The missionary. (Mt. Zion, Hancock County, Ga.) 1819-182?, March 07, 1825, Image 1

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

v- vi.] ‘ ” “ot •bethought, the re |J|B", ’' on '’ I know that, if a verdict of f IMsrand system of universal benevolence, must come in for such share j. and contempt as belongs to an ac- I -flpry- 1 hasten, however, to the special ianfet of your attention, and will endeav ■ atone by the brevity of my conclu for any departure from what may be djfced the legitimate sphere of my obser -Bir forefathers, together with a rich in |M®nce -°* mora * anf * political advantages, Sslsß! to ou f s y ra P al hi es and our piety, charge of an exotick popula Jpllflpnrighteously introduced amongst us, Hkexistence is the worst foe to our ! and whose rapid multiplication proprietors ■’ *'®who, from their earliest intercourse jglSßthe European race, have been ha ■ .Bg to destruction with a swift and on- Ifppi’ut'ted’ tendency. For the former IgHB ofyersons, humanity has already done M*h, and is still active in their behalf. Bnaoy instaoce®, they enjoy all the tie pßaries'aml many of the conveniences of Religion freely admits them to h<-i' : ftKhes, her rattrac'ions, and her sacra ; and we may fonfidently hope that Ugnperinnce shall gradually remove those r frßlices which still .unfortunately exist, till® condition will receive all ‘hot im- Picßment which is comp&'iblt; with the ‘ -. **■!•* welfare. h B the Aborigines of our country • IBtle S? !*d done and XHtle attempted. * l. ,f 'e ir <■'■•■ [peg*. their wrong* and (heir i: B| re u ' ( hout a parallel in the history * BUB?* 1 - Brave and independent, their HHKbr planted them in this fair continent. gPMßeir dominion spread abroad on every nSftnnd their right tva? undisputed. The h. ; Bpid valleys, the beaten shores and the ; tmßlaiD torrents, were all their own, and breezes which shook the their wild forests, were not more huntsman who re mm>ewh >beir shade'. Unhidden and ■ JBp° r * z ed, our ancestors came to their infill .home. By contract or by force, 1 1 Sh oaubles of tra.flick or the sword of pj&jHjbey got possession of their land*. I dih-Kpoured into their unsuspecting bos contaminating vices of civiliz and itfgHtaccompanied by a single safeguard <ui,3®redeea)iug principle, which educa |twßd religion have invented to counter wftir destructive ifijluence*. Ai their the Indian population melted • #'ike the snow upon their own moun ifi-aKliefote the zephyr* of spring. L’mai jpfrßprlfc of the Atlantick, where they J|s',ltHhd life chase and marshalled ihe ho-is Rtlic, they have tied successively, for hjggHttiori to the Alleghany mountains, to BBB.hu>'Slid the Mississippi- At the pre IpHtiy only a homhie remnant is leltup iir-tbeir wonted attitude of Hrd of suffering, and still pursued hv persecution,, they are slowly pa 9k|> to,where another wave of civiliza the remotest west, may-ere long, Rh|B their progress, and dasii them hack RHMbe :av.ft- they are vainly attempting till’ the buffeted wreck of tbti> -‘jJ. jH&ioWtfe people shall be swallowed up fto contenrplafe (he bright pages ■HPb'o<iiifrV A s-history. I dwell with rap- the rich scene* of her prospeii f^^^Prbapsilgrowth in arts and in power; Hpelligence of her citizens ; the tip fj&rHtess of tier general policy and the jgg n ?' i <vfProstitution.*, which have lifted H|H£ I''Wgbts 1 ''Wgbts and the dignity of man from over and trodden under foot |||||’.-ediury pride, to their legitimate security and dominion. I rejoice trophies our heroes have won in of righteous combat, although and bereavements by which tiiey ifWchieved, throw over the contempla gHpH&tllne of a sable melancholy. But P§® *hitik of the poor Indians ; of their rights and unmerited sufferings ; to he, considered intruders |P|lHpreigners in the land which God had fjPSßtbern for their dive I ling place ■. and ;■ : were driven from their beloved ijraflßßarid burying grounds of their fathers, ,* distant wilderness, the rapacity men pursued them there; ami be- were unwilling to share this last i’?iet<i#R'of their calamities with their unfeel ’ r ■? Spiders, they were held to he aggrrs *-i%!fHtf)d slaughtering armies were sent. St them which burnt up their scanty yic'otjptl their simple habitations, and torn -<!S*beir women and children into the jjSp|Myihlcr Storm; aye—and helpless and H-i Wit as thev were—murdered them all IjfcSfctterroinatitigcruelty. Oh! my heart ifeiMfevviihin me at -I ,h recollections, and ggjßßblo at the thmight-of day of f*tri ||j|||Sßk which i-. appointed for nations as Rr? individual:. And what, let- me ask, are theseuthnein? cherished towards the solitary families of red men who still linger on the earth, by the ten millions of people who have turned their forests into corn fields, and built cities on their graves! Is it a feeling of resent ment, because they have proved faithless in peace and ferocious in war ? Surely it is too soon to have forgotten the provoca tions which goaded (hem on to madness and revenge. If they negociated with our pub iick authorities, they were met by a grasp iog policy which swept away their posses sions, a pro vince at a time. If they traded with private individuals, their skins and furs, the fruit of their hard toils, were ob tained in exchange for worthless trinkets and devouring luxuries. If they dwelt in our neighbourhood, wasting corruptions overspread their land. If they fled from our contaminating intercourse, avarice and oppression hunted out their relreats. In peace and in war, the causes of theif ruin were always at work, and gloomy antici pation of coming destruction was forever pressing upon their hearts. From us they had learned nothing but craft and perfidy. With the sanctity of treaties their unenligh tened souls were unacquainted, but the God of nature led them to feel, and it is not strangle that the bravest of them sometimes burst away from the lethargy of. intoxica tion and despair, and poured upon their oppressors, a torrent of desolating fu ry. Bat I am aware, that ?ince the Indians havepeaaed to be the objects of terror, they .are no longer the objects of resentment. {Another Sentiment, less guilty, but not less dangerous, ha? taken place of the spirit of vengence j an infidel discouragement which repi esses hope and paralyzes exertion A persuasion is abroad amongst ns, that the fetal decree has already gone forth against tills devoted people; that the elements of r r ...w v.o.mv -j i a nature, so incorrigibly savage, are depos ited in iheir bosoms, a? bids defiance lo the meliorating influences of civilization, and we seem to be waiting, in gloomy ex for the day of their doom. And ifh„ doctrine's had their foundations in troth Kiel m experience, what would be the inference ? Th?t we should remain the inactive spectator? of their sad catastrophe ? No : We shouhl Ay l-he more speedily to their relief, and strew the flowers of celes. tial hojip along fh*-. dreary pathway of their, approaching ruin, Wo should cal! upon our country to atone, .while atonement was possible, for the’ wrong? has inflicted ; interpose all (he resourcSC °f * ler power and her policy, to throw” opposing dykes of her wisdom and beosyolence, b p fore the desolating torrent, which sweep ing away an injured race to where. t^ie > will unite their accusing voice with IJK ,!,e who have gone before, in calling down (lit, vengeance of Heaven upon our encroach ments and oppressions. We should cry to the slumbering church to put her mightiest energies in requisition; to hasten while haste might be availing, to snatch a few brand? from this devouring burning; to the conflagration of sin, with the wafer? of-salvntion ; to pour through the scorch ed fragment? the life giving sap of the Go? pel, and plant them as trees of righteous ness in the vineyard of God, where, for a season, they might bring forth Ihe fruits of holiness, a late but cheeriDg testimonial of the penitence of earth, and delightfnl fore taste of the unrevealed blessedness of Heaven. ‘ -<•>*. But this despair of which I have spokeo, is gratuitous altogether, condemned by the Faith of a Christian and Ihe reason of a tnan. From the failure of some former attempts to improve the condition of the Aborigines, it would be folly and injustice to infer, that the efforts of the preseut day will prove like unsuccessful. We are out making over again an experiment that has already failed. We are not resting upon principles, long sioce exploded ; nor seek ing lo ingraft tne refinements of civilization upon a savage nature, which uniformly re coils from their approach. We intrndoce a process which is to change that nature and implant new principles. Our reliance is oot upon a power which has often been defeated, but which has always been victo rious; even that same power of the Gos pel which converted the brutish Goths who plundered the Capitol, into tbe polished Italian who built the church of St. Peter ; that power which turned the 9avage inhab itants of ancient Britain, who enslaved and sold tbeir countrymen, in clauish broils, at home, or murdered them io gladiatorial shows abroad, into the Nf.wtoss, the How ards, the Wilberforces, the Wesleys, and the Carevs of modern England.—The Gos pel gives us in morals, what Archimedes wanted in mecbanicks, another world to plant our eogioes upon, and with this van tage ground we have nothing to fear from the most stubborn coalition of sin and bar barism It is fashionable to speak of tbe conver sion of the Indians as a mere utopian hypo thesis, a scheme more visionary than all the visions that feed the voracious creduli ty of a believing generation. Aud yet this common prejudice is in the face of all ex perience, which ha* uniformly demonstra ted that they yield the readiest and the ri pest fruits to Missionary zeal- The la- — . - ora, a. tS, MOUNT ZION, (HANCOCK COUNTY, GEORGIA,) MONDAY. MARCH 7, 1225. U-;... j Mu .new, Elliot, Braikard, Finlay and others; have been crowned with ample success, and the waywardness of the savage character has submitted to the healing influences of the Gospel. If their converts have not, in every instance,-been, reduced into organi zed, intelligent and enduring communities, it was because first successes were not fol lowed up; because (be whites (bought it more for their own interest to keep them in a state of degraded inferiority, than to admit them to the just rights of men ; be cause they were neglected and cheated & corrupted in peace, and murdered in war; lor anj’ other cause, I am fully persuaded, than any incapacity in the Indians them selves, to be moulf-.'d into all the nbblost lorms of intellectual and moral excel lence. I thank God, better feelings and sounder doctrines are beginning to prevail. The’ American churches are waking from their guilty slumbers, and those wretched wan derers, so long forgotten in the dispensa tions of our benevolence, are no more to be ‘considered as savage beasts which should be hunted from the earth ; but as immortal beiogs who may be tutored for the skies. The seed has been sowd which is already bringing forth a plenteous harvest to the glory of God arid tbe salvation of men ; and we who have listened to tbe yells of ravage aud death echoed from invaded forests, may yet live, till these forlorn outcasts shall be reclaimed to the Charlies of society ; till a message of redeeming love shall visit all their families and bring them into a rich communion of our privileges and our hopes. have done. I thank you for this op portunity of offering my humble tribute to the Missionary cause, and my heart res ponds to the declaration of gratitude which, lam sure, you will accord to the suppor ters of your pious undertaking. —-xx:-:xx** REPLY TO “ <?,” In the Christian Register of Dec. 10 and 17. Dear rim—l do not admit the conclu sivenesa of “ experimental testimony” on all .occasions; but it is certainly valid in the in stant# in which you have adduced it. You are competent to certify, that you have “ rejected one principle of the orthodox fe-.th for a considerable time, and yet firm ly believe” all the remainder. This fact is conclusive evidence, that the orthodox sys tern is not always received or rejected en tire; a position which l never denied .or doubted, notwithstanding the remarks which I made respecting the counexion and sym metry of all its parts, a9 they are presented to my own mind You remark, that you and others “ have the advantage” of me, on account of Ibis ability to give “ experimental testimony.” ppssibly, however, I have had more'expe rience on the? subject than you imagine. I mnt decline the office of teaching one, who, I have reason to believe, is by much my superiour in age and attainments. I think, therefore, it may be mo?t proper, and per haps most satisfactory to you, if 1 relate to you a portion of my past experience. Whatever my original inducement was for adopting orthodox sentiments, 1 am sure they were not received by tradition; were not the effect, of education. There was a time after I became a man, when I thought nothing, knew next to nothing, respiting them. There was another period, when I examined them, but believedjhem not , and was determined to disbelieve. And there was a time, long after 1 bad adopted and prpached these sentiments, when I was terribly shaken, if I renounced none of them, I had on one or two points, most die tressing doubts ; on the same points which you, Sir, have rejected. I was for a time “plunged into a labyrinth,” which abound ed in intricate mazes. This circomstance I have never before divulged, except to two or three most intimate friends. The occasion of this event was the peru sal ot “ Bible News.” You must know, Sir, I am rather of a logical turn ; fond of lucid statements, apposite reasoning, and clear demonstration. And you are aware that that book abounds in demonstrations Besides, the aot'ior had the reputation of being a pious and devoted man ; bad long preached the orthodox sentiments; and yet he had now recodnced tbe doctrines of the trinity, and the supreme deity of Jesus Christ, retaining others. • Before 1 perused tl*e book, I said to myself, “if I meD to judge candidly and fairly, I must admit in the ou(9et, that what has appeared so evi dent to me may be erroneous I read, and reflected, and trembled. The author prov ed, that three cannot be one—that three persons are three distinct independent be ings—that Christ is lilterally the Son of God ibe Father, as Isaac was the son of Abra ham—that bis nature is neither created; nor uncreated, but derived from the Father, and therefore he has ihe divine nature— that (bis spirit could become united to a human body, without having a human soul; and thus avoid Ibe absurdity of ascribiogfto Christ two natures in one person—that such a beipg could suffer ; and so exalt the value of his atonement, unspeakably above that of tricitarians All this nod more was made very plain. I was half convinced, half con founded. But the more I read and reflect ed, the more evident did the correctness of, the scheme appear. It removed difticut-! ties; it was easily understood and compre hended ; if was rational; it seemed to agree with ail the other doctrines of my faith; nrivj it solved tbe mysteries of orthodoxy, *b\h before had given me no trouble, but now\ippeared great and peiplexing on my old scheme. And now, you can believe, came a severe conflict with feeling. Could I renoonce that Rock, on which I had built all my eternal hopes? Could I forever re ject the belief, that he who had become my salvation |s any thing less than the infinite’ Jehovah ?! If ever 1 prayed for the guidance of the Sprit, it was in those days of anguish. My distrels had a peculiarity, to which I was a stranger at the period when I sank under guilt and condemnation, and had not found a Saviour. Then followed” a con flict with sell-interest. How could I be come an alien from my Christian and minis terial brethren, those excellent of tbe earth, in whom was all my delight? How could I bear the disgrace iucident to a change of sentiment? How could I leave a beloved people; and with a dependant fam ily, relinquish my means of support ? At length tbe tumult ceased. I felt ready far the sacrifice of worldly interests; my anxiety on that account was gone. I could not quit my hold of my Rock of sal vation ; but if I had misconceived its nature or name, I was willing to correct my views. Could I but know the truth, I was prepared to embrace it. At this time, iny conviction of the truth of the new scheme remained strong. I did not believe it without waver ing; but it had a great preponderance iu my miud. I verily thought 1 should 6oqn adopt it as an article of my faith, and ao nonnee to my friends my change of views. At this critical lime, a friendly hand, as I believe—a delusive spirit, or some false reasoning, you perhaps will say—guided me out of all my perplexities. The means employed, was a re-penml of the book. It occurred to me to examine, whether a scheme which professed to solve all difficul ties, was itself free from as great embnp rassments; whether, while professing to make so much of the Bible plainer than it seemed before, it would agree with other parts concerning which there was no doubt; whether a scheme so well supported by “di rect reasoning, could beur collateral reason ing also. I proceeded with a strong expec tation of finding the affirmative of the questions supported. But—was I deluded; or wa* | enlightened? I found the new scheme itself had its difficulties. I tried to remove them, but they became absurdities. The illusion vanished ; the mist cleared up from my former doctrines of faith; and they became more evident & precious than ever. And I urn well persuaded, that this sitting was the occasion of giving me a more perfect establishment in the faith, than could have been effected by any ordinary means. 1 inquired, what are the attributes which this book assigns to Christ? It says, he de rived his existence from the Father ; that he. is literally the Son of God; and that he has ibe divine nature, is a divine person, a God. But what rook does he actually hold in the scale of being ? I found he is not con sidered self-existent, or independent, or un created, or eternal; that he is neither om nipresent, omniscient, nor almighty, except as the Father had communicated a great measure of-bis fulness to him. In a word, 1 found him described as, in himself, infi nitely inferiour to the Father; no more par taking of divine attributes than the Messiah of Arias, or one of the angels. But to pos sees the human nature, it is necessary that a Being should have the essential proper ties of a man: and to have ihe divine na ture, in the peculiar sense this book pre tends, it being must have the incommunica ble attributes and perfections of Jehovah. Suppose Isaac, (bough descended from Abraham, had possessed the body and spirit of a beast only ; we could not'say he bad the human nature ; it would be absurd to call him a man. So, it appears to me but a sophism, to assert that Christ has the divine nature in that peculiar sense, if he has none of ihe peculiar attributes of Deity, none of those which distinguish him from all his creatures. Again, this author says, and you say, that the divine nature cancot suf fer; and therefore tbe atonement supposed by the orthodox, was made by a mere man. But ob the new scheme there is a double difficulty If the phrase divine nature has a meaning, and the son actually has the same naiure with Jehovah, I a?k, how could his divine nature suffer? If this is not tbe meaning, and Christ has not Jehovah’s na ture, then the atonement might as well have been made by an angel or any other holy creature. The scheme proposes to obviate tbe necessity of ascribing two na tures to Christ, by saying he had a human body, of which tbe soul or spirit of the word was the soul. Bat the author was obliged to add, that the infinite fulness of the Fa ther dwelt in him Now what is tbif, but two natures in one person ? And did the in finite fulness of the Father suffer on the cross ? Or, because this was impossible, did a being infinitely inferiour make a useless atonement? Indeed, the scheme evidently represents the atomtrtent as made by one, infinitely inferiour tptheDcily; and there [Price $3 50 per ami. i fore it is no better alonemeut (him that iu ! which Arms believed. On this scheme, too, I find it utterly impossible to avoid the idea, that worship paid to Christ is idolatry. And do difficulty is removed, by saying if is done to the glory of God the Father, if Christ is any other than God himself. In ‘ line, a re-examinatinn of the scheme con- . vinced me, that it is far more incoherent than the Socinian; especially when com. pared with the orthodox doc*riues which it professed to retain. I could not admit if, without doing violence to my understand ing. ‘ ‘/v/;. I can believe that three can he strictly one, in one sense, and distinct in another; that he, to whom the incommunicable per fections of Jehovah are ascribed, with his peculiar titles, worship and works, is Je hovah equally with the Father; that the. infinite God, when voluntarily manifested in flesh, was a servant, a messenger, and one who needed to call on the Father in prayer. I can believe that the glory of his nature put an infinite value On his suffer ing?, even if it be admitted that bis human nature only felt tbe pang? of crucifixion. I can believe, and trust', and adore, without insisting on having a perfect comprehen sion; for I have been painfully taught thq tolly ot attempting to find out theA'mighty unto perfection. And by thi? time you per ceive how 1 should answer all your partic ular inquiries, if I thought it necessary to reply to them iu detail. This relation may not be precisely in point; for it may be the scheme advanced in “Bible News,” is different from yours. If I understand you, however, the differ ence cannot be great between them. Ido not say that I am right inlteturning to Trin itarian ground, which 1 at one time was nigh deserfing. The last day will deter mine; I accept your friendly caution, stilt to examine and inquire. And, to return Ihe kindness, I would now ask yon solemnly to inquire, what could be the reason 1 ree jected the scheme in question, while you embraced it ? Why were you “obliged” to reject the Trinitarian belief, while I was equally compelled to return to it as a truth of (he sacred Bible ? Yours, The Editor of the Christian Mirror. MISSION AIIY. From the American Baptist Magazine. WAR IN BIJRMAH—BURMAN MISSION. The following extract of a letter from ao officer engaged in active operations agaiust the Burmese, contains the latest informa tion we have received from that country. It is dated May 21st. “ In the affair of Ramoo, the Bunhese fought well, and lost about 70 or 80 killed; for no quarter was given, nor do I ’ think it will be given during the war on either side, for if you save a Borman’s life, it is ten to one that be returns the favour by taking yours. From all appearances, this will be a bloody and protracted warfare. We are about to send an expedition against Syrian), and the undent city of Pegu, in a fpw days. It is 70 miles up the river, and we shall have bush fighting all the way. We now busy in preparing fire.booms, add ar ranging for boats to go up the river, t’do . not think we shall be ready for Ihe expedi tion up the Irawaddy. river io less than a , month. The captain of the I.arpe willtbea hoist hi? pendant on board the steam bdat. \ Sir A. Campbell with the major part of the forces will join him, sod only a sufficient garrison will be left to protect Rangoon If we reach Prome, all will be well ; hut It isan extremely difficult undertaking to tran sport in open boat* a force of 6 or 7000 men up a rapid river, within a stone’s throw of the beach, and a determined enemy annoy ing us all the way. It mu9t, however, be done, and if they do not come to terms, We must go up to Ummerapoora. The mode of annoyance on the part of tbe enemy is by fire rafts and war boats ; and as the heavy rain season is now coming on, they will have the advantage of the dark nights; With these they oblige us to keep a sharp look out. They also sink large boats to ; the gunwale, and turn them adrift upon ns. The force with which they come down,aid ed by the current, is very great One nearly came od board of us the other nighti I* caught a rope,and Ihe rope cot off a bey’s leg as clean as if it bad been amputated— We are going to send l2of the Madras ves sels for 3000 men aid provisions.” The above is all tbe information, which, up to the present date, has reached os#-* peeling tbe mission to Burmab, or state of •he war between the Borman and Bengal government.'*. Enough has, however, we trust been received to awaken* every one among us to renewed prayer, ants to more strenuous exertions. A few of bc*o cob sidernlions we Wilt DOW suggest. 1. The state of our missionaries at Ava was by the last acceaot* extremely peril ous. The war seems to be carried on with unusual ferocity. Should the exasperatjpa against (be English bo extended to the Mis sionaries, we cannot but tremble for the re sult. All cor confidence is in the God of Missions, who, we hope has said, “ Tench not mine anointed, and do my prophets nn AwM-” The present aspect of the cese ; iv ‘ ..’.’ At-A-: .