€HAP. IV.] WEST INDIES. 175 
vice and immorality, generally plunges them by 
degrees into gross sins. The hankering after the 
vain traditions of their forefathers, is considered as 
a falling off from that love to the Lord Jesus and 
his doctrines, which once prompted them to for¬ 
sake all ungodliness, and devote themselves unto 
God; and if they persist in evil ways, the faithful¬ 
ness due to the rest of the hock on the part of the 
missionaries, demands their separation, lest they 
seduce others. 
The polygamy of the negroes has caused no small 
embarrassment to the missionaries. The follow¬ 
ing is a short account of the brethren’s manner of 
treating them in this particular : When a negro man 
or woman applies as above described, to be baptized 
or received into the congregation, strict inquiry is 
made concerning every circumstance attending his 
or her situation and connections in life. If it is 
% 
found that a man has more than one wife, the 
question arises, how the brethren have to advise 
him in this particular: St. Paul says, “ if any bro¬ 
ther hath a wife that believeth not, and she be 
pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her 
away,” 1 Cor. vii. 12: But again he says, “ a bi¬ 
shop must be blameless, the husband of one wife,” 
2Tim.iii. 2. We read of no further precept in 
the holy scriptures concerning this subject; the 
brethren therefore were of opinion, that the mis¬ 
sionaries should keep strictly to the following re¬ 
solutions: 
