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Answer. Councils have evident-evidence we can obtain, and our

best judgment, we shall do as we are required, and answer our consciences in the sight of God. The right of a Council to examine a candidate respecting his belief and

ly the same right to examine as to refuse to ordain men to the work of the ministry. It will be readily acknowledged, that all men are not fit to preach the gospel, and to become pastors of flocks. The char-religious experience, is founded on

acter and qualifications of a candidate for the sacred office, are what gives a right to an ordaining Council, to make him an overseer; but how are his character and qualifications to be known, without an enquiry respecting his views of the great and essential doctrines and duties of the bible, and respecting his practical religion.That we may be deceived in respect to the character, belief and qualifications of a candidate, after the most strict examination, is no reason why we should not make such an examination. If we seek to do our duty and act with a view to the glory of God; and, to this end, proceed agreeable to the best

a broad basis. If they have a right to place him as a watchman upon the walls of Zion, they have an undoubted right to know, so far as by enquiry and testimony they can know, what he is, what he has done, and what he designs to do in future. They have full liberty to make such enquiries as they see fit; and to proceed in examination as far as they think necessary. It is expedient for an ordaining Council to examine a candidate respecting his belief and religious experience, that a wide door may not be thrown open for ignorant and worldly men to enter the sacred office. MINOR.

FOR THE HOPKINSIAN MAGAZINE.

MR. EDITOR,

their force. Others, it seems, would fain be considered orthodox; but they think it most prudent to Much is said at the present day, omit doctrinal preaching, as too with respect to prudence in preach-metaphysical, and to pursue a ing the gospel. It is, doubtless, course of what THEY CALL practiof great importance. Our Lord cal and experimental preaching. said to his disciples, • Be ye wise To these may be added another as serpents, and harmless as doves.' class, and that, perhaps, as popu→ But, from general observation, it lar as any, who think it most wise must appear, that the term pru- and prudent to say much concern. idence, in certain instances at least, ing the importance of inculcating is misapplied. For, I have often the doctrines of the gospel, and of remarked, that while some preach- contending earnestly for the faith ers deem it prudent, expedient and once delivered to the saints;' but binding, to declare all the doc- who, very seldom, discuss the estrines of the gospel, without re-sential doctrines of the gospel, in serve, and to use great plainness of speech," others consider it wisest to conceal the most unpalatable and heart-searching truths; or to clothe them in language, which must either render their meaning doubtful, or altogether destroy

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a thorough and systematical manner. They will hint at these truths, in almost every sermon, and pour forth bitter invectives against temporizers and lax preachers. This, however, is about all they do. They are ever ready to

proclaim war; but never ready to fight.

Now, while there are so many contrary opinions on this important subject, and the term prudence, like that of charity, is in the mouths of both clergy and lai

ty; I would beg, through the med ium of your very excellent and useful Magazine, that some of your correspondents would tell us wha is necessary to constitute a pruden preacher of the gospel. INTERROGATor.

Miscellaneous Articles.

Extract of a letter from Dr. Watts, to Rev. Mr. Williams, of Yale College, May 13, 1735.

"I remember, Sir, when I conversed with Mr. Smith, of Boston, last year, I did tell him my fears, that a great part of the polite gentlemen of our age and city, are run into infidelity, and others retain a sort of Christianity, which is near akin to it, viz. making Jesus Christ a great prophet, to restore natural religion, with the assurance of pardon upon repentance, and a resurrection after this life: but the peculiar doctrines of the atonement of Christ, and sanctification of the Spirit, are left out of their creed, how plainly soever they appear in the New Testament: And that these sentiments, viz. either infidelity, or this jejune and dilute Christianity, are spreading among city tradesmen, and in the country, by degrees. A sad state of things, indeed! I pray God to avert the judgments due to such an ungrateful and rebellious race of men."

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tempts this, must expect to see the old man rise and foam; since, to approve of all this, the Pharisee must condemn himself."

CHARITY.

"Charity," says an old writer, is a virtue of the heart and not of the hands. Gifts and alms are the expressions, not the essence, of virtue. A man may bestow great sums on the poor and indigent, without being charitable, and may be charitable, when he is not able to bestow anything. Charity is therefore a habit of good will or benevolence in the soul, which disposes us to the love, assistance and relief of mankind, especially of those who stand in need of it. The poor man, who has this excel lent frame of mind, is no less enti tled to the reward of this virtue, than the man who founds a college."

THE BEST ELECTION. A fragment of an Election conversation,

between a candidate and his Christian friend.

Candidate. My dear Sir, can you inform me how I may secure my election.

Friend. Yes, Sir, by diligence You must give all diligence to make it sure.

"Heart-searching preaching, (says a divine) where it does not convince, is sure to offend. Nothing is so cutting to an unrenewed heart, especially where there is a decent outside, as to have its rottenness Cand. That I have already done, exposed, its refuges of lies swept Sir; I have spared, I assure you, away, and the pillows of forms, on neither trouble nor expense. which he is sleeping, removed from have opened houses for entertain under his head. Whoever at-ment; I have canvassed personal

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ly; I have employed agents to collect voters; I have set the printer to work on broadsides and hand-you. bills; and, to let you into a secret, I have got a clever fellow from London to draw them up; one who is used to writing for the news-ed, I shall be saved; and if not, papers, and can draw up an advertisement with spirit, and a little smart abuse of my antagonist.

Fr. I admit that, and therefore your anxiety to make it sure to But why not employ the same diligence in a case of infinitely more importance?

Fr. Alas! Sir, that a gentleman and a Christian, as you no doubt profess to be, should stoop to such arts, to influence and corrupt the minds of the people. I heartily wish you would bestow as much pains to secure your election for a better place!

Cand. A better place, Sir! How do you mean? Is not this as respectable a borough as any in this part of the country?

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Cand. O, Sir, if I am to be sav

you know I cannot help it.

Fr. And if you are to be elected for this borough, you will be elected; why then all this trouble and expense?

Cand. Ah, Sir! If I do not use the means, I know that I shall not be chosen.

Fr. And what reason have you to suppose you shall be saved without means?

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Cand. That subject we will defer, if you please, to a more convenient season. I must wait on my electors.

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Fr. True, Sir; but I refer to a Fr. Alas! Sir; so said Felix, city, and even an heavenly one. the Roman Governor, when Paul The true Christian, Sir, is "reasoned of righteousness, temcitizen of no mean city." My ad-perance, and judgment to come;" vice is, to "give all diligence to but that season never came; and I make your election sure" in the much fear it may be so with you. New Jerusalem. The world will always find you an excuse for neglecting religion; and the enemy of souls will represent every thing as more important than the one thing needful. The Lord awaken you from the delusion.

Cand. O ho! I understand you now. But gentlemen of your sentiments, I believe, consider that business as already settled. Do not you, Sir, consider your election already fixed and unaltera

ble?

Fr. Not more, Sir, than the business in which you are engaged. Cand. How so? I wish elecmy tion were as sure as you represent it.

Fr. And do you not think the event is known to God? Cand. Certainly.

Fr. Then the event is sure to him.

Cand. No doubt of it. Fr. And must infallibly correspond with his fore-knowledge.

Cand. That it is certainly foreknown to the Supreme Being, I have no doubt; but that does not make it sure to me.

Lon. Evan. Mag.

THE POOR INDIANS.

"Lo! the poor Indian."---Pope. 66 My ear is pained, my soul is sick "With every days' report of wrong and outrage,

"With which earth is filled. Cowper.

From the American Daily Advertiser. MR. POULSON-The feelings of every one possessed of a common share of the sensibilities of our nature, must be shocked by the accounts with which our different papers teem, of what are miscalled Indian outrages. Tribe by tribe, we have gradually driven them, by fraud, violence and intrigue, first beyond the Susquehannah,

then the Ohio, and now to the very sources of the Missouri; and here, Sir, at least, it might reasonably be supposed, we would have left them. But no! we must interfere with them even here. Armed bodies of fifty or one hundred men, invade the prairies of the St. Peter's and Yellow Stone, under the pretence of trading. But one would suppose such numbers of armed men were unnecessary, on a mere peaceable trading expedition. No, Sir! disguise it under what term we may, it must be evident to every reflecting mind, that the object of these pretended traders, but actual robbers, is the trapping of the furs, in which consists the only riches of the poor children of the forest-and the destruction of the game, their only means of support.

True it is, that "the Indians cannot much longer retain their original habits;" they must become civilized, or be exterminated. But, Sir, while we allow our enthusiasm to plunge us into war with the Turk, and to contribute freely to the cause of the Greeks, on the other side of the Atlantic, have we none-not one-who, having reason in his charity, will at least endeavour to do something for our poor oppressed Indian brothers? I, Sir, for one, believe that a grand charge against us, at the great and awful day to which all are hastening at the bar from whose decision there is no appeal, will be our neglect and ill treatment of the Indians.-" Look ye all to it." It may be thought I allow my enthusiasm to lead me away. But, Sir, I have experienced Indian hospitality-I have rested me in their huts-I have partaken of their homely food-I have seen the actual degree of their suffering and oppression, and my heart has bled for them. In conclusion, Sir, I would propose

that some of our respectable citizens should call a meeting, and draw up a petition to Congress on the subject, to be signed by the citizens generally. Let us have no more smoking villages-no more licensed murders of old men-but let us do our best to improve them in the arts of civilization, and in religion; to "make the wilderness blossom as the rose, and to prepare a highway for our God." Yours, &c.

So say we. Let meetings be called in every part of the country, to petition Congress to do something that will effectally wipe away the stain which now attaches itself to our national character.— When a foreigner wishes to raise a blush on the face of an American, he points to our slaves and to the Indians. We throw back the odium of slavery upon our ancestors and our mother country, but the shame of oppressing the sons of the forest belongs pre-eminently to ourselves. It is from the whites of the present generation, from our fur traders and from the settlers on our extensive frontiers, that the Indians have received the heaviest injury. It is high time for the friends of humanity to lift up their voices on this subject. And now is the moment to do it. Will it be believed?-at this very moment a resolution is lying upon the table of Congress, for a repeal of the act, passed a few sessions since, appropriating annually $10,000 for the civilization of the Indians. Yes, this act, which forms the brightest page in our statute book, is about to be repealed! this act, which is the only answer to the heaviest charge which has been brought against us as a nation; this act, which has convinced the Indians that the President of the United States is indeed their father, and that there are white men

who are indeed their brothers, will be repealed unless a vigorous effort is made by the friends of humanity to prevent it.

We are informed on highly respectable authority, that the gentleman who introduced this resolation has been busily engaged in gaining friends to his proposition, and that several members of Congress are already pledged to vote for the repeal. Shall the enemies of humanity triumph? Shall those who are desirous of the complete extermination of the Indians on our borders, that they may take possession of their lands, be gratified in their cruel purpose?

Shall the sympathies and charities of this country be exhausted apon a distant nation, while no voice is raised in behalf of 400,000 oppressed Indians, dwelling within our own borders? We trust not. We trust that meetings will be called in every part of our country, and that the people will rise as one man, and demand that justice shall be done, and that the name of an American shall not become a by-word and a reproach.

N. Y. Observ.

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word." He then went away in a passion. But God, who is mighty in wisdom, and seeth not as man seeth, had determined that he should hear. His sins were set in order before him, in such a manner, that he was unable to leave the place without assistance. He remained for several days in great distress, and then found peace in the blood of Christ. He is now a preacher of that gospel which he once so heartily despised.

CAIUS. Christ. Mir.

At a time of revival of religion at one of our Seminaries, many were expressing the conviction of being great sinners. Mr. S; one of the students, remarked freely, that such expressions were nonsense. It so happened at a religious conference, Professor S. said that the most moral person, if unconverted, never did any thing that was good in the sight of God. With this saying Mr. S. was much dissatisfied, and went home to his room determined to see if he had not done more good deeds than bad ones. He took a slate and made marks on one side of the slate for his bad deeds, intending to do the same on the other side for his good ones. He began with his sins, and set them down as fast as they occurred to his mind: they so pressed upon his recollection, that he could not think of one good deed that was acceptable to God; and he continued the account of his sins till one side of the slate was filled, without finding any good in him to effect. His conviction of sin was so powerful he had no peace, till he found an interest in Christ, and he is now a missionary of the cross, in a foreign land.

ibid.

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