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ments of the Shawanose relative to God and religion. You will find annexed the result of my inquiries on these heads, together with a translation from Shawanoese into English of the Lord's Prayer.

JOHN JOHNSTON,
Indian Agent.

Wapaghkonetta, May 7, 1822.

The Shawanoese believe that religion is a very good thing; keeps them at peace with each other as well as at peace in their own minds; all those who respect religion prosper, and are for ever happy; believe that their religion came down from heaven; believe there are two roads; the virtuous and good after death go to a place of happiness, where they shall want nothing that they can desire; the bad will go to torment and endless misery; that their conduct in this life will be decisive of their state in the world to come. That there is one great and supreme GOD, the maker of all things, the master of life; they call him We-she Ma-ni-tou, from We-she, something that is supremely beautiful, excellent, or desirable, and Ma-ni-tou, God. Have the strongest confidence in their Maker; believe that he constantly governs the world and all things in it; that they could not exist a moment without his power and goodness. They are in the constant practice of praying for favours and assistance; in making sacrifices and oblations to obtain Divine aid; but have no idea of a general judgment. The pleasure which they anticipate in a future state of existence is more corporeal than mental. Their ideas on this subject are in a great degree conformable to the doctrines broached by Baron Swedenbourgh.

The Shawanoese believing their religion to be of Divine appointment, and suited to their condition, are opposed to receiving Christian instruction.

The Lord's Prayer.

Our, Ne-le-wa; Father, No-the-na; Which art in heaven, La-gwa Spi-meke A-pe-ta; Hallowed be thy name, Ne-tagh-que-le-mabe kit-c-she-tho; Thy kingdom come, Ke-la no sa-ba-ma wegh-pe-a-wa; Thy will be done, KeFa-ne-a-mitch-to-ta; In earth as it is in

heaven, O-ta-she na-tha-pa ta-hap-pean-e Spi-me-ke; Give, Me-le-lo; Us, Ne-la-wa; This, Ye-a-ma; Day, Keshe-ke; Our, Ne-le-wa; Daily, Thwa wa-puck-a; Bread, Tuck-quan-a; And forgive, Wi-ne-cat a-loo; Us, Ne-lawa; Our, Ne-le-wa; Debts, O-sen-a a-ga; As we forgive, Sha-ke ne-la-wa now-en-e-cau-ta; Our debtors, Ne-leNe-ke-she-wa-she; Not into temptation, wa ma-she-ne-get-che: And lead us, Ta-ke ta-mut-cha-se; But deliver us, Pi-e-gwa negh-wa-ben-she-pa; From evil, Ta-mut-cha-se: For thine is the kingdom, Ke-la we-se ta-hap-pe e-anne; And the power, Ke-la we-she-cate-mau; And the glory, She-ka-nan-escau kim-she ke-la-wa; For ever, Lagwa te-she. Amen, E-ne we-ha-ke.

[A Missionary Society has recently been formed in the parish of Christ Church, Cincinnati, Ohio, auxiliary to the parent society of that diocess. Its constitution, and an address from the president, have been forwarded for insertion in the Christian Journal. The truc Churchman cannot but be gratified with the perusal of these articles. The pious zeal and perseverance of the few pastors in that destitute and extensive region will, we trust, induce others to follow in their steps, and thus eventually gather a rich fold unto the harvest of our primitive and apostolic Church.]

For the Christian Journal.

Constitution of the Episcopal Missionary Society of Christ Church, Cincinnati.

WHEREAS "the congregation of Christ Church, Cincinnati," have beheld, with great regret, the feeble exertions that have been made by the Protestant Episcopal Church for the support of Missionaries; knowing the great want of them in the western country; being persuaded that nothing but some energetic measures of this nature will serve to preserve the Church in this diocess from premature extinction; and believing it the means, under God, of extending the borders of our Zion, and hastening that time when the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea; and considering that the formation of auxiliary societies, as recommended by "the Protestant Episcopal Missionary Society within and for the diocess of Ohio," will be the most effectual way

of promoting these important objects, by bringing the interests of our holy religion more immediately to the notice of every individual of the parish, they have formed themselves into a society, and adopted the following Constitution:

ART. I. This association shall be known by the name of " the Episcopal Missionary Society of Christ Church, Cincinnati," and it shall be auxiliary to "the Protestant Episcopal Missionary Society within and for the diocess of Ohio."

ART. II. The object of this society shall be to collect funds for the support of Missions, which funds, so col lected, shall be paid over to the Treasurer of the society before mentioned, on or before the meeting of the annual Convention of the diocess of Ohio.

ART. III.—Any person paying not less than fifty cents annually, shall become a member of this society; and, by paying five dollars at any one time, may become a member for life.

ART. IV. The affairs of this society shall be managed by a President, first and second Vice-Presidents, Treasurer, Corresponding Secretary, Recording Secretary, and six Directors. The Rector of Christ Church shall be Pre sident, ex officio, of the society; the other officers and directors shall be chosen by ballot at the anniversary meeting of the society.

ART. V. Any three of the Directors, together with the President, or, in his absence, two thirds of the Directors, shall be a quorum for transacting business. The President, or any two Directors concurring, may call a meeting of the board at any time.

ART. VI.-The anniversary meeting shall be held at Christ Church, on Easter-Monday, when the annual report of the board of managers shall be presented.

ART. VII.-No alteration shall be made to this constitution, except by the concurrence of two thirds of the members present at any meeting of the society.

Officers.-The Rev. Samuel Johnston, President, ex officio; the Rev. Thomas Osborne, 1st Vice-President;

Ethan Stone, Esq. 2d Vice-President; John P. Foote, Treasurer; James M. Mason, Corresponding Secretary; Nathan M. Whittemore, Recording Secretary.

Managers.-Major William Ruffin, Edward Hallam, Dr. Daniel P. Robbins, Beza E. Bliss, Esq. Elijah Hayward, Esq. T. Jenifer Adams.

Address.

BELOVED BRETHREN,

When, in conviction of duty, we stand forth as the advocates for human science, and require your influence and pecuniary assistance, we propose a subject, good in itself, and worthy of your attention; nor is your ear less attentive, when we address your sympathies in behalf of suffering humanity: But what must be our emotions, when we call forth your charities in behalf of the first Missionary Society of our Church west of the Alleghanies, standing, too, as we now do, on ground, where, not more than thirty years since, some of you worshipped your God, fearing the encroachments of savages, but now enjoying the refinements of life, and the blessings of the Gospel. We share the privileges of Christianity in a city, which adorns the banks of the Ohio, and is a splendid testimony of the persevering enterprise of its citizens.

Yes, Brethren, when we call on you to open your understandings, incline your hearts, enlist your influence, and lend your aid for extending the truths of religion, and being the means, under Providence, of multiplying the heralds of the cross in the western world, we propose a theme which, above all others, ought to gain your solemn at

tention.

There is now existing in this new country a vast population of settlers from the Atlantic board, who have emigrated either from necessity, or laudable enterprise, or both. Many of these people have been nurtured in the bosom of the Church of England, and a still greater number brought up by the fostering care of her daughter, the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States. They have left the baptismal

font in which they received the initiatory rite into the visible Church, and obtained a covenant claim to salvation. They have left the altars around which they were fed with the symbols of redeeming love. They have left those churches where the heart never ceases to respond its grateful acknowledgements for mercies received of a covenant-keeping God. They have left those sacred temples, whose arches rang with the sound of the Gospel-trumpet, proclaiming the glad news of salvation, through the merits of a Redeemer's blood.

Contemplate these suffering people now bereft of those privileges which were the delight of their souls, and now longing for the Church of their fathers. For such of them as are laid on the couch of sickness, no servant of God is at hand, like an angel of comfort to Cer their desponding hearts with help from on high, and to offer up the sacrifice of prayer to their Father, and to our Father, and to their God, and to our God. No one is with them to administer the waters of baptism, or give unto them the bread of life, and the cup of salvation. No one is with them to read, over the lifeless remains of their deceased relatives, that solemn service by which we commit them to their kindred earth, and encourage the survivors with the hope, that such as sleep in Jesus shall be re-animated to a joyful resurrection, and partake of celestial felicity. No village bell sounds to call them from their dwellings to enter the sacred courts of our God, to join in that service which seems to breathe more than human fervour. These sons and daughters of the Church may exclaim, like a saint of old, "Wo is me that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar.”

And what must we say, my Brethren, when the states of Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, and Missouri, are without a single Minister of the Church! As men, and as Christians, we cannot but commiserate their spiritual condition, and pray for the time, the set time, to come, when God shall favour Zion.When we consider that all other denominations compass sea and land to make proselytes, our souls must be

chilled to every finer feeling if we will not extend to them our prayers and our aid.

What would have been the Church in the Atlantic states if it had not been favoured with Missionary aid, and pecuniary assistance, from the venerable Society in England for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts? Precisely what we shall be if no exertions are made to promote the interests of our Church.

The condition of many of our people is not unlike the children of God in Babylon, with their harps unstrung upon the willows, moaning and sighing for their deliverance. Well might they say, like the pious Psalmist, "How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! my soul longeth, yea, even fainteth, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God."

It must be conceded, Brethren, by all, that in proportion as emigrants are long estranged from the public services of the sanctuary, they naturally deteriorate from their former good habits, and become sensibly altered. If possible, then, the means should not be delayed to preserve them in their attachment to the faith, and encourage them to persevere in the path which leads through their present to their everlasting welfare. Merciful God! why have we been so long neglected? When shall the glorious sun of Episcopacy, so long obscured by the clouds of adversity, and the want of Missionaries, again dart its rays from the meridian, to light our Israel in the long neglected paths of religion, of glory, honour, and immortality? When shall the standard of the cross be unfurled, and the sons of the Gospel penetrate through our western forests, and cheer us with a goodly prospect, that "the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose ?"

If the Episcopalians in the west should be suffered to remain much longer without some adequate exertions in their behalf, they will soon scatter and be no more seen. If a Liturgy is needed in any quarter of the Union, surely it is here. In such a promiscous population as ours, a “form of sound

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words" is imperiously demanded. Heresies and schisms deform the fair face of Zion. They threaten like a flood to overwhelm the Church, and extinguish all hopes of Christian unity and orthodox faith. Our Liturgy, by the confession of all, is such a form—it is that ark of safety which will ride out all storms. By the experience and test of ages, the Spirit of the Lord, like the Dove in the ark, delighteth to dwell therein; and, while she conducteth us to the land of everlasting rest, she manifests to all others the olive branch of peace.

The efforts that are now making we hope will be successful; and let none be discouraged that at first they are not adequate to our wishes. The time may come when, perhaps, the Missionary Society of this Church shall rank chief among those institutions in the west designed to extend and perpetuate the blessings of primitive Christianity. Let no one despise the day of small things. In our attempts to aid the cause of Zion, we must imitate our humble Brethren scattered throughout our woods. No roads are prepared for them through the trackless desert. No temples built of the cedars of Libanus rise to their view, yet they surmount all difficulties. The humble cot supplies them for a place of worship, cheered by the sacred promise of their adored Saviour, to be present where two or three meet together. They look forward to better times. The smallness of their means, the feebleness of their present endeavours, consecrated by the faith in the Divine promise, are sure pledges of their future prosperity. As they do, so

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must we.

May we not anticipate the time, when we shall see the Church flourish as a vine which the right hand of the Lord hath planted? Wherever it hath taken root it hath grown and shed its fragrance on all around. The mild and peaceful doctrines of Jesus exhibited therein have smoothed the asperities of uncultivated society, so that we may safely say, were every sinner reconciled to the Saviour of man, by the living faith which the Church exhibits, the world would cease to wear its gross and gloomy aspect, and assume the

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bloom, the beauty, and the fragrance of the garden of God. "Even the desert,” (in the beautiful words of the Prophet) and the solitary place, have been glad."

In view of these heavenly blessings, our faith inclines us to hope that this society, though now in its infant state, may one day be acknowledged as the medium through which many sons and daughters of Adam have been illumined with the knowledge of Christ and his kingdom. O that it may be thus useful in its effects! O that it may call forth the hitherto sleeping energies of our Church; and thus be crowned with heavenly blessings.

For us, who claim to be of primitive and apostolic order, it is high time to awake, and do all in our power to extend the Gospel to destitute places, at least in our own diocess: and, let it be considered, that we have forty parishes, and only six ministers; and what are they among so many? It is incumbent on us, although limited in our resources, to do something to revive the hearts of our brethren, and if we cannot do what would be desirable, let us do what we

can.

The Convention has already formed a Missionary Society, and recommends every parish to organize auxiliaries.— The hearts and hands of all will then be united in doing what we can. The combined efforts of all will throw something liberal into the general treasury. By this concentrated action, the pious and more wealthy members of our Church in the east, will be persuaded that we are doing the best according to our means; which will render us worthy to feel the influence of their charity, which has within the last year been so readily bestowed through the channel of the worthy individual appointed by the parent society to solicit aid. We may then share the labours of their zealous Missionaries which are so much needed in this land, fertile in the productions of the earth, but barren in the fruits of righteousness.

Let it not be forgotten, that in religion, as in every plan in this life, means must be used. With the view of so much sin as daily observation proves to be prevalent in the west

with our Bibles open, we cannot be indifferent. We must be active, persevering, "up and doing." "It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing." We should call forth our vigorous exertions, whether in the duty of prayer, or extending the blessings of the Gospel through the humble organ of this association, whose primary objects are the honour of the Redeemer, the good of mankind, and the ultimate salvation of souls. We bless God in this, that he hath put into our minds good desires, and while we work in faith we would ascribe to him the glory. And let us remember, among all our means, devout prayers for the grace of God are mostessential. It was the duty of Elijah to build the altar, to put the wood in order, and to lay the sacrifice upon the pile: but the fire was to come from heaven which was to inflame it, and to make it ascend a grateful offering to Jehovah. Let us then persevere in the way of duty, in extending the boundaries of a Church mild in its government, apostolic in its ministry, scriptural in its doctrines, and primitive in its worship.

Christian Brethren, the lines have fallen to us in pleasant places. Our trees drop with honey. We drink of the pure stream in the way, and our deep shades cover us from the scorching sun. Our soil, rich beyond example, rewards with abundance the labours of the husbandmen: and our flocks are multiplied. Do not these instances of temporal prosperity remind us of those spiritual riches and heavenly joys which God reserveth for the faithful?"Let the children of Abraham's faith, whose lot hath fallen in a land flowing with milk and honey upon earth, reflect, that God hath given them riches, and the leisure which riches procure, not for the purpose of indulging themselves and others, but that they may glorify him, benefit their neighbours, and save their own souls;" that they may observe his statutes and keep his laws.

To perpetuate, then, our beloved Zion, let us give of our earthly substance, and let us hope that the Missionary will extend his labours from the shores of Erie to the banks of the Ohio. VOL. VI,

Already we may suppose he will be hailed as a messenger of love, bearing in his credentials the authority of his Divine Master, proclaiming peace and good will towards men. It is hoped you may see him in our western forests, going even to the rapid waters of the Missouri, and burning with a zeal which no hardship shall damp, no impediments prevent: as if to repair the encroachments made upon the soil, you may see him, in anticipation, enter the wigwam, and endeavouring to lead his red brethren to the Kingdom of Jesus, where is righteousness and peace.Their passions had long been burning and thirsting for human blood, and who were the cause of it? Who drove them from state to state, and from territory to territory? Who caused their rivers to be encrimsoned again and again with human gore? Let the advocates of avarice blush!

We have buried the hatchet, and may the moisture which nourishes the root of the tree under which we have laid it, daily eat more deeply into its edge, and more completely destroy its temper. Let disinterested Christian love prove to the world at large the practicability of an undertaking which has often been abandoned in despair.

It has been proved by experience in a diocess where the Church has risen to its meridian splendour, that our Liturgy is not too mechanical in its arrangement, or too fervent in its strains, for the Indian to bow the knee in humiliation, to elevate both soul and body in thanksgiving, and to pour forth the hallowed desires of his heart to his and to our Great Spirit. Let, then, the Missionary come on and persevere in his duty, till these whole western wilds, which once resounded with the savage warwhoop, shall be cheered with the sound of the Gospel of peace, and the hallelujahs of the redeemed.

We hail with joy the zeal which has marshalled the many thousands of our Israel in one united compact to burst the chains of heathen idolatry, and to carry the news of salvation to the wretched and the distant Hindoo; to the miserable and degraded African; and while, on the one hand, the pagan will exult at the prospect of seeing his

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