Newspaper Page Text
No. 43. Vol. 11.
EDUCATION
OF YOUNG MEN FOR THE MINISTRY.
Extract from Rev. Professor Porter's Ser
mon, delivered before the American Edu
cation Society at their last annual meeting.
Fekmit me then to add a few well authen
ticated statements, to those already pub
lished in the documents of this Society.
In the report of the Hampshire Missiona
ry Society for 1819, the Rev. Aretas Loo
mis, their missionary, after a year’s labour
in Randolph county, Virginia, gives a de
tailed view of facts, from which l extract
* this one sentence. “Should Beverly be
made the centre of a circle whose radius is
one hundred miles, it would not include
probably more than three or at the most
four vvp.lt educated ministers of the gospel.”
That is, about one such minister to 8000
square miles. Do you say this region is a
mere wilderness: and its few inhabitants
are instructed by zealous, faithful, though
illiterate teachers; I answer, it is the
‘same region concerning which the Rev.
I)r. Hill, of that state, had before told us,
having given ample credit f<> the ministers
who are on the ground,—“ Here are 180,
000 people, who are absolutely without re
ligions teachers, ofday sort.”
The Trustees of the Connecticut Mission-
ary Society published last year, a letter
, from Rev. Onn Fowler, their Missionary,
• which says ; “ In the state of Indiana, there
are now about 800,000 inhabitants; and in
the state of Illinois, about 70,000, exclusive
of Indians. There is not a Presbyterian
minister, that has a pastoral charge, in ei
ther of these states.” According to his
expectations, however, I believe two are
since settled in the former.
I will add one more statement, made a
few months since, in the city of Charleston,
equally surprising and distressing to the
respectable assembly to whom it was made.
In twelve civil districts of South Caro
lina, some of which are populous, and over
flowing with wealth, there are, as nearly
as can be ascertained, about 230,000 souls,
including - whites and coloured people. In
this extensive territory, there is not one
Congregational preacher; but one Episco
pal ; two Scotch; and five Presbyterian.
25,000 people, in these districts, may he
supposed to have religious instruction,’
more or less constantly, from Baptist and
Methodist preachers. About 4,000 more,
perhaps, are Connected with all other de
nomination? ; amounting to 29,00 u thus
supplied, and leaving 201,000 souls, not
regularly connected with any Christian de
nomination. •
These facts superadded to those already
made publif.k, strengthen the painful con
eviction of mv mind, that if the moral state
of our vast ir.teriour were dint thoroughly
investigated, it would be found far more
gloomy than we apprehend. But if all the
people of these destitute regions were ar
dently attached to a preached Gospel, they
would still, to a great extent, be destitute,
from necessity. Os the 11,000 well quali
fied preachers needed as an adequate sup
ply, for the United States, we have actually’
less than one fourth part. The increasing
deficiency of such preachers, i? owing to
two causes. • One is, a relative decrease in
the number of ministers; that is, their num
ber doe? not increase in proportion to the
increase of population, or of literary men.
At the commencement of the last century,
more than half our college graduates be
came at the commencement of
the present century, only one in six. The
other cause of this deficiency, is found in a
fact hitherto unprecedented in the civilized
world; —1 mean the rapid settlement of
new regions, by a sparse and still spreading
population. The wilderness, which last
year had scarcely been visited by a human
being, .is this year occupied by hardy ad
venturers ; and forests which have stood,
while a hundred generations of men have
passed away, yield to the cultivation of the
axe and the plough. Hence one minister
to 5000 souls will be needed, over at least
one half of our immense territory, for a
century tp come.
With these facts in mind, look forward
twenty years. Bv the year 1840, our pop
ulation being nearly doubled, and anew
generation of ministers being necessary to
succeed those now on the stage, we shall
need 22,000 ministers ; and. including our
dividend of 2000 missionaries, the total will’
.be 24.000. . . ‘
During the next twenty years, the num
ber of pious students, who in one way and
another, will have the means of defraying
the expense of their own classical educa
tion, may be sixty-five annually. The
funds provided by charity, for permanent
use, in our academies, colleges, and educa
tion societies, may support fifty-five more ;
milking 120 annually. Allowing, as has
been common, in these estimates, that one
half as many more will somehow become
qualified for usefulness, without the aid of
colleges, we shall have 180 annually, or
3GOO in twenty years ; leaving the church
to provide within this period, for 29,400
more, at an expense, which we will say is
half a million of dollars annually. Can this
expense he borne ? 1 answer promptly, it
.tvm, and that without proving oppressive,
or even -inconvenient, to any one.
THE MISSIONARY.
GO YE WTO ALL THE IVORLD,.AJVD PREACH THE GOSPEL TG EVERY CREATURE Jesus Christ.
The practicability of this may be demon
strated from the tax we pay to a single
vice; though we do not expect from any
vice, a voluntary contribution to the Lord’s
treasury. No sober man probably will
doubt that nine tenths of the expenses for
ardent spirits, in this country is worse than
wasted. But give us only one half of this
expense for two years, and sve have a per
manent fund forever, with an annual in
come of two millions of dollars ! yes, give
us this small proportion of what it costs, to
fill our streets with drones and vagrants,
our prisons with culprits, our hospitals with
lunaticks and beggars, and we have four
limes more than we need.
Lpl conscience enrol the Christian fami
lies of the land and lay its assessment ou
those luxuries of the table, of dress, furni
ture. and equipage, the retrenchment of
which would be cheerfully made for any
groat temporal object, and the sum is rais
ed in another way'. One tenth part of the
sacrifices to which the fathers of this town,
and of other town=, to a great extent, sub
mitted with prompt alacrity, in days when
the stamp tax, and the tea tax, and the Bos
ton Port Bill called for the spontaneous re
sistance of freemen ; would fill the treasu
ry of Christ to overflowing. Surely, Breth
ren, Christian benevolence ought to be as
operative a principle as patriotism. And
y'et I fear that very few, even among those
who bear the Saviour’s name, have denied
themselves, or have regarded it as a sefi
ous duty to deny themselves a single per
sonal comfort, for the promotion of a cause
to which their undivided affections, and
energies, and resources ought to be su
premely devoted.
In some instances, mec/ianicks have each
set apart the avails of a half-day’s labour
of one person', in every month, as an offer
ing to Christ. But let all this highly im
portant class of our citizens devote one
hour a mouth to the same purpose, and this
alone would be ample provision for the ob
ject before us.
Among Christian farmers the practice is
recently begun of consecrating some por
tion of a field, to be> cultivated for the pur
poses of religious charity. Others have
made a similar consecration from their
flpeks. Now if all the farmers of the land
would annually dedicate a lamb, or the pro
duct derived from one quarter of an acre of
his ground, to him who blesses or blasts the
labours of men; and who could sweep
away the hopes ofa year by one hail storm
or inundation ; it would furnish without aid
from any other source, an income double in
amount to the sumjjontemplated.
Two hundred thousand persons perhaps,
in this country, may be supposed to unite in
prayer for Zion's prosperity , on the first Mon
day of each month. What can be more rea
sonable than that every one should carry
to this hallowed season of devotion, some
thing for the treasury of the church ? Let
it be an offering, which, on the death bed,
conscience will certainly say is not exces
sive. Let it be one dollar, or one cent,
as “ the Lord hath prospered him ;” and
the revenue would, unqestionably, surpass
that which all our great charitable socie
ties have hitherto received. This is a fifth
way, in which the claims that we advance
this evening might be answered, without
the least imaginable inconvenience to any
one.
In many towns, young men have associa
ted with an honourable zeal to promote
this object. In the United States, ‘ others,
of this age, to the number of one million,
might do the same thing. Rut let only half
of these young men come forward, annual
ly and give, I do not say the amount of
what they are accustomed to speed during
the year, on objects of no value ; but what
they are accustomed to spend on one hour's
amusement , and we need no other charity ;
the thing is accomplished in a sixth way.
Among the four and a half millions of
females, of different ages, which our popu
lation may be supposed to contain, two
millions might aid this object, to a small
amount. Let each of these, by a little in
crease of economy or industry, or by re
trenching some trivial article of food or
dfress, give tweuty live cents, annually, and
the thing is done in a seventh way.
An eighth resource is large benefactions
of the wealthy. Fifty individuals doubt
less might he found, who could, with per
fect ease establish thirty scholarships each.
One hundred others, probably might with
equal ease, establish ten each ; five hun
dred others, two each; and one thousand
others, one each.
Two thousand scholarships more might
be established by associations of different
persons. These scholarships would fur
nish 19,500 preachers, in the twenty years;
and.the residue might be readily furnished
by minor collections.
As the millennium approaches, other
Thortons will arise, and secure ati immor
tality in two worlds, when they are dead,
by rescuing from obscurity other Buchan
ans, to shine in the holy ministry.
A ninth resource is one that cannot fail.
We have about four thousand Christian
churches, which on an average, might car
ry forward each, one student. This would
go far towards furnishing the proposed sup
ply, estimating each church to consist of
one hundred members, paying one dollar
MOUNT ZION, (HANCOCK CO, GA.) FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 1821.
each. But how many Christians are there
who could give, without the smallest in
convenience, fifty, or one hundred, or five
hundred dollars, annually, to excuse the
aged and sick, and to cover the remaining
exigency.
Here, we must be allowed to hope is a
permanent unfailing ground of reliance.
Many others may refuse, but they who are
united in the sacred bonds of the church,
cannot , must not stand back, in this cause.
Nay, when they underhand the subject,
they will not. I know one church, which
I am assured, supported the last year, six
charity students, while its pastor supported
a seventh. 1 know other churches follow
ing hard after this noble example.
MISSION IN CEYLON.
Extract from a letter of the Missionaries to
the Corresponding Secretary.
Jaffna, March3l,lß2o.
Rev. and Dear Sir,
The last publick letter from this station,
forwarded by way of Calcults, brought
down the affairs of the mission b Nov. 43,
1819 ; and a duplicate, sent by way of Bom
bay, Jan. 14, 1820, contained; in a post
script r the grateful iaformationof the arri
val of brother and sister Scudder at Jaffna,
and of the brethren and sisters Winslow
and Spaulding at Coiumbo. Fiom brother
and sister Woodward nothing had then
been heard, since they were left behind at
Calcutta. We are now happy to say, that
they Lave arrived at Trincomalee Jan.
10th, and, after waiting 16 days for a con
veyance overland, reached Jaffna on the 3d
of February.
By a letter from, brother Woodward dated
at Batticoita, you will learn the various
dealings of Providence with him and Mrs.
Woodward, after they were separated from
the other brethren. Sister W. who was at
that time ill, soon began to recover; but
before her health was so far re-established
as to bear the fatigues, of a voyage, anew
and severe trial was sent (hem by Him,
who afflicts not willingly. Alone, and in a
strange land, our brother and sister were
(Villed to bury, by the side of brother Scud
der’s dear little Maria, the remains of their
lovely Babe. It was indeed a pleasant
child; hut the afflicted parents were ena
bled to say, “ the Lord gave, and tbe Lord
hath tajten away.”
Soon after this afflicting event, they took
passage for Ceylon in a small frig, which
proved to be old, rotten, and under the
command of ar> injudicious captaii.- In dan
ger ol shipwreck, they were obliged by
stress of weather, to put into Vizagapatam,
where they were kindly received by the
missionaries, Gordon, Pritchett, and Daw
son. After some repairs of. the vessel,
and the detention ot about a week, they re
embarked, and, though they encountered a
storm, in which the vessel spring a leak,
and exposed them to imminent danger, at
length reached Trincomalee in safety.
Sister Woodward had suffered much on the
voyage, not only from anxiety of mind, hut
from great bodily weakness; and brother
W. from too great exertion in time of the
storm, was attacked with a haemorrhage,
which had some appearance of being an af
fection of the lungs. The change, how
ever, from sea to land, was very favourable
to them both ; and the very hospi'able at
tentions of Wesleyan brethren at Trincom
alee contributed much to the restoration of
their health, In their journey through the
wilderness they had good weather, and
amidst much fatigue their way was render
ed prosperous.
Winslow and Spaulding al
so forwarded a joint letter from Columbo,
giving an account of their passage, and that
of brother Scudder to Trincnthalee, and of
their voyage round the southern part of!
the island to Columbo. The passage from
Calcutta was long hut pleasant; and was
rendered somewhat interestingly the good
attention which the seamen oft board the
Dick gave to religious instruction, and the
apparent seriousness of two or three of
their number.
On arriving at Trincomnlee, the breth
ren all wished, though their passage was
paid to Colombo, to leave the shrp and go
by land to Jaffna, (though a wretched path
way, through an almost continued jungle of
150 miles, was not inviting, especially as it
was infested by elephants and other wild
beasts, and crossed by several considera
ble rivers to be forded ;) but they could not
obtain conveyances for all their number ;
and as no house was vacant, could not re
main long at Trincomalee. Besides, as
the rainy season was just commencing,
there was a prospect that the rivers on the
way would soon he so much swollen as to
be rendered impassable, Brother and sis
ter Scudder only took this route. Their
journey was rendered extremely unpleas
ant. and somewhat dangerous by heavy
rains, and their accommodations on the
road were extremely bad ; yet they were
preserved by Him who hath said, “ When
thou passest through the waters, I will be
with thee, and through the rivers they
shall not overflow thee.”
The other brethren and sisters regretted
the necessity of any longer detention from
the field of labour; but they have nn\yj
the satisfaction of thinking, that by this!
means they very much lessened the ex
pense of getting to their station, and were
enabled, in making almost the circuit of
the island, (a considerable part of the way
by inland navigation.) and by visiting all
the principal places,, as well as different
missionary stations, to acquire some know
ledge, and form some acquaintances, which
they hope will hereafter be of use to them.
They were every where treated with much
kindness, particularly at Galle and Colum
bo. At the latter place they had the hap
piness of meeting almost all the Wesleyan
missionaries on the island, and ail those
from the Church Missionary Society, ex
cept Mr. Knight ol Jaffna. With these
dear brethren, as well as our beloved bro
ther Ohater, into whose family they were
most generously received, ihey enjoyed
some interesting seasons of Christian com
munion. His Excellency, Gov. B r ownrigg
gave them a very kind reception, and
leave to remain on the island with his best
wishes; and his successor, Sir Edward
Barnes, granted them a favourable audi
ence. After witnessing the departure of
governotir and lady Brownrigg from the isl
and, they had a favourable passage by in
land navigation to Jaffna, where they ar
rived, Feb. 18th, accompanied, most of the
way, by that very valuable friend to our
mission, J. N. Mooyart, Esq. and were at last
enabled, by his assistance, to make their
arrival earlier than they could have done
alone by the outer passage, on account of
the opposing monsoon.
Thus has the Lord, though he saw fit to
separate, for a season, those who hoped ai
waj'3 to share each other’s joys ‘and sor
rows, again brought them together on tnat
spot, so long the object of their earnest de
sire, and permitted them to enter into the
labours of their dear brethren. Yes, Rev.
Sir, they are called upon, not only to bless
God for his goodness in guiding them all the
way hither, but in permitting (hem to unite
with a prosperous mission, and to rejoice
“ in thing-- ready made to their hands.”—
They must be allowed to say, that their
hearts have been greatly cheered, by what
their eyes have seen, and their ears heard,
at these stations. Let any one imagine
how animating must be to them the sight of
religious congregations among these poor
heathen, to the number, sometime?, includ
ing children, of two or three hundred, lis
tening attentively to the glad news of sal
vation ; how encouraging to look at 700
boys in the different schools, receiving the
rudiments of a Christian education—how
full of hope the contemplation of 70 chil
dren in the mission families, enjoying great
er advantages for a knowledge of the truth
than are generally possessed by the chil
dren, even of Christian parents: and then
bow grateful the sight of at least six or sev
en, in whom the image of Christ seems to
shine through the darkness of their visage,
and amidst the former marks of their hea
thenism.
Oh I could our beloved brethren and
fathers behold these first fruits of a iong
harvest, and look at these heathen converts
as, what they probably at e, the future mes
sengers of salvation to their countrymen—
could they visit the mission families, and
see the hoys assembled morning and eve
ning to join in praise and supplication—of
ten meeting in little circles by themselves
for prayer, and always, when assembled to
take their food, falling down on their knees
around it, and in an artless manner begging
the blessing of that God, who feeds them ;
surely they would say, “ this is worth our
prayers; (his is a precious return for our
labours and onr substance.” And when, as
the boys pass in review before them, they
hear the names of Dwight, Worcester, Sic.
they must he constrained to ask, with a
faith which almost answers its own inqui
ries,—what those loved and honoured
names are in America, will not -these he in
Ceylon ?
Those of us, who have been recently
added to the mission, have, however, been
called to trust the Lord in.darkness as well
as in light, on finding the strength of our
dear brethren withering under their labour.
One is not !* Another, though brought back
almost by a miracle from the grave, and
preserved a little longer to l aid us by bis
eaunsels and prayers, is still almost beyond
the hope of final recovery; (though we re
joice to say, that for some weeks brother
Richards has been gaining beyond all ex
pectation ;) and on both the others the hand
of disease has been laid 100 insidiously, and
we fear too firmly, soon to be removed.
Brother Poor is still feeble; and brother
Meigs, though better than when we last
wrote, is now gone to Colurabo for his
health.
There is another view of the mission,
which we must all say allects us ver}’ deep
ly; and that is, the embarrassed state of our
funds. Tbs subject was fully stated In the
last publick letter; and wt*confidently ex
pect, if that is duly received, that the means
of relieving our embarrassments are already
on the way. Still, as it is a subject, which
presses upon ns, we beg leave to bring it
up again ; and not oftly to stale our wants,”
but suggest some methods, which appear
* Some of our readers may need to be informed
tliHt reference i litre made to the Uev. I'd ward
Warren, who dit-d in the exercise of triumphant
faith, at the Cape of Good Rope, Aug. 11, 1818.
Price, \ |^r r ’ n ’ or ’l
7 ( $3,00 m advance.)
to us practicable, for having them more
regularly and permanently supplied. Not
that we are particularly anxious about our
personal support, though for that our eyes
must be directed to the churches, which
have sent us forth,) for we do not doubt
the promise, that our bread and water shall
tie sure; but we are anxious, and deeply so,
for the prosperity of our mission—anxious
lest, after having left our own country and
our fathers’ houses, the object of this sacri
fice should be lost, either wholly or iri part,
for want of efficient patronage. If money
is the nerve of war, it is equally indispensa
ble to all extensive missionary operations.
Nothing can be done without money ; and
it is essential, almost to the existence of a
mission, that supplies be seasonable and reg
ular. We do not say this from any doubt,
whether tbe Committe think with us on tl is
subject; but because they cannot weii feel
as those do, who, in a strange land, are de
pendent on a distant counjry for support
a support, the supplies for which a thou.-r :id
circumstances may retard or prevent.
\\ ere a man confined to a barren rock in the
ocean, and visited every month by a single
boat with water and provisions, he would
not iniiik-it enough to have the arrival of
this boat set for the very day when, with
every care, all his former stock must be ex
pended, lest some storm should then delay
or destroy, lor once, this only source of his
subsistence. We must say it is not enough
for us to expect a remittance, just in sea- n
to save the w heels of the mission from fif
ing entirely stopped, aiier every exertion
ha? been made, and many perplexing expe
dients adopted, to. keep up a sinking
credit*
If the means are net in the hands of the
Committee, we ask, will noisome White
held arise to plead with (he churches—to
show them—we do not say our necessities—
hut the necessities of the heathen ; to place
before them at least one picture, the chil
dren rescued for a time, by their charity,
from ignorance, idolatry and wretchedness,
and taught just enough to show them the
evils of their former condition, now cast
back into u the habitations of cruelty” from
which they were taken, as though they
were fostered for a moment only, that they
might be more susceptible of misery. It is
true that no one has yet been dismissed for
want of support; but we have been obliged
to shut our doors against many a poor child,
who has come again and again to ask that
charity which we dared not grant.
The station, which we have concluded to
fit up, is Oodooville. It has a large popu
lation ; and is about five miles from JafT
napatam, six from Batticotfa, and four from
Tillipaily. The house and church, both
built ofbrick and somewhat spacious, bear
very strongly the marks of time; nothing
remaining of the former, except the walls,
and these,are gone at one end. The
church is less injured, hut both have been
long deserted. For half a century, proba
bly, the intruding banyan has taken root in
many a crevice unnoticed, and gradually
destroyed this monument of nominal Chris
tianity. The house was once the resi
dence of a Franciscan friar. The expense
of putting it into a proper state of repair
would be very considerable ; but we shall,
for the present, only make it habitable.
In connexion with the boarding school*,
we have only to add a request, that if the
names of boys to be supported r.t Bombay
are tranferred to these stations, very par
ticular directions -may be given us on (he
subject, and money snt out accordingly ;
and a caution, that it be not thofigiit by tii£
Christian publirk at home, from what we.
have said on this subject,’ that we need
funds for this object of charity, more than
for the general purposes of the mission.
On the contrary, it is a method of doing
good, which*, though exceedingly interest
ing, is necessarily in some degree limited
It must, at least, be proportioned to the ex
tent of other operations. If hoys ere to he
supported in mission families, missionaries
* Tlie missionaries were called to a trial of their
faith, for several months subsequently to the date
ot this letter, by the delay of expected remittan
ces: a delay occasioned in part by the want of
convenient opportunities to send money, and in
part by the straitened resources of the treasury.
I'he Committee have recently learned, that the
ship in which Mr. Garrett sailed, and in which
money was remitted for half a year’s salary, arri
ved at Madras on the 4th of Anguft. . This arri
val was a great relief doubtless, both to the mis
sionaries at Ceylon, and to those at Bombay;
but the money must have been i B great part ex
pended before it arrived ; that is, tlie missionaries
Ul,b . been compelled to borrow money to a
considerable amount. Another remittance of a
quarter s salary has since been made ; but this
‘.i not save the mission’ from a recurrence of tl
embarrassment. By the first opportunity, and
one wiil probably be offered in a few weeks’ an
other remittance must be sent, adequate to the
wants of the missions, if the resources of the Treas
ury will permit. But the friends of these missions
amto the Board* ought to he distinctly informed,
that tlie funds now on hand are quite insufficient
to meet tne expected calls of‘he different missions ;
<nu. Kit in:less the donations art* speedily increas
ed, alt the missionaries must experience viiy dis -
Iressing embarrassments—and the committee
must be left in astute of great perplexity and anx
it-iy so know it* what manner they, as agents and
instruments, are to fulfil (he engagements into
v. nieh tue Christian pnhiick hag entered with the
missionaries— engagements to which great multi
tudes of professed Christians have been parties,
and which have been made and repeated jjj the
most solemn manner.
