Southern Christian Advocate

BEYOND THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.

Interesting from the Nez Perces Indians.

—At the close of a Missionary sermon at the 3d Presbyterian church in this city, on Sabbath last, the Rev. Mr. Armstrong gave a brief account of a powerful religious excitement among these Indians at the mission on Clear Water River, about 125 miles east of Fort Walla Walla. The revival commenced in December. The Rev. Mr. Spalding states that the principal chief, named Joseph, gave evidence of a change of heart. A protracted meeting was held about the first of January. Mr. Spalding says, in a letter published in the New Haven Record, "as the multitudes came from a distance, the work seemed to increase. Joseph and others who were first converted labored faithfully. Joseph evidently labored beyond his strength. Dr. Whitman arrived here the last of the week, and spent the first Monday in January with us. This was a precious day to us all here, and surely it must have been to our Christian friends at home; for God had anticipated their prayers according to the words of the prophet, and the work of redeeming love was going on, while as yet they had not assembled in their respective congregations to pray for the speedy and universal spread of the gospel."

The meeting closed, with a proposition to hold another on February 9th. Some of the people returned to their several countries on account of provisions, but in two or three weeks their places were more than filled, by multitudes coming in, to be in time for the proposed meeting, and for some time we have been driven from our meeting-house, 42 by 22, into the open air, where we shall probably continue to meet till late in the Spring. Probably there are 2000 collected now, to whom a discourse will be delivered every afternoon, and the interest which was awakened at the former meeting seems no way abated. Probably 1000 have publicly confessed their sins and pledged themselves to live for Jesus Christ. How many of these will prove genuine, will be better known another day.* But five or six of the most promising will be admitted into the church at first; not but that God is able to convert a nation in a day, but we deem it our duty to be cautious. The most interesting part of the proceedings among this people, is after they return to their village from evening worship. Could you then take your stand in the midst of the village a short time, you would hear on one side, a chief addressing some 400 assembled in a long lodge, going over with the discourses delivered at evening prayers—in another lodge in another direction, the voice of fervent prayer, in another singing, in another sore weeping, till you would number eight or ten places where people were assembled for worship, and often you would hear the voice of prayer all night at some of those places. The objector might say, it is all confusion. What is confusion? Take me, if you please, into any city of the states where there are collected within hearing, eight or ten assemblies, all inquiring with deep solicitude what they shall do to be saved, and I will show you more confusion than you will witness in the Nez Perces village. When this world shall begin to turn to God by whole nations in a day, the bustle of cities, the rush for wealth will all sink into forgetfulness, in comparison with the eagerness of man, seeking the favor and pardon of his long insulted Maker."

We protest, in the name of the Bible, against this temporizing, unscriptural policy. Why did not the apostles proceed thus on the day of Pentecost? Instead of adding to the church three thousand souls, why did they not select half a dozen of the most promising, and leave the rest to wander in the wilderness of this world and perish? Probably 950 of these repenting heathen will make shipwreck, because they were refused anchorage in that harbor, the church.—Ep. W. C. A.

Perhaps our brethren of the W. C. Advocate were not right in charging the missionaries with "temporizing," in their treatment of the Nez Perces converts. Consider the expression, "How many of these will prove genuine, will be better known at another day." Publicly to confess their sins and promise to live for Jesus Christ, might not prove the existence of the same degree of conviction, or faith, among all people. We know not the particulars. It appears to us, that all we should say in the case is, that the whole thousand, and not five or six only, were probably ready to be enrolled as catechumens, and as such would have been admitted on trial in a Methodist mission, and put into classes for special instruction.

We would be extremely careful, however, how we fault our fellow Christians, and especially the "excellent of the earth," who may not entertain our views of even such important matters. And we must think that the use of the word "temporizing" was a slip of the pen, and not intended by the editors of the W. C. A. in the sense of a reflection on the missionaries, as if they were wanting in fidelity to Christ, or the souls of the people.—Ed. S. C. A.