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JOSEPH BAKER— Editou. VOL XIII. TERMS—PER ANNUM. VUST The Christian Index, published Da Friday in each week, (except two in the year), .will be furnished to each subscriber at $2 50 cents^in alliance; or @3 if noi paid within the year. * ‘-iZF“ l*bsf*Master, where the Index is Aaken, are re (nested to forward remittances for subscribers at their respective offices, ddcordtng to a decision of the Post-Master General as to their right to do so. All pa trons and agents are requested to notice this. Every Agent (and all llaptist Ministers afe particularly solicited to become agentsj who procure and pay for live copies of the Index, shall .be entufed id a sixth, as a coni jßMfatiouJ.br .hi* trouble, • -■ J/etiers bn business, or cojnmumcntions, iTUlst” be ad lressed to tlie* Editor, postpdid. Attrertisemenls may be inserted on usual terms, at the discretion of the Editor. For the Christian Index. Thoughts for Ctmnlry Clinrrhcs. The Lord hath ordained that they who preach die Gospel should live of the Gos pel. The obvious import of this declara tion of Paul is. that men who devote them selves to the ministry should receive foi llieir services a full maintninnnre. Is this j explicit enactment of our Saviour obeyed ‘• lv our Churches ? It is not. Then there j is most evident disobedience to one of tite j most plain ordinances of Heaven. Os j course guilt attaches somewhere. Some-1 bodv is accountable for this sin. “Lord, is it I?” should lie the earnest enquiry of j every man’s conscience. It is vastly im portant that each church member should j clear himself from all blame on account ol j the fact that his pastor is entangled in the; absorbing strife for bread with a censorious and vicious world. The common apology | for this state of things is the weakness of j the Church. One will say, “1 admit the obligation, but our church is not able to. support her pastor.” I propose, in this article, to suggest sonic considerations against ibis apology, to which 1 invite the candid attention of my readers. Mv first remark is this. Ifit ho true that a church cannot support a pastor, 1 j seriously doubt her qualification to be a church. This idea .I do not mean to dis-1 ciiss ; it is only offered for what it may be | worth. Hut it seems to me that such a ■ church would do'vvcl! to unite her strength to her nearest neighbor, especially if, by so doing, a pastor could he supported. II convenient to preach altcrnat- ly at each house, and both congregations would at tend at each place, of course he might do so. The people in the vicinity would still have close among them their pastor to visit j and counsel them. There would he one subscription list—one conference, and one constant ministry. That such happy unions might he formed 1 have no doubt. It re quires only that little local paitialitics mid prejudices he waived, and the thing is prac ticable. Brethren think of it. M y second temark is, that there is after all not so much inability as is believed. I hesitate not to assume that our churches are generally able to maintain a minister. I think so—because I see communities in every respect analogous to churches, and possessing no greater advantages, actually incurring and sustaining expenses as great as would he required to sustain a minister. I allude to the expenses of education. There arc, in our Slate, many teachers, as thirty pupils to each teacher is a fair aver age. Without any difficulty this army of teachers is supported exclusively by tlieit schools, at salaries varying from 300 to $3,000 per annum. No man thinks that a teacher will teach for nothing. II a neigh borhood is weak, as to pecuniary resources, the residents are content to employ a man of moderate qualifications, from whom tlieii children learn what is useful for the busi ness of this life: and he is supported. If the community are strong enough to raisea 1,000 dollars salary, they command excel lent teachers. Now it often happens that these thirty pupils arc the children of some eight or ten heads of families, and they do not look for assistance to kind friends in the neighborhood, who are not personally interested in the school, but they pay ac cording to the number of children, till they make up an amount necessary to secure such a teacher as they want. Now a church is a school—the members are pu oils, and he who preacheß to them is their teacher. Why cannot a church, consisting of thirty white ntentbe s, pay a minister as well as a school of thirty pupils can pay a teacher. I cannot see the reasonableness of the distinction which is made in favor of the common school. Only think of it. A chinch of thirty members, hy paying a sum equal to the tuition of an old-field school, would raise three or four hundred dollars a year. For this consideration, there are many sound evangelical preachers who would gladly fix ilremsetves close by the meeting-house, and make it their business to superintend the spiritual interests of the people in all affection ami faithfulness, lie would, from Sabbath to Sabbath, break to them the bread of life. Should a elujrch he able to raise no more, let not her pride greater than Iter purse, ahd let hqjf love of preaching he equal to her poverty—then she would thrive most luxuriantly under such services as three fpnrJiundrecj-dol lars w.mbl mmnianri,'tVi ic able, ns doubtless utrfiYy in-pro portion to tiir tuition ofa'xdß]Hstble ilwade my, she eouUlsfcure dva t>#*Uif rf'mlVtei>i;l ability. Let any country church, favora bly located, give assurance that she will pay eight hundred or a thousand dollars a J car for a pastor, and Iter pulpit will be fill ed beyond a doubt. These estimates may bp thought extravagant by some—perhaps impossible. But why I Are not these sums raised with ease for the teacher, and even greater sums than these ? They are. and the lad demonstrates the ability olcnm innnities. Churches are communities ; and so tar as possession of earthly goods is concerned, they are upon a footing with others. They .are able to do vvliat other communities have done. Here I meet an objection. It will be said, that the strength ol the church is not equal to wltat its mem bers would indicate, because many mem hers are females and minors, whose hus bands and fathers feel no sympathy with them on the subject of paying preachers, and who, therefore, cannot be induced to furnish the needed funds. This may pos sibly be true sometimes : but I do not think that it is to such an extent as to destroy mv argument. On the contrary, it is more generally true that men love to oblige their wives am! children. Those amiable Chris tian viilues that ever invest the character of a consistent professor, serve to increase | rather than diminish female influence : and hence, it deserves tube considered wheth er, in many of those eases just referred to, the indifference of husbands and fathers ! may not he attributable to a want of deep consistent piety in those dependent upon | them. Religion is expected to make poo i pie better. A man of the world can judge las well as others of this matter. If it does ! not produce the fruit ascribed to i, it is not | strange that be should feel disinclined to ’ patronize a system which, to his view, is unprofitable. Let this be noticed by those whom it may concern ; for 1 am disposed to think that this difficulty will gradually give way before the consistent and uniform i action of professors. And if there should ! still remain some men whom nothing can : induce to co-operate with the church, she will yet have a resource in the generous be nevoience of other members in her congre gation, provided she does her own duty. In view of what has been said, I respect fully ask, why are so many churches with out a spiritual teacher? Teachers of com mon schools are supported. Is it not ob vious that, if churches felt the same obliga tion to pay their preachers that communi ties do to pay the instructors of their chil dren, the thing cout.n bk done. Hut all! here is the difficulty. The obligation is not fill. It is scarcely allowed. Multi tudes give to a minister as if he were an ob ject of charity asking an alms; and they dole out their small mites with the sclf eomplarenev of high-toned benevolence. Brethren, this ought not so to lie. You are under greater obligations to support your minister, than you are to support a teacher for your children—because you are not commanded to bestow upon your chil dren worldly knowledge, but you are com manded to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Os eouise you are, by implication, commanded to provide the means of doing so. Os all means the most effectual is a constant and faithful min istry. Again—this obligation is greater be cause the value of religious knowledge is intrinsic illy greater than all other know ledge beside—by as much as the soul is su perior to her clay tenement. I ask, again, why cannot the Heaven-commissioned in structor receive due compensation for ser vice rendered, as well as an ordinary teach er ? It may he, because the latter can compel his patrons to pay him : ministers cannot do this—they claim, not under a legal but a moral obligation. The Court to try moral obligations has not sal on earth yet: but let professors of religion remem ber that that awful court will one day open its solemn assizes. At that day, the claims of ministers will be adjudicated. Who would wish to he found in debt to his min ister at the Day of Judgment ? G. Lorenzo. It is said that Sir Walter Scott was ac customed to write thirty or forty pages of MSS. per day wheu engaged on the Wa verly novels. FOR THE- BAPTIST CONVENTION OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA. -jCm PENFIELD, GA., JAMJAUY 31, 1845. For the Christian Index. On Creeds. Dear Dro. Baker— l have thought, for some time, of vyriting a few short numbers upon the propriety of church confessions, or*Cr|eds— lj|d, in what I have to say in regard to them, you will not, of course* ex pect a full diseusSitjnf bm a lew general re n*a/W A ‘ %r 1. ‘l'lMtChurcli of ChfUt tyns founded, that sire nitghfijc a depository of the truth. This is cvtdeuj from many passages of Sc.riptuft, panieniyyliv‘ froth’ the hiMlnjune lien of ihe *’ “Out J,o v thi; : j<.jd;.is qmlgtildes of Hi* jCfnii jjft-V* Teaching them to olj? serve'all tilings whatsoever’l have com manded you:” and also, from tho direction of the Apostle, to ‘Mmntend earnestly for the faith once delimvd id the Saints.” The professing people of God are “ the. light of the world—-the salt of the earth,” catted out from the rest of the people, lr keeping alive and extending the power ol our holy religion. 2. Though .ill the doctrines which be long to the Christian system may not ap pear equally vital, and of the same impor tance, yet all truth is precious, and every degree ol departure from it is more or luss injurious. Os course, it is the duty of the Church to hold fast all of it, with peculiar care, “ that they may lie sound in faith, and hold forth a form of sound words.” It is, then, evident that the Church, which al* lows any material departure Iroin the truth, in any of her members, and especially in her teachers and rulers, sins against the au thority of her Master in Heaven, and is re creant to the great purpose for which she was founded. 3. This duty being incumbent on the Church of Christ, it is self-evident that she is vested with authority for carrying the Saviour’s command into execution. Each Church, as an associated body, is not only at liberty, but is under obligations, to judge lor herself tvhal the Bible contains, and, with fidelity, to maintain the truth which it sets forth. Though the word of God is the only infallible rule of faith and practice, yet each Church (as well a-’ each man) must interpret that word fur herself, under responsibility to the Great Author of that word—and to judge from the spirit of it, how far she can walk in Christian fellow ship with those who reject any portion of it. Now, it being evident that the Church is thus bound to maintain a faithful testimony in favor of the truth, among all her inem bers, com at the expense of “earnestly contending sot it,” it becomes a very se rious question, —How is she to fulfil this trust ? twiv shall she call upon her members to “ witness a good profession,” and espe cially her teachers ? Shall she exact from them a declaration that they believe the Bi ble to be the Word of God ? This cannot he a test by which site can arrive at any de cision ; for all classes of professing Chris tians, from the most lax Sociniau up to the most rigid Calvinist, are equally ready to profess llieir belief in the Bible. The Ari ans, in the council of Nice, at once declared their belief in every Biblestntement, respect ing the glory of Christ, that was cited to them—hut observed, at die same time, that they put llieir own construction on them. Thus they perplexed the council, day after day, with llieir evasions. This single case ought to teach us the necessity of a creed, or some ruling point, supported by the Word of God, by which heresy maybe detected. Afiei all the declamation and noise which have been uttered against the use of creeds, I have never met with a suggestion which was adapted, in the least degree, to obviate the difficulties that a Church may get into, without some certain point as a test for their soundness in faith. Accordingly, God has furnished, in the inspired volume, certain principles and directions, together with some valuable records of apostolic practice, for the guidance of his people. These constitute our directory, and the ba sis of the government which obtains, with very little variety of modification, in all strictly independent and regular Churches, tints establishing, in the most ample man ner, the necessity, as well as the expedien cy, of such a formula. JAMES PERRYMAN. (1 o be continued.) For the Christian Index. My Dear Brother— The minutes of the second annual meeting of the American In dian Mission Association have bepn sent to you—on reading of which, lain peisuailed, you will concur in the opinion that the Lord lias smiled upon the efforts of the As sociation thus far. We feel greatly en couraged to invite the friends of Indian Mis sions iqEjncreasc their exertions in their behalf, jj Yotf *rill perceive that it hafl been tboughtftesirable llint a semi-annual session be hel{! wxt spring in Georgia, or some oth er r Soutl|srn State. The reasons for this appear, so us, to be many, and of great it is presumed that they will nattirall'Wsuggest themselves to your own mind.|B* he time and place of yottr next GeorgbJlaptist Convention, are thought to be favennie for this meeting also. Many Mkltiimrif State are recorded as members of the jK&ociaiion by the contribution of and upwards. These, and ina tn’ otmM, it is hoped, would feel pleasure in deljrfeßrting upon measures for the pro motion ol ottr great design. This measure would beSealtulated to strengthen the bonds of union of baptists in many States, and embody the rt for carrying forward other matters qf benevolence. The nature of the business proper for the semi-annual session to transact, is set forth in the minutes of the annual meeting. If a sufficient numbei*ol brethren, tv ill) in your Slate, approve of ibis dcsigh, the Board will publish the meeting—and, by permission of Provi dence, some of us from this quarter will at tend it. Now, my dlai b-.nher. if you approvcof this propped} meeiina, you are respect fully and carmsiN in ed to notice it in your paper in juieli a manner as you think will be proper. Our Board have also directed me to en deavor to obtain the insertion of our “ Mnnlhli / Reports ,” which appear in the Banner, airtl in some other religions periodi cals. The Hoard would he much gratified if these repot ts, or extracts from them, could be inserted regularly in your valuable paper. It could he sent to you in slips as soon as the proof is taken, and he publish ed, if desirable, as original matter in youi paper. Upon this subject, please allow us to hear froihi you at your earliest conve nience. With very great respect,your brother, ISAAC McCOY, Cor. Bcc. To the Benevolent throughout the United States. The American Indian Mission Associa tion, now in session in the City of Louis ville, Kentucky, earnestly solicits the at tention ol all who are disposed to do jus t ce, and to extend kindness to suffering fellow-men, to the claims of the Aborigi nes of America. That they were vastly numerous at the time that Europeans first visited this conti nent, is welt! known; that llieir number lias since been reduced to less than a fourth part of what it then was, is fully believed ; that this diminution ol numbers has been occasioned hy the ingress of white men, none will pretend to deny; and that their decrease is evidence of accumulated suffer ings, is equally plain. Nevertheless, it is believed that, in North America, the rein naui still in existence amounts to more that) four millions , and these, withslight excep tions, are still perishing by causes emana. ting from white men. The latter, with the advantages which civilization gave them over barbarous habits, have crowded out ol their homes those who occupied the terri tory of these now prosperous United States ; and, though the vast territory in habited by the natives, adjoins our settle ments, and (lie opportunity of making them some amends for the damages they have sustained, have always been favorable, they have, nevertheless, been neglected. That they have strong claims upon our sympathies, none will deny. Are not these claims equal to those of any other nation? And the claims of justice in their behalf are equally palpable —they are im perious and enutiot he innnveutly disre garded. The brevity of this appeal forbids argument and a detail of facts demonstta. live of these truths ; but neither is iiecses sary. Ail admit that we owe the Indians a debt which we can never fully discharge. Hence llieir claims upon us are paramount to those of foreign nations, whom vve have not injured. Brethren, why has so much less sympa thy been felt for the heathen in America than for the heathen in Asia? Are l!ie souls of these ol less value, or tlieit happi ness on earth less desirable ? Are these comparatively few ? We have reduced their number. Is there something appall ing in llieir present rapid decline? The causes are from mv. Shall we say to them, We occupy the country of ymis fathers ; we destroyed them, and you are in like niannsr perishing iimlei the >• - which re- suit from our acquaintance itii you, you are by our side ; we hear no groans, and see you dying under our feel, and yet we cannot help you, because men beyond the seas whom we have not injured at all, need the light of the gospel ? Where is consis tency ? Should any question the premises here assumed, that the Aborigines of our coun try have not received a proper share ol at tention from the benevolent; we would te. mind such, that, until very recently, so lit tle interest was felt for the salvation of the <bnt no feasible plan foi their im proviv. J was adopted. There was notli- ingpeculiarly forbidding in the Indianchar acter; there was no obscurity about the means to be employed for llieir relief. All was plain. Their wants were like the wants of others; and the gospel and civil ization embodied all that llieir wants de manded ; and, yet, only a few isolated ef forts have been made to iin part, to them the blessings of either. Even up to the time of the organization of this Association, they who were doing most lbr Indian Alis sions. deemed it sufficient that they should occupy merely a secondary place in the at tention of benevolent societies, the main object of which was the support of foreign missions. This Association lias avowed its regard for foreign missions. Their prosperity ex cites gratitude to God, and earnest desire that they may advance with the increase ol teivenr.y in prayer and liberality in contri butions. It aims not to ohstiuet in’ the slightest degree missions in foreign fields, but to promote proper efforts J’ur the salva tion of the .Aborigines. It is esteemed a jitstcause of griel, that so little sympathy lias been fell lor the heathen at our doors: especially as we cannot expect any otliet nation to embark zealously in this good work. It properly belongs to christirtns in America. Alier more than twenty years’ efforts ofa few in the Baptist ranks to promote a feasi ble plan of ItKiiau reform, vve have the sat isfaction to perceive that such a plan lias been adopted. Its success is astonishing. To a sufficient number to form a State, a country lias been assigned, and there, be lieving that they had, at last , found a rest ing place, tribes of hunters have suddenly formed settlements of farmers j and, vvitli gladdened hearts and busy hands, are daily adding to the enjoyments of civilized life. But a lew years ago, and before their emi gration to the west, the Delavvaies, fciliavva noes, Kickapoos, Ottavvas, Weas. l’eoiias, and others, were really hands of hunters. Now they are cultivating farms. Others from the south, who were far advanced in civilization before llieir immigration west, are now encouraged by the fact, that they are not now as they were formeily, within the chartered limits of any State, and they are where they may enjoy the advantages of all civil amt religious institutions which are necessary to their future prosperity. Here are over ninety thousand, who be long to aboik'lwenly tribes, most of whom have emigrated from flic east side of-the Mississippi; and not one of the immigrant tribes depends materially upon hunting for subsistauce; hut all depend almost whol ly’ on the fruits of llieir industry at their homes. ‘l’ll ir personal comforts and hopes, have awakened among them a desire to enjoy the advantages of education, never before known among the Indians. But the most pleasant feature in their affairs is readiness to receive religions instruction. This Association was organized vvitli special reference to the salvation o: the All ot tgines; and in the hope of combining, so far as necessary, the energies of the Bap tist denomination throughout the United Stales, in carrying forward the plan now fairly before the public,and which soslrong ly commends itself by success, so far as the experiment has been made. As soon as re sources, and affairs within the present In dian Territory will admit, it is designed to originate other settlements—other Territo ries ; and to furnish them with the Word of God and the living teacher. And it is Imped that this design will he followed up until not a single band of Aborigines, in either North or South America, will be left destitute of the light which guides to hap piness on earth and to heaven. The Association is now celebrating its second anniversary; but its actual opeia tions have little exceeded a year and a half. Thus far the Lord has smiled upon its ef forts in an uncommon degree. About eigh ty have been baptized by the missionaries within the last year, and a very eneomag ing state of things in regard to religion continues. Four churches, embracing in the whole, over one hundred am! eighty members, are in its connection. It lias fif teen missionaries in the Held, viz: nine males, of whom three are natives, two of the white brethren are single; and six females, two of whom are unmarried. The Gos pel by Mathew, and the Acts of the Apos tles translated into the I’utawatoinie lan guage, have been printed, and, in neat [find ing, is now ready to be distributed to that tribe. Buildings and a farm of considera ble value, have Iv-en obtained from the gov ernment of the United States, for the pur pose of a school upon an enlarged scale a inong the Weas. The Cliocta v nation has recently appropriated $2,900 00 for the e reelinn of buildings, Arc. for an Academy among them ; and have endowed it with an annuity in future of $2,900 00. upon the condition that this Association w ill also ap ply in support of the institution, an annui ty ol SIOOO 00. Six hundred dollars have been placed in the treasury, for the estab lishment of a Female Aademv among the Osages, and will be applied as soon as suit able missionaries can he obtained for that station. Thc responsibilities of the Association have suddenly become considerable; but the calls for help to which it has responded, appeared to be of a character too impress ive to be denied ; and such, it is believed, will be the view taken by the readers of the history of our affairs of the last year, as given in the Annual Report of the Hoard. Calls for help are multiplying, and itiereas- PinsixsHEft— BENJ. BRANTLY; | ing in interest; afid the fields appear rapidly whitening for harvest. All is a moral and literal waste beyond a little skirt which is beginning to bloom on the border of the vast region inhabited bv the aboriginal tribes. But all are accessible by the Mis sionary ol the Gross. Some of the natives have already become preachers of the gos pel to their countrymen ; and re-inforce ments to nttr missionary ranks, will, doubt less, continue to he obtained Iroin that quar ter in proportion as the transforming influ ences of the gospel are felt. Brethren, will you co-operate with the Association in this great and good word— this work of justice as well as mercy ? We re pest, that tvn do not desire ‘you to relax your efibrs for the support of Foreign Mis sions. No. .Semi abroad the light of the gospel, that distant nations may call you “blessed ,” but do not, we entreat you, re ject the claims ol the poor Indian, wrapped in his buffalo skin, seeking a precarious subsistence by the chase, or lit’ digging toots, who, hy his wretchedness and moral darkness, implores relief, predicating his plea upon the principles of common jus tice, and Christian benevolence, enforced bv reference to the beneficence of our Divine Lord and Master. Will you not do some thing to assure him that he is not friend less, as be has long been taught to believe, hut that he has friends on earth—that he has a Fiietid in Heaven ! \on are entreated to adopt systematic measures for Co-operation in Indian Mis sions. Remittances to the treasury, may he made eithar in the undersigned Secreta ry and Agent, or to G. Van Buskirk, Esq., both of Louisville, Ky. The next annual meeting of the Associa tion will be held in llii.- City, commencing on the las) Thursday in Oct., 1845. The attendance of brethren is affectionately in vited. By order of the Association. ISAAC McCOY, Corresponding Sec. and .Agent. Louisville, Ky., Oct. 1844. A Lie cannot Itr Hid. Elisha, the prophet of the Lord, had a wicked sesvani. whose'name was Gcha/.i. There came one day to Elisha a very great man, wlm was afflicted with the lep rosy ; and lie, bv God’s blessing cured him. So lie was very thankful,’ and he wanted the prophet to receive as a present very mnrli gob) am! silver, and fine raiment, as a token of bis gratitude—but he would not. Klislia blessed him, and sent hint back a gaiu in peace Hut the servant of the man of God long ed to have some of this money, and so he fan af or Nanman, for ibis was the name of the person who had been cured, and overtook him. And lie came down out of his carriage, and said. ‘-Is all well ?” And he said : “All is well.” And Qelinzi said to him, “Mv master hath sent me, saying. Behold, even now, there he come to me front Mount Ephraim, iwo young men, of the sons of the pro phets ; give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments. And Nanman sap), lie content-take two talents. And he bound two talents of silver in two hags, with two changes of garments, and laid them off two of his servants, and they bare them before him.” This was very generous and kind of Naaman ; hut all that Geltazi had said was false. There were no young men come to his master. Elisha had not sent him. Well—when they were route into the town Geltazi took the money and garments, and laid them up in a very secret place, and s</nt the servants hack again to Naaman. He was gieatly pleased with the success of his plan. He thought no one knew a nv thing of the matter; and he already de termined to buy oliveyards, And vineyards, and a large estate. But lying cannot he hid. Though no fellow creature may know it. God is ac quainted with the secrets of all hearts ; he knew all that the prophet's servant had •lotto, and lie told Elisha. So when Gahezi went in, and stood be fore his master, as lie had been used to do, Elisha said- ‘.Whence contest thou, Geha zi?” and lie said, “Thy servaut went no whillicr!” And the prophet said, No whither? Didst thou not go after Naa inan ? Did he not come down from his carriage to meet thee? No whither, Ge hazi ? Did he not send his two servants with thee to cart v two talents of silver, and two changes of raiment? No whither?— Hast thou not laid up in a seerect place the treasures which thou hast so basely gained? lie was self-condemned. He knew that all his master had said was true, and he was speechless. And every liar shall he speech less when God calls him into judgment. But did not Geltazi gain a great deal of money by his lying? Yes—hut it did him no good. For though he gained the money of Naaman, he had with it his dreadiul affliction. For lie went out from his master’s ptesence a leper as white an snow. There is nothing gained here or hereaf ter by lying. A lie cannot be hid. And God has told us, that all liars shall have their part in the lake that burnetii with fire and brimstone. No man ever trusted in God but he found him faithful; nor in his own heart, but he found it lalsp. Whoever lias Christ cannot he poor ; whoever is without him cannot he rich. — Charleston Observer. NO. 5-