United States, presented to the House of Representatives, 3. Memorial of a Deputation of the Creek Nation of Indians, to the Congress of the United States, presented to the House of Representatives, February 9, 1830. 4. Report of Mr White to the Senate of the United States, from the Committee on Indian Affairs, February 22, 1830. 5. Report of Mr Bell to the House of Representatives of the United States, from the Committee on Indian Affairs, Feb- 6. Speech of Mr Frelinghuysen, of New Jersey, delivered in the Senate of the United States, April 6, 1830, on the Bill for an Exchange of Lands with the Indians residing in any of the States or Territories, and for their Removal West of 7. Speech of Mr Everett, of Massachusetts, on the Bill for Re- moving the Indians from the East to the West Side of the ART. I.-Christian Consolations. An Offering of Sympathy to Pa- rents bereaved of their Children, and to others under Afflic- tion; being a Collection from Manuscripts and Letters not before published; with an Appendix of Selections. ART. II. Elements of Dogmatic History. By William Muenscher, S. T. D., and Ordinary Professor of Theology at Marburg. Translated from the Second Edition of the Original Ger- ART. III.-Poetry of the Magyars, preceded by a Sketch of the ART. V. The Vestal, or a Tale of Pompeii. ART. VI.-1. An Oration, delivered at Cambridge, before the So- ciety of Phi Beta Kappa, August 26. By the Rev. OR- 2. The Age of Print. A Poem delivered before the Phi Beta Kappa Society at Cambridge, Aug, 26, 1830. By GREN- ART. VII.-Dyspepsy Forestalled and Resisted: or Lectures on Diet, Regimen, and Employment; delivered to the Students of Amherst College; Spring Term, 1830. By EDWARD HITCHCOCK, Professor of Chemistry and Natural History ART. VIII.-An Address delivered before the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association, at the Celebration of their ART. I.-1. A Lecture on the Working Men's Party, first deliver- 2. Mr Tuckerman's Second Semiannual Report of the Fourth Year of his Service as a Minister at large in Boston. ART. II.—The History of the Jews, from the Earliest Period to the Present Time. By Rev. H. H. MILMAN. ART. III.—A Journal of a Residence during several Months in London; including Excursions through various Parts of England; and a short Tour in France and Scotland in the Years 1823 and 1824. By NATHANIEL S. WHEATON, A.M. 304 ART. IV.-An Account of the Rise and Progress of the Unitarian Doctrine, in the Societies at Rochdale, Newchurch in Ros- sendale, and other Places, formerly in Connexion with the ART. V.-The Life of Mohammed; Founder of the Religion of Islam, and of the Empire of the Saracens. By the Rev. GEORGE BUSH, A. M. ART. VI.—Observations upon the Peloponnesus and Greek Islands, made in 1829. By RUFUS ANDERSON, one of the Secretaries of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign 360 Missions. 376 THE CHRISTIAN EXAMINER. NO. XL. NEW SERIES-NO. X. SEPTEMBER, 1830. ART. I. Difficulties in Parishes. For the Christian Examiner. In accounting for the order, intelligence and sobriety generally observable among the people of New England, practical men always mention among other causes, and as second only to the institution of free schools, the institution of regular and compact parishes. These have provided effectually for the free, easy, and independent support of religious worship, which, under some form or other, is believed to be absolutely indispensable to the well-being of a state. The patriot, therefore, as well as the Christian, should look with alarm on the reckless spirit with which the harmony and integrity of our parishes have, of late years, been sacrificed to mistaken notions of economy, to local disputes and misunderstandings, and still more frequently to personal or party triumph. Fully to understand this subject, it will be necessary to begin by glancing at the history of these institutions, and particularly in Massachusetts. As New England was settled with religious, rather than with commercial or even political views, we are not surprised to find that the earliest attention was paid to the moral and religious wants of the people. The Plymouth Pilgrims formed themselves into a religious community, and provided themselves with a minister, before embarking for this country. When Endicot and his company fixed themselves at Salem, one of the first houses which they reared in the wilderness was for social VOL. IX.-N. S. VOL. IV. NO. I. 1 worship; and almost immediately on the arrival of a minister, they took measures for his ordination and support. Afterwards, when another company of colonists came, under Governor Winthrop, their first Court of Assistants, as it was called, was held in Charlestown, at which the first thing propounded was, how their ministers should be maintained. Towns and villages were planted from time to time in other places, and in every case, as soon as a sufficient number of persons were collected for the purpose, means were provided for social worship, and public instruction in morals and religion. This they did, as they said, that so the name of the Lord our God being known in our dwellings, and exalted in our gates, he may still delight in us, to continue his favorable presence with us, and our unparalleled enjoyments, both temporal and spiritual, which, through the rich mercy of God in Christ, hitherto we have enjoyed; and not be provoked through our profane slightings and despising thereof, to bereave us and our posterities of such choice mercies.' The expense, thus incurred, was defrayed at first by a voluntary contribution, and this continued to be the practice in Boston; but, in the country towns, it was soon found necessary to make it a public charge, and assess and collect it like the other taxes; and a law was passed for this purpose as early as 1654. So determined was the government, that no town should be without the benefit of religious institutions, that, by another law, in 1692, the Court of Sessions in every county was authorised, in case any town neglected to provide themselves with a minister, to put one over them, fix his salary, and levy it as a tax on the inhabitants. For a long time the right of electing and dismissing the minister was in the hands of the church members exclusively; and it was expressly declared by statute, October 1668, that the minister thus elected was minister, not to the church only, but to the whole population of the place, all of whom were required to attend on his ministry, and contribute to his support. In the beginning there was no peculiar hardship or injustice in this practice, as the first planters were, almost without exception, communicants. The law required, therefore, little more than this;—that the same persons should support a minister as inhabitants of the town, whom they had previously called to that office as members of the church. Besides, until 1665 none but church members were freemen, or citizens, and having no voice in the choice of civil officers, or in the affairs of the town, |