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JOSEPH S^BAKETl —Editor. VOL.-XII. &LRXS P'JSR ANNUM. Tiie Christian Index, published on Friday hi each week, (except two in the year), will be furnished 10 each subscriber at &Z 50 cents, in advance; or $3 if net paid withiivthe year-. aZF* Posv Masters, where the Index is taken, are re juested to forward remittances for subscribers at their respective offices, according to a decision of the Post-Master General as to theirefigiifto do so. All pa trons and agents are requested to notice this. Every Agent land all Baptist Ministers are particularly solicited to become agents) who procure and pay for live the Index, shall be entitled to a sixth, as a com, pensation for his trouble. - tetters on business, or communication's* tnust be ad dressed -fc> the Editor, post paid. Advertisements may be inserted on usual terms, at the discretion of the Editor. fonfessians or Doelaralious of Faith: The Dutp of Churches to make a public Declaration of their Faith considered and maintained. Section 4.— Some objections noticed and answered.—After what lias been said, it may appear unnecessary to notice the objections which haye been u.ged a gamst confessions of faith.* We shall, however, proceed .to answer some ol those which are most frequently urged, not with the view of sustaining the duty in question, hut with the view ol tearing down the Aim sty shelters which an opposing spirit has reared, to shield itself from tiie shafts of truth. We will first, however, notice an objection dial may he. urged to the particu lar position which we have taken in the discussion of the subject before us. Some may urge, that as there is to bo found no positive precept or express exemplar in the word of God for confessions of ‘faith, (lie course in question should be considered on the ground of expediency, and not as a dit ty. We answer, 1. That a positive precept is not twees- 1 sary to impose a duty. There is, as has been justly observed by another writer, a j dilferenee between a positive obligatiotvi sind amm ai duty. The one rests upon a j positive precept, the other .upon general | principles, established in the word otUod.Y However necessary, therefore, a positive precept is to establish a positive institution, —-o i" 1 , i T.i r.n rtr *tm 11, t ‘\tk t : Tt-Bnim ■tn-rwwrv to impose a duty. That a positive precept is not necessary for the tatter purpose, is apparent from die portion of scripture up on which we have commented in paragrajfft V. Were the ease, different from what it is, what an endless number, of volumes must have been written to teach us our du ly. The long life of a Methuselah would not be sufficient to enable one to acquaint himself with the thousandth part of those precepts which it. would have been neces sary to have given, and consequently it would be insufficient to acquaint him with the thousandth part of his duty. Tifcre is no positive precept to interfere, shoull we see an individual, wittingly or unwittingly, about to ad min utter a deadly potion to anoth er, yet whn is there that would not feel it an imperious duly to interfere in such a case. 2. With regard to the absence of ail ex emplar in the word of God, we have a few observations to make: 1. The Christian church, in die days of the apostles, was hot split tip into sects, us in the present day, and, therefore, there was not the same'necessity lor confessions of faith, or a declaration of the views of different churches. Individual members inay have departed from ‘the faith, but we read of no church that withdrew and estab lished a different creed. 2. The churches were theifreceiviiig di rect communication from heaven, through inspired, men, and this would tend to su percede the necessity of a confession cf . faith. 3. The peculiar tenets of the Christian church were generally known, not only to its friends, hut also to its (ires. peculiar, tenets ofdifFereut branches of the church, in the present day, are not generally known. 4. It appears from Acts xix. .1 —0, and other portions of scripture, tliai'disctples were not received into fellowship without a strict scrutiny into their faith and prac tice. 5. When a church, or churches, were in doubt concerning any particular matter, they did call a council to-consider theinat tei, and the result of their deliberation was made known, by a public, declaration of their views, as appears from Acts xv 5, &c. This we consider an example in point. 6. But the want of an example cannot invalidate a general principle. Were it ne cessary to connect onti or more examples with every general principle, we might, with hutch propriety, adopt the language of an evangelist, and say, “I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.” (Jno. xxi. • 25.) If, then, the general principles establish ed in the sacred volume, require the course to be pursued, which we have advocated, it would avail nothing to plead the want of *A man may speak with propreity of a positive obligation to perform moral duties; for there are positive precepts to do the whole will of God, and the will of God is revealed in part in the general principles to tfhich allusion has been made. THE CHRISTIAN INDEX, an example. That they do require this, it has been our endeavor to show. Wheth er we have succeeded or nut, we leave the reader to decide. Wte request, however, before he forms a decision, that he would recall to mind the principles upon which our arguments have been based. Objections. to conlessions of faith, when not based upon something worse, are, lor lliu most part, founded . :: :. misapprehen sion of the object ot such confessions.— They are generally represented idPtjeing set up as a rule of oar faith and practice. Btu ihi* is false. IT IS SI.MPLY A DEC LARATION OF OUR.VIEWS, RELA TIVE TO WHAT IS ‘TAUGHT AND REQUIRED IN OUR RULE OF FAUYi AND PRACTICE—IN THE WORD OF GOO. Note it. It is a de claration of views already entertained , and, therefore, not a rule by which our views ate to be formed. • Let us examine this matter a little more thoroughly. Suppose an individual is ar raigned before a church, which has a writ ten statement of its views, fur heresy— say, for instance, for denying tin: divinity ot the Saviour. Would the church refer to its confession, think you, and *eay, you must lie in an error, lor see, the divinity*of the Saviour is assn, ted in our confession? Surely there is none so simple as to believe titis—none that can suppose that the church would do otherwise, titan refer to the por tion of God’s word in which the divinity ol the Saviour was taught, and those in which they were instructed to avoid or re ject those who denied it. To their con fession of faith, it is tine, they might turn —but for what? Not to convict him of his lietcsy, but to show mat they had ever re cognized litis doctrine-us taught—where?— In their cunlession ol taiih? No: but in that which they had acknowledged, in that confession., to be the rulq of their faith—in the word of God. The individual would thus be divested of the excuse, that he uas ignorant of their views, and knew not that they esteemed the gospel as their rule of | laitlt, rr litis doctrine as otic that was taught S in the gospel. j Every’church, it will bs granted, has, or ought to h ive, ccitaiu and definite views 1 relative to,what the gospel requires them to \ beli vo and uo—for they arc required to lie ! well established i;i the faith. Will any one pretend that the simply recording of -----W ----their nature, or their operations? Suppose, fol instance, that there arc two churches which hold piecis-ly the same views.— The views of the one recorded, but jin: views of the oilier are not—tout is to say, the one has a confession of faith, the oth er has not. .Suppose an individual, in tiic ’one, is arraigned for- certain errors in doc trine,’ or in practice, and an individual, in the other, is arraigned for the same errors, under the same ctretnnstances—Would the result be likely to differ? We think not. Wherein, then, there would be evil in re cordiiiir the views oi a chinch, we cannot discover: but we can see wherein good might result. In the one case, the offen der would have reason to know, from the first, what would bn the consequences of embracing error. In the miter case, the individual would not. In the one case, a nother individual might bu'snved from em bracing error, at least from advocating it— in the other there would he nothing to de ter from such a course. Os all tyrannical governments, it has of ten been truly said, the most oppressive is that in which the- will of the monarch is the law of the land. On the contrary, in every mild government, there is a written law, by which its subjects arc governed. The remark is ns true, when it refers to ecclesiastical governments, as when it re fers to truth t - unchangeable in its n:itdte|-as unchangeable as the throne ol thcopteriiahMll'iten a church lias no one can never know with views or what courses of conduct will meet with approbation, or what with censure, or whether the views it approves to-day, it Will not condemn to morrow. We have known churches to excommunicate individuals at one time, for doing that which they had warmly recom mended ayupMher time. In both cases they professed 4o be governed by their views of lhe gqßpf-1 requirements! Surely a written expression of the view sos a church, il it dm no other good, would save it from.such inconsistency. For the Christian Index. Ail Essay on llte Christian Religion. Sec. Vll. — Advantages of Christianity — Xatiouul. When we contrast the superstition, igno rance and indolence which characterize some nations, with the wisdom, genius and industry that arc found in others, we are led to inquire into the causes that have pro duced such “vast differences-in the condition and character of the human family ; and if we pursue the inquiry’ far enough, we shall generally find that it is the hand of Chris tianity that confers happiness and ease and fortune-and honor on chains of idolatry have fettered others in ig norance, and covered them with misery and shame. Where is there a nation on earth, that receives the Christian Religion in its purity, that is not blessed with happy peo ple, ftee governments, noble institutions, wise legislators, and an abundance of the FOR THE. BAPTIST CONVENTION OT THE STATE OF GEORGIA? PENFIELD, GA., MAY 24, 1844. comforts and luxuries of life ? And where is there a nation or a people oivlhc globe, blinded by the false philusophy of idolatry, that is not poor, degraded and ignorant; de prived of the means of gaining knowledge, stript of every thing necessary to render ex istence comfortable and happy, and bowed beneath the yokes of oppression and lyran uy ? Christianity, bv teaching men their ori gin, their history, their dependence upon a Superior power, and the obligations they are under tifGod and to their fellow-men, points out to them the necessity ofitnprove .pieut, the blessings offteedorn, the benefits of industry, and the glory and the grandeur ol national prosperity. These tilings stim ulate the mental and physical powers of the mass to action, and the inventions and dis coveries of one age are made.the subjects of improvement in the next. The mind still rises and expands, grasping new theories; discovering new truths, and making new improvements; ever strengthening its fac ulties by exercise—looking farther into'the vast store-hpuse of its own powers, and drawing out its forces anti applying them to fresh and more glorious achievements. Every new discovery and invention, and every improvement on old ones, discovers some new ptoof of the wisdom and good ness of God, and gives the mind larger and more exalted ideas of the character and ben efits of pure. Christianity; points to it os the great soiuee from which every real bles sing flows, and begets in the soul a true, genuine spirit of devotion. Hence the march of improvement is ever onward, and with it advances national prosperity as well as individual happiness. To show most clearly the advantages of Christian nations, their history should be studied, arid they should he contrasted with ilia wretchedness, poverty and ignorance of Pagans; Here nothing is known of man ; no correct ideas are entertained of the char acter of his Creator; nothing is desired save the gratification of animal life ; no dreams are entertained of the immortality or.frp j-jy'il:.and joq preparations are made for present or future happiness. There is no march of improvement; the clouds of ignorance are never dispersed by the rays of knowledge;; and their conditions grow worse as time advances. liow thankful should Americans be, that the Religion of Christ in its purity, is among theiji ! That the foundation of their government, laws, anil institutions, was laid with an eye single to its advancement! Sec. Vlll.— Advantages of Christianity— . Social and Domestic. We conic now to notice some of the so cial and domestic advantages of Christiani ty ; and what, I would ask, would be the condition ofcoinuiuniii.esand families, with out the mellowing hand of religion to refine, and purify the hearts of their members ? What would become of all that now renders our social and domestic circles so agreeable and contented, so lovely and beloved ? Hoiv could societies and families exist ? (These things are ably handled by lion. D. Web ster in liis late speech on the “Girard Will Case.”) Lei those who constantly nreel in peace, security and harmony around the social hoard and the domestic hearth, and around-the altar of Divine Worship, an swer these important questions. Look tit the societies, or the absence, rather, of all society, in ‘ those countries in which the Christian Religion is not received; there is no firmness of government, no equality of law, uo division of labor, no inaiks of kind ness for the stranger, nor sympathy for hu man suffering. There are no assemblages for quiet, social intercourse, no greetings of friendship, no distributions of charily, no displays of benevolence. Frequently, eacli individual is his own law-maker and his own avenger; rents iris own tent and the stranger dare not approach it without Iris consent; raises his children in the same habits of vice and infamy that characterize liis own life. Females are often compelled to labor for the support of the males, who spend their lime in idleness and dcbauclte ry; children are sold as slaves (or the sake of filthy gain, or put to death to please their senseless idols ! How different from this picture are communities-and*familtes in a land of Christianity: there neat and com fortable habitations receive together in friendship and love, kindrd, friends, neigh bors, and the passing stranger; fields and meadows-.bloom and ripen with rich stores of the earth’s production—the reward of happy industry ; institutions, benevolent and literary, are found every where for the benefit of all classes aud conditions ; popu lous cities, lovely villages, beautiful edifices, lowering monuments erected to preserve the memory of the wise and good, content ed, cheerful families, and happy, prosper ous people, ate found in the Christian land, and found only there. It is this Religion that knits the chords- of sweetness, benevo lem:*md -love around the hearts Jl husband and ADe, parents and children, brothers and sisters ; and gives them that virtue, purity of heart, and Christian feeling, which ena ble them’ to exist ami dwell together in de light.. Sec. ?X. — Advantages ot’ Christianity— . Individual. Every individual in a laud of pureChris tiandy, whether he has Religion shed a broajd in his heart or not, is blessed with peetpiar advantages—such as are not felt, t'.ar,Mldml, even dreamed of, by those who ard chained down in ignorance and degra dation by idolatrous worship. lie has a knowledge of man, of himself, of Nature, anti of tiie laws, by which the Great Crea tor governs Iris works. Search, out the most ignorant individual in a Christian land, and the wisest Pagan Philosopher or the most skillful Magician of Oriental supersti tion, place them in the same spot, and mark the difference with which they contemplate dip objeejs which Nature picsonls to their view. The former sees beauty and harmo ny in every thing around hint; tiie latter finds nothing but disordcp ami confusion; the onJgkzes in wonder and love upon the wisdom ind power of God, as displayed in the host )>f flaming orbs rolling majestically but silently onward through tiie clear blue sky ; the other trembles with awe and fear as lie timidly glances at what lie believes to be the governors rtf man’s destiny ; the be liever Philosophy beholds ev ery wiiere the regular, sublime, eloquent moniiqipts of God’s power and goodness, tiie Heathen sage views nothing bin the ir regular, confused, silent productions of chance. But il is the Christian—the humble fol lower of .Christ, he who has liis love a bountiing in his soul and who leans upon Him for guidance and protection, that is blessed with superlative advantages ; ail vantage's far baVoml the conception of those who have noj/soughl Him.as theSaviourof their souls,/ lie it is that appeats in the image of,lris M'jkwr I-llmt, mU -wryrk ings of ’Divine Providence in every thing around him ; that braves the storms of scorn and persecution with true inagnimily ; that looks beyond the transitory things of Time, and fixes his hopes upon the rewards that await him in Eternity. Go to the poorest offcast as he grapples with Death upon his miserable bed of straw, and,-if he be a true follower of the Redeemer, maik his calm ness, It is resignation, his joy. Ask him if his friends have all forsaken him, and left him to die alone ! Perhaps liis voice is al ready gone, hut his eyes, his whole appear ance answers— No; I have a Friend who has not forsaken me yet;—He supports me in tliiUmy last hour of earthly sorrows, and will seon lake me to Himself in Heaven! Tills ■j-this is an advantage ; one which the Christian -Religion—and nothing but the Christian Religion—can confer upon man! HER MON. For the Christian Index. My Neighbor. Dear bro. linker —lt is most foreign from my mind, to wish, to elicit controversy, Irotn yourself, or any other person, and, as I am going to offer something that differs Irom what 1 believe to he the popular opin ion ol men, I wisli you to give it a careful perusal; and il you believe it to tie errone ous, and if it will give you any unnecessa ry trouble to correct its errors, by a kind and fatherly response to it, please to throw it under the table amongst the balance of the rubbish. A ccriain'lawyer, tempting the Lord Je sus, asked him, “ which is the great com mandment in the law ?” Jesus said unto him, “ Thou shalt love the thy God with all thy heart, and with ail tiiy soul; and with all thy mind. This Is the first and great ‘commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Oil these two commandments hang all the law ami the prophets.” A question.naturally arises iii the inquir ing mind, not always because it is willing to justify itself either, but because it honest ly wishes to obey the commandments of’ God—who is my neighbor ? We turn to the lexicon of our language, anil we find it says he is one who lives near to us: a na tion, bordering on our nation. We consult our divines, and tiiey tell us that each mem ber of the human family is intended to be comprehended by God, in the term neigh bor. We are not disposed, notv,*to enter into a dispute with our lexicographer, with rpgard to the definition ol the common term neighbor, tTiough we believe'they have, in many instances, affixed to words definitions that are mdsuljstantfrom the original mean ing of them, c. g. Some of them tell us, that to baptize, means to christen, aud to christen means to name &ur children, there fore, to baptize is to name our children.— Thus, to evade the true definitions of the words, the meaning of which is of most im portance to be known, they eringe behind the screen of-uncertainly, lor no other rea son that we know of, than lor fear their lex icon will not be well received by a certain class of men ; not remembering that hones ty is the best policy. But, notwithstand ing, in the acceptation of words, in the com mon transactions of life, it makes tip differ ence, provided the meaning is definite.— Therefore, I am willing to call all those, who live near me, my neighbors. But, with regard to the tilings on which our eternal interest and our eternal salvation rests, we should he more particular to know what idea God (not our lexicographers) intends to convey to our minds by any particular word in which lie may think proper to ex press himself to us. Tlieiejbre, in tracing out the definitions of, Scripture words, ot phrases, we ihink we.are not always bound to confine outselves to the common accep tation of those words or phrases, or to the definitions which are given of them by our lexicographers, but should endeavor to ar rive at the true Scripture definitions. II an eirot may exist in the minds of the wise and learned divines from generation to gen eration, and j’et he perceived by the igno rant, and by a novice and clodpole, 1 may venture to assert, that the commandment of God to “love thy neighbor as tins If”-lias no allusion to the loving of all mankind. 1 support this opinion by the definition which Christ himself gave of the term, to a cer tain lawyer, who, being willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And wlio is my neighbor? Luke x.'B9. Jesus answering, said, “ A certain man went,down from Jerusalem to Jerico, anil fell-among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded hirn, anil depart ed, leaving hint half (load.” You will here please to notice that this is a very suitable representation of man in tun elnlc. “And by rhmec there came down a cei tain priest (a holy man .of God) that way ; and when he saw him, he passed by on the oilier side. And likewise a Levite, (anoth er man who was eligible to the holy offiep of Priesthood) when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.” “ But a certain Samaritan, as lie journi ed, came where he was : and when he saw him, ho had compassion on him, and went to him, and hound up his wounds, pouring in oil anil wine, ami set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and look care of him,” paid his expenses, and pro vided for liis futitle safety and comfort. “Which now of these three, iliinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves ?” It is very evident, drat neither the priest nor Levite, thong'll they were conspicuous characters, and of a family of as much noto riety, perhaps, as any belonging, at thatday, to the Jewish nation, cf which nation he was, were considered to be his neighbor. * The answer which the Scriptures give to tiie question, and to which every honest heart, nietiiinks, will he ready to respond, is, “he that showed mcrcjfcon him,” —the Samaritan. My readers all know that “ Samaritan” means a citizen of Samaria. The City Sa maria, was built by Omri, king of ten of the tribes of Israel, on a hill which he bought front Shcmer for two talents of silver. -The .City was named alter the original owner of the hill, Samaria, or in Hebrew, Shcineron, and became, and remained to be, the Cap ital of that kingdom of those fen tribes of Israel, though it bad been twice beseiged by Bur-lladad, king of Syria, till it was ta ken by Shalmaneser, king t>f Assyria, after 4 siege of three years. See 1 Kings xvi. 83, 24 and 29, and 2 Kings xviii. 9 and 10. We however notice, that the same name (Samaria) had been applied to the hill, anil adjacent country, previous to the building and naming of the city by Omri, (See 1 Kings xiii 32) which country, is said by our geographers, to be bounded on the North by the plain of Esdrelon, in Galilee, on the east by the Jordan, on the south by a district of Judea, and oil the west by a narrow strip of land, belonging also to Ju dea, and dividing Samaria fiom the Sea— the Mediterranean Sea. We are not told, by our Lord, whether this good Samaritan was from the city, or merely from the country, of Samaria ; not need we care to know, since we are well informed that, literally speaking, the Jews and Samaritans did not recognise each oth er as neighbors, nor did they have any deal ings, the one with the other. See John iv. 9. We might venture farther and say, that the Jews riot only refused to neighbor with Publisher —BENJ. BRANTLY the Samaritans, but they cherished a malice and a deadly -hatred against them, insomuch that we hear them saying that the Lord Je sus is a Samaritan, aud hath a devil, John viii, 48. I conceive then, that the neigh bor whom 1 am commanded to Jove as I love myself, is he, who finding me stript, and wounded, and dying, takes me up. heals my wounds, saves my life, am) pro vides for my future and everlasting safety and happiness. Who is he but Jesus Ohrst my. Lord !• KIDRONv Thomson, May 10, 1844. For the Christian Index, * Sabbath Schools. By establishing and encouraging Sabbath Schools we may discharge, at once, a duty ,we owe to ourselves, to our children and to our Cieator. JU is a cause in which till may aid, and in aiding, each one may both re ceive and impart a benefit; it is a.cause, which, perhaps, more than all others im plants principles of morality and virtue in the hearts of the rising generation ; and which has the approbation of Heaven and enlarges the Kingdom ol the Redeemer.— The hearts of children, on which virtuous impressions can most easily be made, are too often left uneultivaletf till tiie weeds of vice have choked the belter growth. The child loves virtue for .virtue’s sake; it is pleased with her fair form and gentle dis position ; and if rightly liaincd the same love will characterize its riper years. But neglect and had example never fail to prove latal ; the heart of innocence soon becomes warped Ironi its original, pure principles, anil the man is, indeed, different from what the hoy had been. By neglecting, there fore, any thing that might preserve the pu rity of childhood ; by allow mg our offspring to spend the Sabbath in idle and dangerous amusements, instead of teaching them a knowledge: of Heaven, we otnit.n positive duty enjoined upon us, anil do the greatest injury to out ehildien. It is hoped that j every Church which has not a Sabbath I School connected with it will take this mat tei iiito serious and prayerful consideiation. We are too remiss in our ditties ! Has not God given us the highest charge in our chil dren, ami shall we not employ eveiy means that can give them such principles and such know ledge as will benefit them, both in Time and in Eternity? We .shall not al ways be with them, to instruct and guide them, and it, therefore, becomes us to give them every thing while young, that can comfort and direet them when we are gone. Let us establish Sabbath Schools ; let us supply mir offspring at home with proper reading for their leisure hours ; let us neg lect nothing that can be of use to our chil dren. S. For the Christian Index. ’ Canton, Madison county. Miss. > April 25,’ 1814. 5, KXTRACT. lira. Balter —l have nothing of very spe cial interest to communicate. There seems however, considerable religions excitement in some place Here among the colored pop ulation. At my second Sabbath meeting at this place quite a number was teceivcd and baptized—l 6 wore received and twelve of them baptized. I learn that there are oth ers who wish to unite with the church at our next meeting. In a country like onrs, where there arg so many colored persons, such large num bers on the same plantation, it is thought best not to sulfcr the colored congregations to be too large; it is a quite inconvenient and not thought best to permit all or even half on some plantations to go 6 or 8 miles to church, and in view of these things I am glad to see that many of the planters are now employing Ministers to go.to their houses and plantations to preach the gospel to their servants. I have now, three such appointments on Sabbath evenings’ after Preaching to the whites, and geneiallv good congregations of colored persons at the churches where F preach. I tilist from the spirit now manifested that all, or nearly so, of our wealthy Farmers will adopt the same commendable course and have preach ing at their own quarters for their servants. But what shall we do for ministers ? there are but few, very few Baptist ministers in this country, and they are not able to sup ply the present growing demand for preach ing. I have now 13 or 14 standing ap pointments in the month. It is as much as I can well attend to, and I’have calls to fill others, statedly, but cannot fill them. Have you surplus ministers, Laborers? Our por tion of the vineyard is pleasant, and I am inclined to the opinion, that it is as healthy as any other portion of country of the same latitude, from one end of our country to the other. And I am prepared to say that I have not known any portion of country NO. 21.