white father (for be can read,) and said the collection, when joining, in this Indian counfollowing sentence conveyed the opinion of try, with Americans, Indians, and Africans, many Indians — Wheresoever the body is in singing the following verse of one of our laid till the resurrection, thither, as to a hymnsdwelling-house, death brings us home,'-or, as an Jodian would express himself, the " Let every nation, every tribe, great fire brings us home. »

1. On this terrestrial ball, " Cherokee Indians.

66 To him full majesty ascribe, "As I had previously learnt that my jour- 46 And crown him Lord of all. ney would not be extended by visiting the missionary settlement among the Cherokees, “Some negroes attended family prayer; and I determined to take Brainerd in my way; many come from a considerable distance to and proceeded through Alabama and East publick worship, on Sunday. I was told, inTennessee, to the northeast corner of the deed, that there were instances of their walkstate of Georgia, where it is situated.” ing twenty miles over the mountains, and re

" At the foot of the Cumberiand mountains turning the same day. we slept in a solitary hut, where we found a " What animation would an occasional * neat old woman, of 70 or 80 years of age, glance at Elliot or Brainerd infuse into our very busily engaged in spinning. A young missionary committees! and how cheering clergyman, who had been visiting Brainerd, to many a pious collector of one shilling per was also driven in by heavy rain; and his week, would be the sight of her Indian sis. offers-to conduct family worship were thank. ters, rescued from their degraded condition, fully accepted by our hostess and her son. and instructed in the school of Christ! What,

“We reached Brajnerd early on the 1st of though we are but the hewers of wood or June, [1820] and remained till the following drawers of water for our more honoured and morning. The manner of proceeding was só enterprising brethren, our humble labours, similar to that at Elliot, that it is unneces- feeble and desultory as they are, and ever sary to describe it. Indeed, this institution attended by imperfections by which their was originally formed by some of the mis. efficiency is much impaired, are still a link sionaries, who afterward went on to establish in the chain of human agency, by which God the settlement at Elliot.

is pleased to accomplish his purposes of mer“The number of Cherokee children amount. cy to a fallen world. ed to about eighty; and, in addition to these, “ With respect to the degree in which the were two little Osage Indians, who had been efforts of the missionaries have already been rescued from captivity by benevolent inter- successful, in reference to the spiritual inteference. One of them was a little girl, whose rests of their heathen brethren, they do not owner, at the time she was found, was car- expect the harvest, when only beginning to rying the scalps of her father and mother. break up the soil. They are aware, also, He was induced to part with her for about that, in a subject in which their hopes and 301. generously advanced for her ransom by fears are so sensibly. alive, they are in danger a lady at New Orleans. Her simple tale of of being misled by very equivocal symptoms; sufferings was a long and melancholy one, and even where they believe that they disand the little boy's constitution was nearly cern the fairest promise, they shrink from

the idea of blazoning forth to the world, as “I was informed here, that many of the In- decisive evidence of conversion, every favourdians evinced, at first, an indisposition to able indication of a change of heart. Still, labour in the field, especially as the females however, even in this respect, and at this were entirely exempted from the task: but early stage of their exertions, they have the they soon acquiesced ; and exhibited, on this gratification of believing that their labour has occasion, the docility and good-humour, of not been in vain. which their teachers (perhaps with excusa- "Soon after leaving Brainerd, I crossed the ble partiality) represent them as possessing river Tennessee, which here forms the bouna more than common share. One of the dary of the Cherokee nation. chiefs offered to find a slave who should work all day, if the missionaries would excuse bis 6 Reflections on the State and Prospects of the son from agricultural labour between school

Indians. bours ; but he was easily convinced of his 4) now bade a last adieu to Indian terrimistake, and apologized for his ill-judged re. tory; and, as I pursued my solitary ride goest.

through the woods, I insensibly fell into a "I was much gratified by hearing the chil- train of melancholy reflections on the event. dren sing their Cherokee hymns: and many ful history of this injured race. ancient prophecies came forcibly to my re- “ Sovereigns, from time immemorial, of the

broken by ill usage.

FAMILY PRAYER BOOK.

race.

interminable forests which overshadow this the wide range and growing energies of Brivast continent, they have gradually been tish missions, a deep sense of our defective driven, by the white usurpers of their soil, efforts should at any time be insufficient to within the limits of their present precarious repress every feeling of self-complacence, we possessions. One after another of their fa- have but to recollect how large a portion of vourite rivers has been reluctantly abandon- the past labours of our missionaries has been ed, until the range of the hunter is bounded consumed, in eradicating the vicious habits by lines prescribed by his invader, and the which we have introduced into some heathen independence of the warriour is no more. nations, or in dispelling the prejudices which Even their present territory is partitioned out our inconsistent conduct has diffused through in reversion ; and intersected with the pros- others." pective boundaries of surrounding states, which appear in the maps, as if Indian title were actually extinguished, and these ancient warriours were already driven from the It is with great pleasure that we lay before land of their fathers.

our readers the following prospectus of “ the “Of the innumerable tribes, which, a few Family Prayer Book,” which the bishop of centuries since, roamed, fearless and inde. Connecticut intends to publish, if the design pendent, in their native forests, how many should meet with that patronage which it have been swept into oblivion, and are with doubtless will deserve, and which, we trust, the generations before the flood ! Of others, it will obtain. The prospectus itself

, toge. not a trace remains but in tradition, or in the ther with the subsequent approbation and person of some solitary wanderer, the last of encouragement of the design by the other his tribe, who hovers like a ghost among the bishops, renders any further remarks supersepulchres of his fathers—a spark still faintly fluous. We wish only to express our own glimmering in the ashes of an extinguished conviction of its utility, and warmly to re

commend the work to the notice of our “ From this gloomy review of the past his. readers. We understand that a person will tory of these injured tribes, it was refreshing shortly visit this part of New England, for to turn to their future prospects; and to con- the purpose of obtaining subscriptions. template those missionary labours, which, under the blessing of God, are arresting the of Common Prayer, &c. accompanied by a

The Family Prayer Book : or the Book progress of that silent waste, by which they GeneralCommentary, historical,explanatory, were fading rapidly from the map of nations. doctrinal, and practical. Compiled from the Partial success, indeed, had followed the occasional efforts of the American government tions and additions accommodated to the

most approved liturgical works, with alterafor the civilization of the lodians, but it was reserved for the perseverance of disinterested the United States. By Thomas C. Browneli

,

liturgy of the Protestant Episcopal Church in Christian love, to prove, to the world at Bishop of the diocese of Connecticut. large, the practicability of an undertaking which had often been abandoned in despair.

Prospectus. “ Moral obstacles, which had bid defiance The church of England has been eminently to worldly policy or interested enterprise, are distinguished in the Christian world, by the yielding to a simple confidence in the promises labours of her scholars and divines, for the of God, and a faithful compliance with the advancement of sacred learning, and the prodivine commands-Go ye into all the world, motion of piety. No work, with the excepand preach the gospel to every creature. tion of the bible, has profited so richiy by Christians, of different denominations, are these labours, as her Book of Common Prayer. sending labourers to the task ; and it is ani- The history of its several offices has been suc. mating, indeed, to contemplate the United cessfully defended and established, and the States—in the name, as it were, and as the whole has been commended to the judgment representative of the various nations who by the most ample illüstration, and enforced have participated in the wrongs inflicted on upon the conscience and the heart, by the this injured race-preparing to offer the no- most earnest practical appeals.

But the blest compensation in their power, and to dif- works of these writers, on the liturgy, are fuse the gospel throughout the Aborigines of diffused through a great number of volumes. this western world.

Some of them have become, in a measure, ob“And, surely, if any arguments were neces. solete in their style; and some of the most sary in support of missions, in addition to those valuable of them are hardly to be obtained, derived from the force of the divine com- even in England; while no complete work on mands, and the suggestions of diffusive cha- the liturgy has yet been published in this rity, we should find them in the history of the country. The result has been, that those early intercourse of Christian Europe with who wished to profit by such works could Asia, Africa, and America. Or if, viewing only gratify their inclinations at great ex.

ܪ

pense, and with much difficulty; while a well as from information he has already comvery large portion of the members of our municated to the publick in his valuable church remain but imperfectly instructed in Memoirs of the Church, of which a free use the full import of those services which consti- will be made, it is hoped that this subject tute the formulary of her worship, and the will receive a satisfactory elucidation; and administration of her sacraments.

that, on this account, the present work will A judicious compilation from the works of acquire an interest to which it could not the best English writers on the liturgy, so otherwise aspire. comprehensive as to contain all that would In the use of the English commentators, it be most interesting and useful, and yet at so is intended to make alterations and additions, moderate a price that it might be brought accommodated to the state of the American into general use, would be a valuable acqui- branches of the church ; and on some subsition to the church. It will be the object of jects, illustrations will be sought, in the writthe editor to endeavour to supply this deside- ings of American bishops, and other clergy. ralum, in the best manner that his judgment The several parts of the liturgy will afford and his leisure will permit.

a wide range for comment and reflection. The title of his contemplated work in the The history of their respective derivations, preparation of which he has made considera- the ideas they were severally designed to ble progress) is placed at the head of this convey or to excite, the doctrines of faith and prospectus. In the prosecution of such a practice which they inculcate or recognise ; work, originality of composition would be all these topicks will, as occasion may offer, less valued than a judicious selection from the occupy the attention of the compiler ; but it writings of others. It is his intention to pre. will be his main design to give the whole sent the commentary on the morning and work a practical character, for the purpose erening prayers of the church, in luis own of recommending it to the use of families, language, and somewhat at large ; condensing and as a help to their domestick devotions. what has been said by many writers into single He is persuaded that many, who habitually articles, attached to each particular part of use the book of common prayer, have a very the service. As this portion of the work will imperfect apprehension of the full import of probably be most frequently read in a devo- its several offices, and catch but a faint intional way, such an arrangement would seem spiration from that spirit of piety which anito be useful, to preserve the connexion, and mates them. to prevent those interruptions which ipust If, by collecting together the lights which otherwise occur, in passing from the obser- have been shed upon it, he can become a vations of one writer to those of another. lo guide to its clearer comprehension, and a most other parts of the work, and always, more pious use of it, his labours will not have when any doctrinal point is involved, the been in rain. THOMAS C. BROWNELL. game of the authors will be annexed to the New Haven, April 4, 1822. remarks: and on all controverted questions, those writers will be appealed to, who in relation to the publication of this work,

The views of the bishops of our church, have been most distinguished for their judgment, learning, and piety, and whose opinions may be collected from the following letters

and extracts. have received the most unanimous sanction of the church. Those comments, for which the

Philadelphia, Dec. 29, 1821. editor may feel himself responsible, either as Rt. Rev. and Dear Sir, their author, or as having collected them from I have just now received your letter of the various sources with alterations, will be de- twenty sixth instant, informing me, that you signated by the initials of his name subjoined contemplate the preparing and the publishto them.

ing of a book of common prayer, with a It will be a leading object in the proposed commentary on the different services, accomwork, to notice all the alterations of the Eng- modated to the alterations of the English lish liturgy, which have been made by the liturgy by our American church. The last compilers of our American book; and to circumstance is especially desirable, there state

, as far as practicable, the considerations being as yet nothing of the kind. And your on which they were founded. In the per- connecting the commentary with the text, formance of this task, the venerable presiding will very much further the purpose of introbishop has kindly promised his assistance. ducing the former into families, and of proIt is well known, that this excellent prelate moting a more general information of the took a principal part in the re-organization grounds of our institutions.

Wishing you of our church, at the close of the revolution. success in your undertaking, I remain your No other man living is so well qualified to

Though we have several commentaries on

New Brunswick, Jan. 8, 1822. our prayer book, and explanations of the Rt. Rev. and Dear Sir, liturgy, I am decidedly of opinion, that no The compilation of a commentary on the one of them is exactly what is wanted in common prayer book of our church, which families, and for common use. A work you express a design to undertake, will of this kind, so judiciously compiled as to doubtless be a very useful and laudable work. comprise what is most essential and interest- For, though many excellent commentaries ing in the history and exposition of the book already exist, they are in the hands of but of common prayer, with the addition of a few persons ; partly from the circumstance, much larger proportion than we usually have that they are not adapted to the book of of practical remarks, calculated to promote common prayer of the American church, as the right use of it, would be a valuable ac- altered from that of the church of England; quisition to our theological libraries; and I and partly from the scarcity of copies. rejoice to learn, that you think of devoting Besides; but few people can conveniently some part of your time to such a work. I bear the expense of purchasing a number of am, respectfully, your friend and brother, works on the same subject. A careful and

ALEX. V. GRISWOLD, judicious compilation from the most esteemed Bristol, Jan. 4, 1822.

among them, adapted to the common prayer

book of the American church, would thereRichmond, Virginia, Jan. 19, 1822. fore put it in the power of many persons, Rt. Rev. and Dear

especially clergyman with small salaries, to I have received your communication

upon

furnish themselves with whatever is most usethe subject of the liturgy, and shall be happy ful of such necessary information. Your de. in affording you every encouragement in the sign, therefore, meets with my approbation, i accomplishment and circulation of your in- and I heartily wish you success in the pertended work.

formance of it. Never was there a system of devotional With very great regard and affection, ! exercises constructed with so much piety, or am, right reverend and dear sir, your friend so well calculated to meet the views of an and brother,

JOHN CROES. intelligent worshipper. It is my fervent prayer, that the same spirit which animated

Charleston, Jan. 20, 1822. those who arranged the service of the church, Rt. Rev. and Dear Sir, may accompany your efforts in the explana: The work which you are contemplating is tion of its beauties, and the recommendation certainly a desideratum; and may be made of its observance.

the vebicle, throughout our church in these With sentiments of unfeigned regard, be- states, of a kind of information which is too lieve me, right reverend and dear sir, your little found among its members. The old affectionate friend and brother,

standard works on the common prayer are RICHARD CHANNING MOORE. not to be had by people in general ; and the

more recent popular works, of which I es. Baltimore, Jan. 3, 1822. teem Shepherd's (unhappily left upfinished) Rt. Rev. and Dear Sir,

the most, having not been reprinted in this I am very much pleased to learn, that you country, are very little known. Persuaded have determined to carry into effect the de- that practical Christianity can in no way be sign you were pleased to intimate to me, at better promoted, than by causing the book the last convention, with regard to the com- of common prayer to be rightly understood mentary on the book of common prayer. It and used, I look upon your design with very will be a most valuable acquisition to the great satisfaction, and trust it will be blest to a Episcopal families in the United States. The result both honourable and useful to the " family bible,” and this commentary, will church. constitute a very complete domestick library. I am, dear sir, with very great regard,

With sincere regard and affection, I am your friend and brother, N. BOWEN. your brother in Christ, JAS. KEMP.

TO CORRESPONDENTS. Several communications, besides those already noticed, have been received, and will be inserted as our limits will permit. The remarks of a Parish Minister will be given in our next. They would have had an earlier insertion, but the review, which embraces *in part the same subject, was already in type when this communication was received.

THE

@OSPEL ADVOCATE.

" Knowing that I am set for the defence of the Gospel.” Phil. i. 17.

No. 18.]

JUNE, 1822.

[No. 6. Vol. II.

THEOLOGICAL.

to " the faith which was once deliver. To the Editor of the Gospel Advocate.

ed unto the saints.”* Timothy, though

' ON AN INCORRECT READING OF 1 TIM. consecrated to the highest office in the iv. 16.

Christian church, was to have no docHAVE I have lately been reading with much trine of his own. He was to preach satisfaction, and I hope instruction, that which he had learned of St. Paul. “a commentary on the passages of the

" The things that thou hast heard of me new testament, relative to the gospel among many witnesses, the same comministry, designed for candidates for mit thou to faithful men, who shall be holy orders,” which was published in able to teach others also.of The great several numbers of the “ Episcopal Ma. doctrine of Christ's atonement, in its gazine.”

original purity, was to be the constant The usefulness of this commentary

theme of his discourse. This doctrine is not confined alone to the candidates he was to teach, and to cause others to for orders; but those already ordained, teach it also. and the lay members of our church,

The celebrated bishop Horsley, in are equally interested in the admira

one of his admirable charges, has some ble elucidation of these important texts interesting remarks on this subject. of scripture. The number for Octo. Reprobating the corrupt reading of thy, ber, 1821, particularly arrested my instead of the, be shows the importance

he attention. It contains a commentary of the apostle's meaning, and lays down on 1 Tim. iv. 16, wbere the words xan

the duty which τη διδασκαλια embraces. tu did coraníc, are rendered “and to His remarks are so judicious, and so thy doctrine." The bible which I am important to every preacher of the accustomed to use, is an Oxford edi- gospel, that I shall, I trust, be excused tion, and gives the doctrine,” as the for quoting them at length, before I meaning of the original. On consult- proceed to what was principally my ing every copy within my reach, I object in making this communication. found thy in the greater number; but

“ Our meditations have insensibly, the authorized editions, published at I think,” says the bishop of Rochester, the universities in England have the.

“ made a transition from the topick of This appears to be the true render. "take heed unto thyself,' to the topick ing of the passage ; for although doo of . take heed unto the doctrine.' The decoradcu signifies teaching generally, terms of this admonition are very reyet it likewise means doctrine, the submarkable—“Take heed unto the docstance of teaching. It appears that trine,' not unto thy doctrine ;' alSt. Paul intended an explicit reference * Jude 3.

$ 2 Tim. ii. 2. 22

ADVOCATE, VOL. II.