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part; and offences of this nature are deeply felt, and are very liable to produce anger, contempt, resentment, and persecution towards those, who thus incur our displeasure by questioning the infallibility of our judgments. We shall never have become possessed of the true spirit of the gospel, until we love our neighbour as ourselves; and regard his views and sentiments with as much lenity and as much respect, as we desire that he should look on ours. This is indeed a rare and most precious attainment. It is the fruit of deep and unaffected humility, the most difficult of all the christian virtues.

We hold to the principles of religious liberty in their utmost extent and most unqualified character. By religious liberty we mean the right and opportunity of worshipping God according to our own views of duty and propriety, of investigating truth, and of publishing and maintaining our sentiments, without let, or hindrance, or prejudice from others. No man and no set of men have any right or shadow of right to call another to account for his opinions or worship; to judge for him on these subjects; or to prescribe sentiments or modes to him. The political power of the community extends of right no farther, than to protect every man in the peaceable enjoyment of his opinions and exercise of his religious worship; to prevent practices, which are manifest violations of public decency and good morals; and to the exaction of pecuniary contributions from every member of the community, assessed on the common and equal principles of taxation for other purposes, for the support of public institutions for religious instruction and worship, as they levy a tax for the maintenance of any other branch of public education. The character of these public institutions, that is, the particular appropriation, which shall be made of these contributions, must obviously be determined by the sovereign power in the state; and this power should be exercised on the broadest principles of toleration, and respect for the rights and principles of every portion of the community. It is in this light, as a political provision for public education, and the preservation and improvement of public morals, as a ground of security to property and public tranquillity, and on these grounds only, that the political power of the state can ever be properly or righteously exercised on the subject of religion. The state neither possesses, nor can it possess, any authority to enjoin even the best established doctrines on the reception of any of its subjects; or to compel the attendance or service of any, at any place or time, for the performance of religious worship. In all these respects men should be perfectly free. God designed that they should be free; and religion is likely to have influence and purity according as this freedom is more or less secured and enjoyed. The darkest pages in the history of mankind are those, which are stained with attempts on the part of the state, or of predominant sects, to control the religion of other men. Every attempt to exercise such control, let it come under whatever form it may, should be disputed at the very threshold; and the rights, which it would violate, should never be, in any measure or for a moment, surrendered or abated. No examination of the religious opinions of another, or of candidates for ordination, or for admission to our communion or fellowship, or any other occasion of this nature, with whatever softening pretences it may be proposed, should ever be acquiesced in; because the examination of another's religious opinions is a virtual assumption on your part of an autho. rity to control, or to call others to an account for, those opinions. Liberty of conscience and the right of private judgment should be guarded like the pass of Thermopylæ, and in the spirit of those martyrs to political freedom, who fell there.

No one can think from these remarks that we are in any measure indifferent to the character of the religious opinions, which men hold. In the present number of the Disciple, we have given our views on this subject at large.* We regard the religious sentiments of any man on the principal subjects of religious belief as of high moment; as having in themselves a moral character; and so far as they affect our conduct and temper, as affecting our salvation. But innumerable and terrible have been, and must always continue to be, the evils, which arise from the attempts of any, who are invested with power, to violate the right of private judgment, to repress the freedom of religious inquiry, or to control the religious worship or opinions of others. Religion, properly so called, is a matter wholly between man and his Creator. We should contend earnestly for the promotion of what we deem truth, and for the suppression of what we deem error; but good sense, and argument, and the authority of the scriptures must be our only weapons. We should never stop short of a perfectly unlimited toleration. Where this is maintained, christians will find themselves under the necessity of living at peace with each other. It is only where the right of private judgment and free inquiry is acknowledged and unrestricted, that the pursuit of truth will be prosecuted with success; and it is only where liberty of conscience is fully accorded to all, that men are likely to be sincere in their professions; and their religion, in whatever minor respects it may be imperfect or erroneous, to become the pure homage of the heart and life to God.

INTELLIGENCE.

The Society for propagating the Gospel among the Indians and others in North America held its anniversary meeting on the first day of November last. The sermon was preached by the Rev. Joseph Tuckerman of Chelsea, from John xvii. 20, 21. It has been published together with the Report of the Select Committee, from which we give the following abstract of the Society's operations during the year past. Seven missionaries have been employed, for limited periods, amongst our destitute countrymen, in distant settlements. Assistance has been given to the permanent support of religious instruction in two towns; and pecuniary grants made to one parish toward settling a minister, and to the inhabitants of the Isles of Shoals. We make two extracts from this part of the Report.

'The Rev. Mr. Nurse has continued his pastoral care of the church and society at Ellsworth, and his instruction of the children and youth. "It is now," he writes, "more than ten years since the Providence of God called me to this place. Previous to that time the people had enjoyed comparatively few religious privileges. No congregational church had been formed. In a little more than two years after my coming here, at the time of my ordination, a church was organized, consisting of fourteen members. By the blessing of God some small addition has been made to this little church almost every year. It is however still small. May God, in his tender mercy, bless and enlarge it, and adorn it with the beauties of holiness. If God has not granted me my heart's desire in crowning my ministerial labours with extensive usefulness, he has made my labours in my school useful to an extent far beyond what I had anticipated. The school has been kept in active operation for more than ten years with very little interruption. The number of its members has ranged from twenty to a hundred. The average number would probably be between forty and fifty. The change which has taken place in the youth here, in a literary point of view, is great, and, in relation to moral sentiments and habits, I think it is considerable..... The instruction imparted in this school has been extensively diffused. In it about half a hundred have become qualified to become teachers. These teachers have

been employed in almost all parts of Hancock and Washington counties. Nor have they been wholly confined to these. They have very generally been very acceptable to their employers, and very useful, I think, to the children and youth who have been under their care and tuition. Every year I appropriate a part of the money put into my hands by your Society for encouragement of schools among the poor in this vicinity. Between fifty and a hundred dollars still remain to be appropriated. Some of the books sent to me have been distributed to suitable objects, and have been gratefully received. A few I have sold to such as wanted them, and were able to pay for them; the proceeds of these I shall transmit to you, or add to the school fund, as you may direct. Those remaining on hand I shall dispose of according to the best of my judgment.""

'The Rev. Mr. Kellogg performed the mission of two months at Lubec and the vicinity. Of the erection and dedication of a church in Lubec, and of Mr. Kellogg's service at the dedication, mention was made in our last Report. On the third of October the last year he arrived at Lubec, and commenced his mission. On Lord's day, the 8th, he preached. It was a joyful day to him, to see parents and children seated in their sanctuary, where but five years before stood a lofty forest, spreading itself over the whole site where the principal settlements are made. "The uniformity, simplicity, and elegance of the structure, the friendship which beamed from every countenance, and the excellency of the music, all served," observes the missionary, "to animate me upon the subject of the spiritual building into which I exhorted parents and children to be framed together, growing into an holy temple in the Lord." Beside his labours at Lubec, he visited Dennysville, No. 9, 12, 10, Calais, Perry, and Robbinstown, performing missionary duties, as occasion required. A great object in his view was to engage the people in these infant settlements to make united and vigorous efforts for the establishment and maintenance of the ministry of the gospel. Handsome subscriptions were obtained; and the prospect, in regard to the interests of Zion, was very hopeful and encouraging. Mr. Kellogg anticipated much advantage to the cause of Christ from the arrival and welcome reception of Mr. Jonathan Bigelow at Lubec. What was anticipated has been realized. The people of Lubec unanimously invited Mr. Bigelow to settle with them in the gospel ministry, and he has recently been ordained as their pastor.'

The Society's missionaries amongst the Indians are Mr. Sergeant, who continues to instruct the New Stockbridge tribe; and Mr. Baylies, who ministers on Martha's Vineyard, and has been engaged in making inquiries concerning the Narragansets. The following extracts will give some idea of the manner in which these missions are conducted.

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The instruction of these Indians has been continued by Mr. Baylies, on the plan adopted the last year. He has taught them personally at the different stations, at such times and in such proportions as he judged most useful to them; and provided such other instruction as appeared best adapted. He observes,

our women schools have been taught 43 weeks; taught myself 17 weeks; total 60 weeks. In the above schools were taught 166 Indian scholars; 17 whites; total 183. Of the Indian children 34 are learning their letters, 68 read in the Spellingbook, 64 in the Testament, about 80 learning to write, and 4 in arithmetic. These schools are of great importance to the Indians. Though yet in their infancy, they have been productive of great good; the scholars have made a handsome improvement; and I consider them the great key of my usefulness. I make it a point to call frequently at their houses, and in particular to visit them when sick. In these visits I am always treated with attention. The sabbaths I spend, as mentioned in former Reports, among the various tribes, according to number and circumstances; and I trust we have some profitable meetings. Rev. Mr. Thaxter and Rev. Mr. Brown have rendered this mission essential service; my prosperity in it is greatly owing to their advice and exertions. The Indians appear to be really thankful for the help they have received and are anxious for its continuance."

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Mr. Thaxter, in a letter to the Secretary, writes : "I have *sufficient evidence to believe, that the measures pursued by Mr. Baylies have had a good effect, especially with the rising generation at Chabaquiddick. They improve. They unanimously requested me to thank the Society for their benevolence to them, and hope that they will continue it." In a letter of 16 June last, Mr. Thaxter writes; that he visited the Natives at Chabaquiddick the preceding week; that it afforded him great satisfaction to see the children, and "to observe their orderly and decent behaviour;" and that their improvement in writing exceeded any thing he had seen.'

'The Secretary having desired Mr. Baylies to make inquiry concerning the present state of the Narraganset Indians, and particularly to ascertain, whether they would be inclined to a removal to the westward, should provision be made for a general and permanent Indian settlement, with the advantages of civil improvement and christian privileges; an original Indian letter has been forwarded to him on the subject. It was dated New Series-vol. IV.

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