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JOSEPH S. BAKER— Editor. VOL. XII. t TERMS PER ANNUM. The Christian Index, published, on Friday in each week, (except two in the year), will be furnished to each subscriber at $2 50 cents, in advance; or $3 if not paid within the year. Posl-Mastt-rs, where the Index is taken, are requested to forward remittances if or 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 five copies ol the Index, shall be entitled to a sixth, as a com pensation for his trouble. Letters on business, or communications, must be a 1 iressed to the Editor, pout paid. Advertisements may be inserted on usual terms, at the discretion of the Editor. III I mil ■! II !■ !!■! Bill I ■!■ IJBIIMII I 1"^ The Exmitivr Committic of the Georgia Baptist I'utivrnlioii, lu the Baptist Uoaoiuiua tiun of the Uuitrtl Slates. Dear Brethren—On the -ml of August last, the Execiuiv. Comitiiiiceol die Georgia Baptist Convention applied n* die Execu tive Board of the American [‘ajit—! Hume Mission Society, in appoint Rev. James E. Reeves a Missionary to itinerate ill die hounds ol the Tallapoosa Association ill Georgia. On tin: I tlli ol the same mnfilii the Secretary of the Board replied to die application, taking exceptions to a part and asking explanations on a partol the said ap plication. To this the Oliairman ol the Ex. l out. of the Geo. Baptist Convention re plied midei date of Aug. 20,and from which reply die following is an extract: ••Application was made to the Gto. Bap. Convention at its last annual meeting in M ay, lot missionary aid, it! the bounds ol the Tallapoosa Association, in anew set tled part of the State, m the lute Cherokee Country—the object was mainly to have itinerant preaching in those portions of it, where there were no churches and no preach ing. The Convention heard the statement of respectable Brethren, selling forth this destitution, and in a resolution on their min utes, commended their situation to the con sideration of its Ex. Com. The Commit tee, on examination of their fund, found themselves unable to appropriate anything like a sufficient amount to meet the neces sities of this destitution, and by the author ity and in the name of die Ex. Com., as their Chairman, 1 applied to tire Am. Bap. 11. Mission Society to appoint Bro. James E. Reeves, a iiiinisl<?i of long and well known good standing in the bounds of said Association, tilt itinerant preacher, in lite destitute places of that section of country embracing a large portion of the late Cherokee nation, and to have al lowed him a salary of 620 per month.— W ilk regard to payment, three individual's, subscribers to the Home Mission Society, wislr their subscriptions to be applied to that Mission, and will leel themselves deceived, if they are forbidden the liberty of giving direction to its application. The simple statement that Bro. Reeves is a slaveholder, was made, not because our Ex. Corn, sup posed for a moment, that it would make it necessary for the Board to discuss the sub ject of Slavery, for they supposed that the decision of the Society at its last meeting settled that question, and that slavery men and anti-slavery men all occupied the same position ; in a word, that those principles in the estimation of the Society, would nei ther be for, nor against, au applicant. It was made not even because the enemies of the Society have doubled that the Board would make it an objection, for the most that they pretended to say was, that the Board u ould find some pretext to refuse the appointment. Fully believing that with the resolution of the Society before them, the Board would no', feel themselves at liberty, even if disposed, to discuss the question, but would make the appointment without hesitation, and the months of their enemies here be stopped, we made the suggestion. With these views entertained by our t om inutee, and entertained 100, as wc know , even by Abolitionists themselves, what must be our stirpiise to be told, that such an ap plication will make it necessary to discuss the subject of slavery.” B. M. SANDERS, Ch. Ex. Com. (leo. Hap. Con.” Reply of the. Ex Board of the Am. Bop. I lime Mission Socle y. .Under date of Oct. 7. the Ex. Board of the Home Mission Society makes the ltd lowing reply : American Baptist Home Mission } Rooms. Now York, Oct. 7 1844. j The Executive Board of the American Baptist Home Mission So iely. having ex amined the application of the Executive Committee of the Georgia Baptist Conven tion for the appointment of Elder James E. Reevps, feel ii their duty to stale that, in addition to the information required of ap plicants. this communication contains a statement that Mr. Reeves is a slaveholder, and that fact is offered as a reason for his appointment, in the following terms : “Wc wish his appointment so much the more, as it will stop the mouths of gainsayers. I will explain. There are good brethren a inong us, who, notwithstanding the transac tions of your society at Philadelphia, are hard to believe that you will appoint a slave holder a missionary, even when the funds are supplied by those who wish such an appointment.” The application, therefore, is an unusual one. At the last anniversary of the Society, the following Preamble and resolutions were passed, viz : “Whereas, the question has been pro posed—whether the Board would or would not e...p10y slaveholders as missionaries of this Society ; and whereas, it is important that this question should teccive a lull and unequivocal answer, therefore Resolved, That as the Constitution of the Home Mission Society clearly delines its object to be tne promotion of tke Gos pel in North America, and as it is provided by suck Constitution that any auxiliary So eietv may designate the object to which the funds contri uted by it shall be applied, and may also claim a missionary or missiona ries, accotdittg to such funds, anil select the tie and w here such missionary or missiona ries shall reside, “Therefore, Ist: That to introduce the subjects of slavery or anti-slavery into this hotly, is in direct contravention olthe wit (e letter and purpose of the said Constitution, and is. u.oreovci, a most unnecessary agita tion ol topics with ivhie.lt the Society has no concern, over which it has no entitl'd!, and as to which its operations should not he le tered, nor its deliberations disturbed. “2; Pliat tlttt Home Mission Society he. ing only ;ui agency to disburse the funds j confided tit it, according to the wishes ol the contributors, therefore, our ro-itpera iion in this limit docs not imply any sym pathy cither w ith slavery or anti-slavery, as to u hifli socii tit sand individuals are lelt as free and uncommitted as it there was no such co-operation.” We disclaim attributing to our Georgia brethren a design to disturb the delibera tions of the Board by introducing the sub ject of slavery through the medium of their application, hut such, evidently, is its tendency. In the opinion of several members oftlie Board, the application seeks the appointment, not in the usual manner, merely of a missionary, but of a slavehol der, and is designed as a test whether jhe Board will appoint a slaveholder as a mis sionary, and thus (in the language of the Society’s resolution) “in direct contraven tion of the whole letter and purpose of the constitution,” introduces the subject of sla very. They, moreover, believe that if the application were entertained by them it would, consequently, introduce adiseussiott oil the admissibility of a missionaty of the Society being a slaveholder ; from which they ate restricted by the vote of the Socie ty which declares it to be a topic “ over which it has no control, and as to which its operations should not be fettered, nor its deliberations disturbed.” To such an alternative they should not he driven. The Constitution, the “Circular” ol the Board, published in 1841. the Resolutions of the Society at its last anniversary, and the har mony of the Board,all forbid il. The appointment of missiouariet, con stitutionally eligible, and recommended ac cording to our established rules, without the introduction of extraneous consul- ra tions calcc.hu and to disturb our deliberations, the Board are, during the period of their ap pointment, sacredly bound, in equity and justice, to make, to the extent of their pe cuniary ability—keeping in view a fair ilis nihution throughout the Held, of the funds committed to their trust. But when an ap plication is made for the appointment ol a slaveholder, or an abolitionist, or anti-sla very man, as such, or for appropriations to fields when the design of the applicant is apparently to test the action of the Board in respect tu the subjects of slavery or anti slavery, their official obligation either to act cm the appointment or to entertain the ap plication ceases,—Therefore. Resolved, That in view of the preceding considerations it is not exp client to intro duce the subjects of slavery or anti-slavery into our deliberations, nor to entertain ap plications in which they are introduced. Resolved, That taking into consideration all the circumstances of the case, we deem ourselves not at liberty to entertain the ap plication for the appointment of Rev. Jas. E. Reeve. Resolved, That the Corresponding Sec retary transmit a copy of the loicgoiug views and resolutions to the Chairman ol tkie Executive Committee of the Georgia Convention. Bv order of the Executive Board, BENJ. M. HIRE, Cor. Sec.” To this reply, which has been printed in New Ymk, m a form filled for circulation by letter, is appended by the Secretin y, the lotlotviog remarks: “Allow me to say that the subject ol’slavery lias not for a moment been discussed by tlie Board; nor has the fact of Bro. Reeves being a slaveholder, led to the decision. The decision was made siru-tly on the principles set forth in the fore going proceedings —principles which I be lieve are conscientiously held. “1 trust your Board will be disposed to receive it, as ours intend it, with fraternal feeling, and a desire to preserve union. Y r ours w ith Christian regard, B. M. II.” REMARKS. In the grief aud mortification which we feel, we scarcely dare mist ourselves to make any coinmeiilim this communication: yet, having earnestly besought the guidance anj control of the Divine Spirit, we shall endeavor to say what the occasion seems to us to demand. 1. Our first remark is, that the Executive Board have confounded two questions, which are, in their nature, totally distinct. One of these questions relates to the FOR THE BAPTIST CONVENTIOV.OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA. PENFIELD, GA, NOVEMBER 1, 1844. morality of slavery. On this question, there is much diversity of opinion. Some persons regard it as a benevolent institu tion, which, having existed, with the Di vine approbation, in all past ages, may be expected to continue to the end of time.— Others regard it as a system of aggravated wrong, offensive in the sight ol Heaven, and not to be tolerated in human society. Between these wide extremes, thereareva i ions grades of opinion. Whether it was wise, lor persons differing on so important a question of morals, to attempt a eu-oper lion in the enterprises of Christian benevo lence. may pethaps become doubtful: but it is certain that the attempt has been made. Slaveholders and non-slaveholders, with a lull knowledge of each other, united In the organization of our Triennial Convention, and ol similar institutions which have since been lormt and. Slaveholders and non-slave holders have continued to be members and officers of these societies : and, until with in a.low \eais, no dilliciilly in tlu-ir co-op cram.ii has arisen; aud the question as to the morality of slavery , about which tin men.bers oi these societies were known to iliffi-r widely, ne’er disturbed their harmo ny, or entered into their discussions. A second question, wholly distinct from the former, respects the rchilioii which slaveholders hear to these societies, and their e igtbilily to offices in them. Go this last question, there has been, so far as wc have known, but out opinion. Slave holders have evei continued to co-operate, with the foil conviction that they were ail milted as members oil equal looting w ith others, and that they wore eligible to any oilire which the societies could bestow. The two questions which we havejusl stated, were regarded its distinct, by tin- America i Baptist Home Mission Society, at its last anniversary, ill the very ptoceed ittgs to which the Executive Board now re fer. Nothing can be clearer than this.— Os one question it says, “it is important that (his question should receive a full, and unequivocal answer:” but of the other, that its introduction “is in direct contraven tion of the whole letter and purpose of the Constitution.” The question as to the morality of slavery, the Society would not attempt to decide; but, on the contrary it declares the very discussion inadmissible. Bill so far from declaring the other question “whether the Board would or would not employ slaveholders as missionaries of this Society,” to ho inadmissi ble; it declares, that il deserves an une quivocal answer. Yet to the latter ques tion, the Executive Board apply the deci sion of tho Society which was made with respect to the former. “It w ould,” say they, “introduce a discussion on the ad missibility of a missionary ol the Society being a slaveholder; from which they were restricted by a vote of the Society, which declares it to be a topic over which it has no control, and ns to which its operations should not he fettered, nor its deliberations disturbed.” 2’ We remark, secondly, that the Exec utive Board have not only misapplied the resolutions of the Society, but they have also violated the instructions therein given. We need not here insist on the fact, that these resolutions, both by Southern mem bers of the Society who voted lot them, and by Abolitionists who voted against them, and who immediately on their passage threatened to leave the Society, were under stood to determine the admissibility of a slaveholder’s becoming a missionary. The resolutions speak for themselves. The preamble slates the design for which they were adopted; “Whereas the question has been proposed—whether the Board would or would not employ slaveholders as mis sionaries of this Society; and whereas, it is important that this question should re ceive a full and-unequivocal answer.”— Moreover, let it be remarked, that it was not an absirat t question which was tube determined, but a question of duly—ufdu ly fur the Executive Board; “whether the Board would &c.” This is the question to which the Society proposed to give an un equivocal answer; and for this purpose adopted the resolutions ihailullow. •• 7 here- Jure, resolved.” tn these resolutions, the equal rights of slavery and anlt-slaVery men are affirmed, and based on the consti tution; slid me obligation of the Board to make appointments, irrespective of slavery and amt-slavery,are mu-quivocallv set lortli Vet these instructions the Board have vio lated, in relusntg to appoint James E. Reeves. 3. In the third place, the reasons alleg ed or the refusal, utterly fail to justify it. On this topic, we believe that toe occasion demands plainness of speech. The first reason alleged, is, that otir ap plication, though not designed to disturb the deliberations of die Board, evidently Itad this tendency, “by introducing tile sub ject of slavery.” The Board had biffine the.n the example of the Society at its last anniversary. The question, whether a slaveholder should be appointed as a mis sionary, was proposed to tlie Society. The delibetalious became disturbed; and the question of slavery and anti-slavery was in troduced. What did the Society do? It entertained and answered the lawful and constitutional question , and rebuked the introduction of the other. So ought the Board to have done. If the perverseness of individual members would disturb their deliberations with a foreign topic, because we asked them to do their duty, the tenden cy to disturb, should be ascribed to that perverseness, and not to our application ; aud the rebuke should have been applied where it was deserved* Ihe second reason alleged, is, that in the opinion ol several members, the appli cation was designed as a leM; In the pub lication ol their proceedings, the Board have quoted the language of our appli cation but in part. Our views were luily staled in the explanatory letter of which a huge pari has been given above, and, from which we repeat the Ibllowing extract.— •‘The simple statement that Bro. Reeves was a slaveholder, was made, not because otif Executive (J out mince supposed fora nnlinent that it would make n necessary lonihe Board to discuss the question ofsla vcffi-ffior-thr’.- supposed ill/.i -the decision of aue Society at its last meeting settled dun question, anil that slavery men and anil slavery men all occupied the same po sijiiMiji in a word that those principles in liiQ estimation ol the Society, would neith er be for nor against art npplicytil. It was made, not even because the enemies of the Society) here doubtid that the Board Would make it)an objection—for the most they pretended tu say, was, that the Board would hud snnte pretext to reluse the appointment. Fully btllievmg dial with the itsuhiiion ol die .Society before them, the Board would not leel themselves at liberty, even if dis posed, let discuss the question, but would make the 1 appointment without hesitation, and die mouths of their enemies here tie s hipped, wc made the suggestion.’ i\ow, to our surprise at and mortification, the Board have fulfilled the prediction ol their ene mies. They have luuiul a pretext, and one of a most extraordinary diameter. It is, that out application was designed as a lest. They must not he tested. They ate honest men,and faithful public-servants. ’k'imsy know their duty well, and they mean to do it honestly. Blit their honesty il-nst not be tested ; else their obligation to by hottest ceases’. In our judgment, the iyinesly which shrinks from being tested, deserves not to be trusted. To expose the llimsitiess of this pretext, we will suppose that the question respect ed politics, instead of slavery, Had a prom inent officer of the Society imprudently published, that no Democrat, known to be such, bad ever received an appointment; and had we, to quiet the spirit ol party thereby excited, requested the Board to ap point J. E. R. the rather, because, being a democrat, his appointment would stop the •m Drab's of gaht-suyers: would the Board have shrunk Irmn being tested on the ques tion ? Would they not lather have rejoic ed in an opportunity to show their superi ority to till party inllueiiee ? Yet they might with equal propriety have disdained to be tested, and declined to entertain our application, on the plea that it tended to dis turb their harmony, by introducing politi cal discussions into their hotly. Wo do not understand the statement, that our application was an unusual one, to be a reason assigned by the Board for re jecting it. An unusual application may deserve special consideration ; and there may be found in it unusual fitness and pro priety. We stated a reason, which, in out judgment, added force to all the other rea sons for the appointment that we sought: but this reason, the mere mention* of it, in the logic of the Board, nullifies all other reasons ; and, in the ethics of the Board, entirely absolves them from their “ official obligation,” Such logic, such ethics, we profess not to understand. If we should ask an appointment for a mis sionary to preach to a colony of Jews, we must he careful not to mention that lie is a soil of Abraham. Such an application would he an unusual one, and might, in the opinion of several members of the Boatd, be designed as a test; anti might introduce an extraneous consideration, calculated'to disturb tl)£ Board with the question, wheth er in Ulirist Jesus there he circumcision or uncircn incision. tn every view which wc have taken of tlie reasons assigned fur rejecting our appli cation, we are no less astonished, than grieved, that intelligent and clear-sighted Christian men, should be willing to exhibit to the world a dereliction of duty, under a covering so thin. Ii such morality prevail, debtors may refuse to have their honesty and punctuality tested: and, when pay ment of just claims is demanded, they may indignantly repel the alliont, so disquieting to titeir repose ; and may regard the suspi cion of their integrity, as canceling all obli gation to make pa monl. 4. Fourthly, the rejection of our appli cation goes lar to evince the necessity of a Southern organization for our benevolent j operations. We make this remark with fear am! trem bling. We have clung, fondly clung, to tlie hope of preserving union among Amer ican Baptists. We have done this, amidst difficulties, discouragements, and mo, (idea tions. We have been aware, that many in tiie North have regarded us as unworthy * It is not the fact that Brother Reeves is a slaveholder, bin the mention of the fact, which disquiets the Board. Tlie Corres ponding Secretary writes to us; “Nor has tiie fact of Bro. Reeves’ being a slaveltol dei led to the decision. The decision was made strictly on the principles set forth in the foregoing proceeding.” After tlie Boartl have, by so significant a procedure, invited us to deceive them, if we should now ob tain from them, by concealment, the ap pointment of a slaveholding missionary, would we or they be most guilty oftlie dis simulation ? of their Christian fellowship. We have examined their complaint against us, pray erfully, and .with our Bibles belore us.— We feel that wedeseivc not their reproach es. As in tlie North, the duties of the husband, the lather, the citizen; so, in the South, together with these, those of the master, are doubtless perMrVtied with much imperfection : and, both North and South, among slaveholders and non-slaveholders, far too little is done to meliorate the condi tion of the dependent and degraded portions of our race. But that the relation of mas ter is in itself unlawful, and that all who sustain it are worthy, not of honor, but of reproach and excommunication, we do not believe. Oat the contrary, in Ru circiyn slances in which many of us are placed, we hold it to be a solemn duly to sustain this relation, and to fulfill its obligations to the best of our ability. On this question ol duty, our Northern brethren have nota greecl with us in judgment: yet we have honored them, and loved them, and rejoic ed to co-operate with them in woiks ol Christian benevolence. Hut the day ap proaches, we sadly tear, when our co-oper ation must cease. There may he some ti nning us, who might he willing to contin ue their conn ilnitiotis to Northern Boards, even though those Boards should openly declare our ministers and t Inin lies severed Iroin their Christian fellowship : but the number of such contributions would he small. The present action of the Lx en tire Board of the Home Mission Society, will go lar to destroy among our people, all confidence in Northern Boards: and, un less other agents lor the management of tiur chiislian charities be provided, the amount of our contributions will be lamentably di minished. 5. Our last remark is, that our only hope lor the preservation of union, rests on tlie attachment ol’otir brethren to the principles ol chuich independence. The Executive Board, in their Citeular ol Feb. 10, 1841, have clearly recognised these principles, and their application to the case in question. They say, “The wish has been manifested that voluntary socie ties, our own among the number, should act upon this question, cither by disapprov ing the civil institutions of the South, or censuring the course of those at the North who impugn these institutions. The Ex ecutive Committee believe that voluntary Societies have no such right. It would he travelling out of the records to allow the introduction ol the question, or admit it as a subject of conference in the Society— We must, in doing so, act uncommission ed ; and trample upon the ruins ol our con stitution, to arrive at ike question. It would he again a violation ol our first as Baptists, recognising no disciplinary powers beyond the individual church, and no legislation out of the lids of the New Testament. And it would be the creation, in the most objectionable form, of a synod, one ol that class of institutions whose usur pations laid the basis of tlie Romish apos tacy.” Although the Board have, in action, a bandoned these their professed piinciples; yet the Society may devise means for car rying them into effect. We will therefore still hope that at its meeting’ in April next, something may be done, tliut will avert the disasters which our depressed spirits fore bode. If cut off from this last topic; if our church independence be not acknowl edged ; and if our ministeis be declared unworthy of the sacred office: we must then commit ourselves, and the interests of religion, to Him who stilleth the noise of the waves, and the tumults of the people. B. M. SANDERS, Chairman Ex. Committee. Titos. Stocks, Secretary. Oct. 22, 1844. For the Christian Index- Colportugc iu Germany. The following highly interesting letter shows the field which God is opening for evangelical labors among the dead churches of the continent of Europe. Hamburg, Aug. 6 1844. Rev. W. A. Ilallock, Sec. Am. I r. Soe. My Dear Brother. —Allow me to oiler to yourself and the Society tlie grateful ac knowledgements of myself and the breth ren associated with me, for your and their attention to our wants. But lor the gener ous support received from your Society, our efforts in the Tract cause must have been very limited. More than 100,null perishing sinueis have heard of the tiailte of Jesus during 1843, through your instru mentality, many of whom, 1 doubt not, will have to testily iu lliegreat day tn judg ment, that the Tracts given them at that time were the instilments by which God led them to his dear Son. Our issues iu 1843 amounted to 250,250 copies. SIGNAL IILESSINO UPON TRACTS AND COL PORTEUR LABORS. Our labor has not been in vain in the Lord ; —we have had a year of blessings. God has owned this part of our work in a signal manner. The instances o( conver sion brought to our knowledge were more frequent than before. We had about 60 conversions in the city and vicinity, and out of these about one fourth were in the first instance instructedfrom our Tracts, or by the brethren who distributed them. The last case of this nature was stated to me last Tuesday, the day appointed to converse wilh.inquirers. A woman called, living outside of the gates of the city.— Publisher— BENJ. BRANTLY She came to thank me for the instructions sliej had received at our place of worship, as alsd for permitting Iter children to attend our Sunday School. On inquiring what hqd brought her to our preaching, “'she re plied, “One oi the young men who bring us the little books.” I (bund that she had read the tracts with great attention; that Iter husband, a tailor, had given up all work on the Lord s day ; that both attended reg ularly on my ministry, and that their chil dren attended the Sunday School. From the interview I had with her, I am led to cherish the hope that the truth has reach ed her heart, and that ere long she will openly’ confess Jesus as her ‘Lord and her Go< ’- <- *"” FronT other parts of German v and Den mark we have been encouraged with equal ly interesting information; and from the whole 1 am led todravv the conclusion, that as by the wickedness of man we are pre vented Irmn preaching the blessed Gospel, Goil is pleased to accompany the circula tion of Tracts with a gi cuit r blessing iu these countries, iliiin it; “those win re these resitietimts do hot exist, and where the ver bal testimony for Christ is the primary means to gather in his elect. The Lord can thus frustrate the designs of hell and earth, aud overrule the wrath of man to his own glory. labors amono roman catholics, and CONVERSIONS. Among our converts there are not a few horn the Roman Catholic part of Germany, who have resided at Hamburg for some time, and after being settled in the faith of God’s elect, frequently return to their na tive place will tat he view to spread the truth. These clear brethren could, comparatively speaking, efiert little, if they were not well supplied with Tracts. On their long jour neys, frequently Upwards of 500 miles, which they make on foot, they have many opportunities to sow the good seed. And as they could not carry all the Tracts, we have a connected chain of small depots from Hamburg to Stuttgart in Swabia, from which their wants are supplied. One of these brethren has just now left ns for Ba. den, near the Bodensee. Another left us a few weeks ago lor Bavaria. Another is spreading the truth at a place near Dantzig. among the Romanists ; and another is ac tively engaged ill Silesia, on the borders of Austria. All these brethren were formerly papists,and they arepunv surrounded by the devotees of the church of Rome, and are testifying that there is but one Mediator be tween God and man, and that lie who be lieves iu tlie name of the only begotten of the Father has eternal life The brother (Ignatz Sltube,) near Lan deek in Silesia, has ereatad a great stir with his Tracts among the Roman Catholics.— Iho priesthood have been aroused against the Tracts-; they have gone from house to house and have attempted by the threat of purgatory to obtain tlie Tracts. Some have returned them, and these have been tom milted to the flames, but a considerable number could not be induced by any threat to give them up. Our brother has already some fellow-laborers in this good work in Landeck. including one person in authority. Brother Sirube lias venttirned once or twice beyond the frontier into Austria, but it is a hazardous adventure; for if he is caught by the gendarmes, they will make him feel. We have also at present two dearbreth ren out on a missionary tour up the Baltic, and from-thence up the Vistula. The in telligence received from them has filled our mouths with gratitude to the Lord- Their testimony has been every where well re ceived, and they will have distributed by tins time about 15,000 IT acts. Our breth ren write that the harvest is ripe, and that it only requires faithful laborers to gather the precious sheaves into God’s garner. Our efforts in Hanover have considerably increased by tlie appointment of another evangelist at Eimbeek, The opposition of the authorities has however been mote vio lent than before. Ail religious meetings and Tract distribution have been prohibited, some of the biethren have been and are probably still imprisoned for refusing obe dience to these unreasonable injunctions ; blit in tlie midst of it all Christ carries on bis victories, and many immortal spirits are snatched as brands from the burning. The opposition here has not been so vio lent, llinnoli in 1843 one of the brethren was distrained for having bent found dis tributing Tracts. The Lott! is giving us rr-t as a church from the bands of our en emies Blessed be his linlv name. I remain in tlie best bonds, voor brother. J. G. ON’CKEN. Fur the Christian Index. Good morning neighbor B. Having a little leisure. I thought I would come over and have a little, friendly chat, on a subject that has engaged my mind a good deal of late. Thank you, neighbor M. I should be glad to exchange thoughts, on any subject, that would be mutually beneficial. As for Politics, civil liberty, etc. etc. though very valuable and highly important, they are not ALL important, as the subject of Religion is. Whether Polk or Clay shall be our next President, is not of so much conse quence. as whether you and 1 be saved or not. But pray, on what matter, have you lately been pondering? M. Whether man, as ke now exists, is NO. 44.