Ihe good places are not marked. 3d. I regret it from the fact that the hard labors of a good Editor with all liis perplexities and troubles to ben efit his brethren and the world, are thrown under the table .so soon as one scans them over, as lost and good for nothing. • If oare tiillv tiled !,nd hound, his labors would not be lost, anti we profited by it. See present V;d. No. 12, 22d March, 1844, what a good piece thete, well worth a dozen readings, entitled “The Christian's directory, extract ed Dom an old author.”* Observe an old author. The Indent may contain more mat ter as it is, but who would not prefer to have less .matter, and it trneatedlv accessa- Ide, than to have more matter a mill trou hlesomely and hardly acressable. Lastly, I have been married to the Index long since, but she has changed the lorin of her wed ding garment, it has blunted iny affections exceeding’)’, and even the thought ofa di vorce troubles my mind. However if the paper as it is, is best for the whole or a ma jority 01. the subscribers, I calmly submit, lor 1 go for the good of the whole. Respectfully, S. G. JENKINS. ‘This is No. 5, of the series of Tracts is sued hy our Publication Society in Phila delphia- A great proportion of our oldest sub scribers prefer the octavo form, but the number of these, are hot sufficient to sustain the paper. Taking our subscribers in the general a large majority of them prefer the present newspaper form. The new sub scribers obtained since tlje change of form, have been to those obtained previous to that change, we arc disposed to think, nearly as ten to one. Could the Index circulate as extensively and excite the same interest generally in its old form as in its new, we too would prefer the old form. But the fact is, the paper, while published in the octavo form, sunk money. It has so far this year more than cleared expenees, and if our friends continue their efforts in its be half, we have no doubt tlrat it will eventu ally add to the lands ol the Convention from 500 to SIOOO per year. At all events we would not deem it any hazard for an in dividual, to assume the responsibility and insure the Convention SSOO a year. For the Christian Index. Talbotton, May 5, 184-4. Dear bro. Faker— I (eel that it is the duty of someone, to answer the request of a *.* Lay-Member” more fully, for the hon or of religion, and the cause of Christ. I regret that you Jiati not been more pointed in your answer. I have received commu nications from various sources, requesting my opinion on the conduct of such immor al practice of professors, engaged in such amusements. And I have thought, under all circumstances, it was best to give my opinion in the Index. Paul’s exhortation to us is not to be con formed to this world. This is a general exhortation, adapted to a great variety of occasions. It affords an excellent rule for the ehristian’s conduct, which lie may read ily apply, when tempted to follow the course of this world. It is easy to know what the world loves and pursues, and it is easy to remember that the Christian must take a different course. Hie way of the world is the broad way to destruction ; th* NO. 20.