midable a body as if we were to storm heaven by force of prayer; and such a force is a most grateful violence to God.-When this holy army of suppliants is met and disposed in godly array, we all send up our prayers for the life of the Emperors, for their ministers, for magistrates, for the good of the state, for the peace of the empire, and for retarding the final doom.

"We meet together also for the reading of holy scriptures, and we take such lessons out of them as we judge suit best with the condition of the times, to confirm our faith either by forewarning us what we are to expect, or by bringing to our minds the predictions already fulfilled. And certainly our spiritual life is greatly nourished by reading the holy scriptures, our hopes thereby are erected, and our trust fixed and settled upon God: However, besides the reading, we continually preach and press the duties of the gospel with all the power and argument we are able; for it is in these assemblies, that we exhort, and pass the divine censure or sentence of excommureprove, nication; for the judgments in this place are delivered with all solemnity, and after the maturest deliberation imaginable, as being delivered by men who know they are pronouncing God's sentence, and act with the same caution as if God stood visibly among them, and the censures here pronounced are looked upon as an anticipation of the judgment to come, and the sinner precondemned by God, who has sinned to such a degree, as to be shut out by the ministers from the fellowship of the faithful, the communion of prayers and sacraments and the rest of that sacred commerce.

"The presidents or bishops among us, are men of the most venerable age and piety, raised to this honour not by the powers of money, but the brightness of their lives; for nothing sacred is to be had for money. That kind of treasury we have, is not filled with any dishonourable sum, as the price of a purchased religion; every one puts a little to the public stock, commonly once a month, or when he pleases, and only on condition that he is both willing and able; for there is no compulsion upon any all here is a free-will offering; and all these collections are deposited in a common bank for charitable uses, not for the support of merry meetings, for drinking and gluttony, but for feeding the poor; and burying the dead, and providing for boys and girls, who have neither parents nor provisions left to support them; for relieving old people worn out in the service of the saints, or those who have suffered by shipwreck, or are condemned to the mines, or islands, or prisons, only for the faith of Christ; these may be said to live upon their profession, for while they suffer for professing the name of Christ, they are fed with the collections of his Church.

"But strange that such lively expressions of Christian charity cannot pass with some men without a censure; for look (say they) how these Christians seem to love each other, when in their hearts they hate each other to death? How forward are they to stake their lives for one another, when inwardly they could cut one another's throats? But the true reason of this defamation, upon the account of styling ourselves brethren, I take to be this, because the name of brother is found with these men to be only a gilded expression of a counterfeit friendship. But you need not wonder at this loving title among Christians, when we own even you yourselves for brethren by right of one common nature; although indeed you have cancelled this relation, and by being inhuman brethren have forfeited the title of men; but by what diviner ties are we Christian brethren, we who all acknowledge but one and the same God, as our universal Father; who have all drank of one and the same Holy Spirit, and who are all delivered as it were from one common womb of ignorance, and called out of darkness into his marvellous light! But it may be we cannot pass for real brothers with you, because you want a tragedy about the bloody feuds of the Christian fraternity; or because our brotherly love continues even to the division of our estates, which is a test few brotherhoods will bear, and which commonly divides the dearest unions among you." If there have been many "bloody feuds" in Christendom since this was written, they have all been occasioned, not by Christians, but by men living in Christendomcalled Christians, but possessing the spirit of their father the devil, who was a murderer from the beginning.

Religious and Missionary Intelligence.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM SETH LEWIS, ESQ. TO REV. ROBERT R. ROBERTS, ONE OF THE BISHOPS OF THE METHODIST

REV. SIR,

EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

Opeloussas, Sept. 24, 1818.

THOUGH I am personally unknown to you, I trust the subject on which I now write will sufficiently apologize for my troubling you with this letter. My object is to lay before you a sketch of our situation in this Country with regard to Religion, and to entreat you, if practicable, to relieve our wants in this respect. This circuit, at present under the care of the Rev. Thomas Nixon, seems to me much too large for a single preacher; and the more so as in the whole extent of it there is not a

single local preacher, except one Presbyterian who resides at Alexandria, and two or three of the Baptist Church who reside near the upper part of the circuit, and who sometimes come into this parish and preach to the people. But from the neighbourhood of this place to Berwick bay, a distance of near one hundred miles, the voice of a protestant minister of the gospel is scarcely ever heard except when the Methodist preacher comes round to his appointments. This with his utmost exertions he is able to do only once in five weeks, travelling each time not less than five hundred and eighty miles according to the computed distances. This alone may enable you to judge how necessary it is to send more ministers into this circuit. Where the preaching of the gospel is seldom heard, the Christian waits with patience, and rejoices when the time comes for him again to hear the glad tidings of salvation, and join in the public worship of the God he loves-Not so the men of this world, who it is to be feared, are rather "like the man beholding his natural face in a glass, who goeth and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.' Does not the long intervals between the times of preaching give time for many good impres sions to wear off and be lost? Is it not to be feared that many a good seed sown that might spring up and bear fruit, is thus choaked and destroyed among the thorns, when the tender plant by more frequent watering might have been preserved alive? With the exception of a few names in this extensive circuit, all appear careless of the one thing needful, and I am confident that could you find time to pass through our country and wit ness for yourself the state of religion in it, your strongest sympathies would be awakened. Indeed, it seems to me important and very desirable, that if possible either yourself or one of the other Bishops should visit this almost insulated place.

This circuit is extensive, its population already considerable and increasing. It includes five parishes, Rapide, Avagelles, St. Sandry, better known by the name of Opelousas, St. Martin's, and St. Mary's; the two last included within the former parish of Attakapas.

The population is composed of two classes; first the original settlers, who are chiefly of French origin, and use the French language. These are, almost without exception, professed Roman Catholics and Secondly, what is here called the American part of the people. The people in Rapide are chiefly American; in Avagelles I believe the majority are French, but of the num bers in these two I am in possession of no certain information:In both, however, the population is fast increasing. This parish is believed to contain about eight thousand persons, probably one third of them American: St. Martin's about the same number, of which one fourth is believed to be American, and

St. Mary's about three thousand, a majority of whom are thought to be American. Amongst these are many men of education, and of considerable wealth; insomuch that perhaps the American part of the people in this circuit, in point of information and talents, may fairly vie with any equal mass of population in the union; but, as I observed before, all are immersed in the pursuit of the riches of this world, and to all appearance thought. less of the world to come.

You will easily perceive the task the preacher assumes, and the talents he ought to possess, to stem the torrent of irreligion and vice among such a people. Talents would seem to be requisitite, such as will command the respect of all.

Your ob't servant and brother in Christ.

SETH LEWIS.

Extract of a letter from Mr. Thomas L. M'Kenney, agent of Indian trade, in answer to an application by Bishop M'Kendree for information concerning the establishment of Schools, &c. among the Indians.

Georgetown, D. C. March 13, 1820.

"Ar a place called Spring-place, in the Cherokee country, is that peaceful and interesting establishment which for fourteen years, and upwards, has kept its place, under the government of the Moravian Society, and over which the Rev. and venerable John Gambold has presided from the beginning; and from which the light, of civilization has been emitted, though feebly, till this time; and now this apostle to the heathen, having been spared to witness it, enjoys the enviable gratification of seeing those feeble glimmerings multiplied, until a wide display of light surrounds his desert home, with which is happily mingled, and to no inconsiderable extent, the more interesting and lovely radiance of Christianity. Accompanying this you will receive a letter addressed to me by one of the first members of his wilderness church-a native of the forest, who owes the improvement which this letter sets forth, to the care and guidance of this good man. To give it additional interest, I have had the copy taken by a Choctaw youth who has lived in my family for nearly two years. The letter is genuine, and unaltered, except in its punctuation."

A COPY.

HONOURED SIR,

Mountjoy, January 15, 1818.

*

You often write to my Dear brother Gambold, and I hear that you are a true friend to the poor despised Indians. God VOL. III.

20

bless and reward you for it, and grant you long life and happi

ness.

Now, as my uncle, Charles Hicks, is gone to Washington, to plead our cause before our dear father, the President, and make our distresses known, I take the liberty to write this to you. I wish you to be on my uncle's side, if I dare ask this favour: for we poor Indians feel very much humbled. I really know if our friends there, with you, knew our situation, they would sincerely pity us! Oh, for the sake of God's love and mercy pity us! If we do not get help from that quarter we are undone.

Our neighbouring white people seem to aim at our destruction. They have not the fear of God before their eyes; they seem not to believe in a Saviour; they set wicked examples before the poor ignorant Indians; they insult our people who bear it patiently. I cannot cease from weeping to our merciful Saviour, to shew mercy to us, and help from the hands of our oppressors. We are persuaded if our honoured father, the President, could see our great distress into which we are brought, he would weep over us, he would pity us, he would help us. Yet we live far off from him, and he cannot see us. Yet we constantly look from a distance to him for help, as poor helpless children look up to their father, crying to have pity on them.

Since I have experienced grace and mercy from my dear Saviour, and have become truly happy in him, and with his children, it is my constant prayer, that my whole dear Nation might enjoy the same blessing that I enjoy.

This grieves me more than I can tell, that at a time when there is a good prospect that many more will join the few who have embraced Christianity, we shall be driven away from the land of our fathers, which is as dear to us as our own lives; from our improved farms, from our beloved teachers, into a land strange to us; yea, into savage life again. Dear Sir, I declare I would prefer death to such a life again.

I am in hopes, and many more with me, that our beloved father, the President, will certainly help his poor children, when he hears from my uncle our distressed situation. Yes, God, the father of all mankind, will incline his heart to consider our case and help us. Oh, Sir, I implore you for the sake of the dear crucified Saviour, who shed his blood for the poor red as well as white people, continue to be our friend. Pray for us; plead for us; and the blessings of those who are ready to perish will come upon you, and the great Judge of all flesh, will, at the great day of retribution, remember your kindness to our poor people.

Signed,

MARGARET ANN CRUTCHFIELD.