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non TH* METHODIST MAOABINR. PROGRESS OF RELIGION IN ALABAMA. By information received from Ref. Thomas Griffin, presiding elder of Alabama district, it appears that the work of reform ation is progressing in that wilderness part of oor country. It is certainly cause of exultation to witness the growing prosperi ty of the Redeemer’s kingdom, in our new ly settled states and territories. While the hardy emigrants are felling the trees of the forest, and opening the bosom of the earth for the reception of seed, the heralds of salvation are itinerating through their scat tered settlements, breaking up the fallow ground of their hearts, and sowing the seeds of eternal life. May they witness a plentiful harvest! The writer observes, that at a Camp- Meeting held on the 6th of July last, on “ Pearl-river, a few miles from Monticello, the congregation was large and attentive, many were awakened to a sense of their need of Christ, and five or six, gave evi dence of a change of heart. “On the 20th we held another meeting on the river Chickasawhay, about fifty miles from the town of Mobile, where we have a large, flourishing society. There were two travelling and four local preachers, and one Presbyterian minister at this meet ing. On Friday and Saturday, the Lord favoured us with a solemn sense of His presence. Sinners were struck with awe, and stood with respectful silence, while be lievers rejoiced in God their Saviour. On Sabbath we administered the Lord’s Sup per. All were solemu as night. The word of God was heard with great attention and, I believe much good was done. About ten professed justifying grace. “On the 27th of July we held another meeting, about thirty miles from St. Ste phen’s, near the Tom-Beckbee and Alaba ma rivets. Though the principal part of the people were irreligious, yet they be haved with great order and decorum, and five or six professed to be converted. ** On the 2nd of August we commenced a Camp-Meeting on the banks of the Ala bama river, thirty miles below the town of Cahawba, the seat of government for this state. From the paucity of the inhabit ants, and the affliction many were suffering from the prevailing fever, there were not many that attended this meeting. Some disorder was witnessed; but He that com manded the boisterous winds to be still, appeared in our behalf, and. before the ex ercises closed, some were brought, as we have reason to believe, to the knowledge of the truth. “ August 10th, another meeting began thirty miles above Cabawba, on the bank of the above-mentioned river. A numer ous concourse of people attended, and much good was done. On Tuesday morning, I requested all who had obtained an evidence of their conversion to God, to come forward to the altar, when thirty-seven presented themselves. The two last meetings were held in a forest, and the Indians were fish- j ing in the river, while we were preaching j and praying; the bears were ravaging the I corn-fields, and the wolf and tygers were howling and screaming in the very woods in the neighbourhood of our meeting. “ These accounts may seem unimportant 1 to those who are accustomed to more name-'! rous congregations, and who have the priv- j ilege of assembling in convenient bouses; but to us, who are struggling with many difficulties in this newly settled country, it ‘ is highly gratifying, and fills us with a plea- ’ sing hope of yet seeing the desert blossom as ‘■ the rose.” From the Christian Spectator. UNHAPPY INSTANCE OF CONFORM ITY TO THE WORLD. tWe are assured Irom tlie most respectable au- | thority . that the following account i strictly true :] M. wit’ a brilliant character. Her per son was attractive, and her mind and heart were capable of receiving; and retaining the most refined sentiments of polite educa tion. She possessed the advantages and all the qualities necessary to find accept ance, and hold an important place in the society in which she moved. Pleasure and admiration attended wherever she went. At the age of twenty, her heart was im pressed with the truths of religion, and she soon afforded clear and decisive evidence of a work of grace. She turned from lying vanities to the pursuit of heavenly wisdom, and for a time, found great joy and peace in believing. Unhappily, however, she be gan to feel that the world was too good to lose. It held out flattering propects, and worldly people wished for her society. She resolved to be a Christian, but she also resolved not always to appear such.—She would go with the world to the extent of what she deemed Christian liberty, but would be the more careful to maintain piety in the closet. We hardly need assert that the comfort ofM. gradually declined. She wished to make a pnhlick profession of faith, but she wished for better evidence of her piety, and wondered where was the blessedness of which she once spake. At the end of two years, an affecting event led her to consider more attentively her true situation, an! ‘he was humbled in the dust to per ceive where she had been, and what she h*d been doing. She seemed to herself to have received the grace of God ip vain, to have abused his mercy and grieved his Ho ly Spirit; but she determined again to re turn unto the Lord. With purpose of heart to new obedience, she confessed Christ be fore men, again found tranquillity, and walked as ajchild of the light and of the day. Her heart glowed with love, and she seemed to be taking op the cross and fol lowing Christ. She found ready accept ance with the pious, her powers found bet ter and higher employment, and she prom ised fairer nttaingients than others in a pure and holy life. £ut her besetting sin, though quitted, was not subdued. It be came clamorous for indulgence, and she would yield a little end little, to induce its quietness. She became efraid of differing too widely in opinion, habits and pursuits, from those with whom she associated. She would not go to the full extent of worldly pleasure, but she would show com placency in it. She was naturally cheer ful, animated, intelligent, and she now con tributed by her conversation a full share of pleasure and instruction in the social circle. She wished to maintain her influence, im agining that thereby she might win some to the cause of truth, not aware that instead of recommending her religion , she was only recommending herself; and that it was the absence of piety which gained her success. She was vainly striving to unite the irrecon cilable interests of eaith and heaven, not willing to lose the one ; and determined to keep her hold npon the other; not consid ering that the world is the stronger party, and the kind hearted reformer is more likely to become conformed to the world, than the world to be allured to embrace religion. We followed her through a se ries of experiments and trying conflicts, till her health began to decline, chiefly from the pressure of mental exertion, which her delicate frame could not sustain. Those who honour God, he will hononr. We saw her fast declining, and greatly fear ed her sun would set in darkness. No one doubted her piety, but she bad not suffered it to shine, and it continued clouded in her own mind. The solemn hour of death seemed doubly solemn. She feared to ap pear before her God, ami she felt, at times, as much distress as she could possibly endure. She was awakened to see clearly that conformity to the world bad been the bane of her peace, and had well nigh prov ed her ruin.—She had intervals of light through the valley, which had else been of intolerable darkness, and we saw her, as we doubt not, sleep in Jesus, though bare ly sustained by the hope that her sins might be forgiven her. C. L. —- From the Christian Register. SOCRATES AND ST. PAUL. Mr. Editor —Professor Everett, in bis admirable Lecture on Athens, delivered 26tb Sept.(to aid in the erection of a building for the reception of the Panorama of Athens, presented to Harvard University by Mr. Lyman) described Areopagus or Mars Hill. He said this eminence was now about fifteen feet high; that on it was formerly held the Court of Areopagites, which had cogni zance of offences committed against the gods; that for this reason St. Paul was car ried before this tribunal. He said there was a platform on the brow of the hill, whereon the Judges sat, in the open air, the audience being on the ground below. He took occasion to say that Bishop Sher lock had finely contrasted the appearance of Socrates and St. Paul at that court of ju dicature, when arraigned for the same of fence, showing the superiority of the apos ! tie over the philosopher. I send you the extract so pertinently referred to. It is found in Vol. I. Discourse 4, cf Thomas Sherlock, D. D. Lord Bishop of London. The text is 1 Cor. i. 21— k For, after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the fool ishness of preaching to save them that be live.’ * We have an account of the speculative opinions of many of the wise men of Greece preserved to us in authors of great credit; but of their practice and personal behaviour in fife, little is said; which makes it hard to judge how far their own practice and conduct was influenced by their opinions, or how consistent they were in pursuing the consequences of their own doctrines. The case might have been the same with Soc rates, had not a very particular circum stance put him under a necessity of explain ing his conduct and practice with respect to the religion of his country. He had talked so freely of the heathen deities, and the ridiculous stories told of tbem,_that he fell under a suspicion of despising the gods of his country, and of teaching the youth of Athens to despise their altars and their worship. Upoo this occasion he is sum moned before the great court of the Are opagites ; and happily the apology he made for himself is preserved to us by two of the ablest of his scholars, and the best writers of antiquity, Plato and Xenophon ; and from both their accounts it appears, that Socrates maintained and asserted before his Judges, that he worshipped the gods of his country, and that he sacrificed in pri vate and in publick upon the allowed altars, and according to the rites and customs of the city. After this publick confession, so authentically reported by two 90 able hands, there can be no doubt of his case. He was an idolater, and had not, by his knowledge and ability in reasoning,, delivered himself from the practice of the superstition of his couutry. You see how far the wisdom of the world could go : give me leave to show you what the foolishness of preaching could do in the very same case. ‘St. Paul was in the same case : he was accused in the same city of Athens of the same crime, that he was a setter forth of strange Gods; and before the same great court of Areopagites be made his apology, which is likewise preserved to us by St. Luke in the seventeenth chapter of the Acts. We have then the greatest and the ablest among the wise men of Greece, and an apostle of Christ, in the same circum stances. You have heard the philosopher’s defence, that he worshipped the gods of his country, and as his country worshipped them. Hear now the apostle: ‘Ye men of Athens,’ says he, ‘ I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious: for, as I passed by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription—TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom there fore ye -ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you: God Jhat made the world an£ all things therein—this God,’ he tells them, •it not worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needeth any thing. Nor was the Godhead like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.’ He then calls upon them in the name of this great God, to repeat of their supersti tion and idolatry, which God would no long er bear; ‘ because be hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in right eousness, by that man whom he hath or dained ; whereof “he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.’ ’ Which of these two, now, was a preach er of true religion? Let those who value human reason at the highest rate deter mine the point. JEREMY TAYLOR— bishop of down. This eloquent prelate, from the fertility of his mind, and the extent of his imagina tion, Iras been styled the Shakspeare of Divines. His sermons abound with some of the most brilliant passages, and embrace such a variety of matter and such a mass of knowledge aud learning, that even the acute Bishop Warburton said of him, ‘1 can fathom the understandings of most men, yet I am not certain that 1 can always fath om the understanding of Jeremy Taylor.’ His comparison between a married and sin gle life, in his sermoD on the Blessedness of the Married, is rich in tender sentiments, and exquisitely elegant imagery. * Mar riage,’ says the Bishop, * is the mother of the world, and preserves kingdoms, and fills cities, churches, and even heaveD itself. Celibacy, like the fly in the heart of an ap ple, dwells in a perpetual sweetness ; but sits alone, and is confined, and dies iu sin gularity ; but marriage, like the useful bee, builds a bouse and gathers sweetness from every flower, and labours and unites into societies and republicks; and sends out col onics and fills the world with delicacies; and obeys their kiug, keeps order, and ex ercises many virtues and promotes the in terest of mankind; and is that state of things to which God hath designed the present constitution of the world. Marriage hath in it the labour of love and the delicacies of friendship; the blessings of society, and the union of hands and hearts. It hath in it less of beauty, but more of safety, than a single life ; it is more merry and more sad; it is fuller of joys and fuller of sorrow ; it lies under more burdens, but is supported by alt the strength of love and charity; and these burdens are delightful.’ On the Longevity of the Antediluvians. The only attempt which deserves notice to account for this extraordinary longevity, on philosophick principles, is the follow ing :—lt has been proved that the atmos paere in which we live consists of only one fourth part of pure, or oxygen air; all the rest is deemed noxious, and called azotic, i. e. unfit for the purposes of life. Now, it is known that only the pure part of the air is attracted by the blood, as it passes through the lungs, and contributes to the support of animal life ; but it may be reas onably supposed, that when the creation of the world was fresh and recent, the atmos phere contained a much greater portion of the pure and vital air, and that exemption from diseases, and longevity would be the natural consequences. After the flood, the mephitick exhalations arising from the stagnant waters, from putrid animals and vegetables, would of course corrupt the atmosphere, diseases fff various kinds would be generated, and a speedier dissolution would inevitably follow. It must be re marked also, that when once the great mass of atmospherick air was contamina ted, it would be perpetuated by the constant act of respiration, in every creature that is furnished with lungs. “ If it be objected to this, that Noah liv ed nine hundred and fifty years, and that some of the descendants ofShem, lived till they were upwards of five hundred years old, it should be remembered that the stamina of both was formed before *the flood ; and that it was most likely, that the decrement of human life would be gradual, not 9udden, which we find to be agreeable to fact ; but in the course of about 500 years, it was reduced nearly to the period that it is at present, for Mo9es says of Abra ham, that he died in a good old age ; an old man and full of years, when he was but an hundred and seventy-five years old.” [ Hew let's Commentary. From the Religious Remembrancer. Extract of a letter to the Editor, from a cor respondent in North Carolina , dated Oct. 14, 1821. In Hillsborough the work is still progres sing. The mercy drops are still descend ing ; and I trust the church there is arising from the dust and putting on her beautiful garments of praise and salvatioD. “ O mag nify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.” Let your prayers be co tinually offered that the hopes of the pious may not be disappointed; but that, as a plant of the Lord’s right band planting, this . branch of the spiritual Zion, refreshed by that stream which makes glad the city of our God, may extend its healing influence, and many contrite souls sit under its shadow with great delight. The Spirit of the Lord is still resting powerfully on the congregations at Eno and Hawfields. Last Sabbath was their Sacra mental Sabbath at the latter. I hope soon to hear some of the particulars.” — *>:o:o: A committee of the Episcopal Conven tion of Virginia, recommend the establish ment of a Theological School at Williams burg, to be connected with the college in that place, which has generously offered gratuitously to all bona fide theological stu dents, a course of lectures for the support of such school. The same committee re commended that a correspondency should be entered into with the standing commit tee of the Diocess of Maryland and North Carolina, to ascertain whether the mem bers of the church iu those states are dis posed to co-operate with them in this mea sure. This seems like an interference with the Theological Seminary at New Haven, established by the General Convention, and is much disapproved by the editors of the Episcopal Magazine. No inter ference is inteuded, however—the ob ject is rather to retain among themselves those young men who may be disposed to devote themselves to the sacred office of the ministry, and avoid the danger of that extended acquaintance which might lead to their ultimate location out of the bounds of the Diocess, where their services are sup posed to be nowhere else so much wanted- B. Recorder. GERMAN REFORMED CHURCH. At the meeting of the General Synod of this church, at Hagerstown, (Md.) in Sept. 1820, returns were received from 389 con gregations. The whole number of congre gations of this denomination in the United States is about 500, and the number of min isters not more than 90. In some cases one clergyman has charge of as maoy as 12 churches. About 250 of the congregations are in Pennsylvania, more than 50 in Ohio, and others in Maryland, Virginia, the Caro linas, Kentucky and Tennessee. Service is generally performed in the German lan guage, except in a few of the larger towns, where English aud German are used alter nately. The sentiments of this church are conformable to the Heidleberg Catechism and the sentiments of Zuinglius. The Sy nod passed a resolution to iound a Theolo gical Seminary at Fredericktown (Md.) of which the Rev. Mr. Milledoller, ofNew- York has been chosen the Principal. The students are to be taught the usual branch es of Theology, and Stapfer’s work, in 12 volumes, is to be the leading text book. The sands of the institution are respecta ble ; and several clergymen have obligated themselves to collect annually a certain sum for ten years, which will increase its resources. The inhabitants of Frederick town have become responsible for $12,000. <S. Ev. Intel. DIGNIFIED SENTIMENTS. The address of Governour M’Minn, to the le gislature of Tennessee, on the 17th ult. closes in a strain of dignified piety and gratitude,worthy of all praise. We cannot resist the pleasure of ex tracting the concluding part.—— Mom. Chron. “ The term of service to which the kind partialities of my fellow citizens has called me, will now be measured in a few days, and with it may be closed for ever my po litical connexions with the world. Very few of those who with me entered the publick vineyard nearly half a century ago, are still toiling in the service of the state. I recognize amongst you however, many with whom I have long been connected by the tenderest recollections, and the kindest sympathies of the heart; and many by whose friendly aid and countenance 1 have been enabled to bear my feeble part in the common duties of the day. For all the im perfections of my political errours and i short comings, I have ever experienced the i tenderest charity at the hands of a gener ous publick, towards whom my best servi- 1 ces were but a poor requital for multiplied evidences of their confidence and good will.• I have witnessed the march of our country’s! freedom from the manacles of lawless pow er ; 1 have witnessed the progress of refine ment in this, the home of our choice and centre of our affections; from the domin ion of savage cruelty to the most perfect enjoyment of all the comforts of civilized life. I have participated in the means by which all these blessings were achieved, and the measure of my earthly prospects is nearly filled. Many of us must, in the course of a very few fleeting years at most, be called to reckon the profit we have made of the talent we received, and happy will be the end of that servant who may have known and done his master’s will. The ligaments by which we are bound to the world are yielding to the silent influ ence of every moment’s flight, and the ob jects by which we were once delighted will be seen and known no more. “ Let it then be our emulation, under the special direction of that divine intelligence, to whose beneficeace and bounty we refer the enjoyment of every good and perfect gift, to grow in the works of tenderness, forbearance, charity and benevolence, one to another. Let us endeavour to be good citizens, good neighbours, good brothers & good friends; ever recollecting that perfect goodness is one of the highest attributes of diviuity itself.” (Q® We are authorized to state that James Thomas is a candidate for the office of Sheriff of this county at the ensuing election. May 30. (t2r We are authorized to announce Richard Sims, Esq. as a Candidate for Tax Collector of this County, at the ensuing election. Aug. 98. 1821. 03“ We are authorized to announce Lawson Bulloch, Esq. as a Candidate for Tax Receiver, for Hancock County, at the approach ing election. Sept. 1. 93® We are authorized to an nounce John W. Scott as a candidate for Sher iff of Hancock County at the appro&cliilig elec tion. May 30. Commission Warehouse, AUGUSTA. THE subscribers haying put their WARE HOUSES in complete repair, offer their services ip the above line, and will be thankful for any business entrusted to them. They will keep at their warehouse a constant supply of Salt, Iron, Sugar, Coffee and other Groceries, aud Cot ton Bagging. MACKENZIE If PONCE. Augusta, Ist o<;t. JB2l. 8w THE MISSIONARY. MOUNT ZION, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19. The Sjnod of South Carolina and Georgia con vened at Washington, Wilkes County, on Wed nesday the 7th of the present month, and closed the stated annual sessions on Friday evening, the 10th. A larger number of the clergy attended than has ever before been together at this Synod. During pars of the session, there were present twenty-three ordained ministers, several licen tiates, and one Presiding Elder of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Many circumstances con spired to render this meeting more interesting than any which has for a long time been held in this section of the country. In addition to the ordinary business of Synod, no inconsiderable in terest was excited by the concerns of the Mission ary Society connected with this body, and whose annual meeting is fixed at the time and place of the Synod. At twelve o’clock, on Wednesday, the Synod, was opened with a sermon by the Rev. Francis Cummins, D. D. the last moderator, from John xiv. 12: “Verily, verily, 1 say unto you, he that believeth en me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because Igo unto the Father.” After sermon, the Synod was immediately constituted by pray er, and the Rev. George Reid elected Modera tor, and N. S. S. Beman Temporary Clerk. The principal business transacted before adjournment was the appointment of a Committee of Bills and Overtures, and Committees to review the Records of the several Presbyteries constituting the Synod. In order to accommodate the Missionary Society , the Synod adjourned after the business of the day was closed, to meet again at 4 o’clock on Thurs day evening. The Committee appointed for that purpose, reported several overtures relating prin cipally to the government of the Church, whicVi were taken up and discussed, and upon which decisions were made during the Sessions. The Rules for the government and direction of Judi catories recently recommended by the General Assembly, were unanimously adopted. These regulations are well calculated to promote order and expedition in business, and embrace the gen eral principles of parliamentary form, established in the best organized deliberative assemblies. Two questions of some importance were referred to the Synod by the Church of Indiantown South Carolina one respecting the nature and extent of that dimplus4*whicb ought to be exercised to wards mere baptised members of the Church, and the other respecting the right of slaves to marry again who have been involuntarily and forever separated from their wives by the acts of their masters. On the first reference, the Synod ex pressed a unanimous opinion, that a Church Ses sion cannot consistently go farther, in the exer cise of discipline, than to advise and admonish en offending baptised member of the Church. On the second , which respected the cases of two black men (slaves) who had married again after an involuntary and inevitable separation from their wives, it was the opinion of the Synod, that this act does not furnish a sufficient ground for excluding them from the privileges of the Church. The most important business of Synod was transacted on Friday. In view of the present state of vital religion among us it was voted to set apart Saturday afternoon for supplication for the influences of the Spirit upon the Synod, and the special blessing of God upon their labours du ring the session { —and the Saturday before the first Sabbath in February next was appointed as a day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer through out the bounds of this Synod. Considerable alteration has taken place in the organization of the Presbyteries belonging to the Synod of S. Carolina and Georgia. On a petition of the Presbytery of Harmony, all the members of that body residing in the State of Georgia,we\{e set off from that Presbytery, and, with the addi tion of the Rev. N. S. S. Beman formerly attached to the Hopewell Presbytery, were erected into a new Presbytery to be known by the name of The Presbytery of Georgia. This Synod now embraces within its bounds five Presbyteries— South Carolina, and Harmony in the State of South Carolina, Hopewell and Georgia in the State of Georgia, and Alabama in the State of Alabama. These five Presbyteries consist of about 48 ordained ministers, and have under their care seven or tight licentiates and nearly the same number of candidates. Many congregations are vacant, and rarely enjoy the preaching of the word and the ordinances of the Gospel. The unfinished business of the last stated ses sions of Synod, in relation to the endowment of a Professorship in the Theological Seminary at Princeton under the care of the General Assem-i bly, was, this day, called up and discussed by the” Synod. The amount necessary for this purpose and which was assumed by the Synod at the last annual meeting, is $15,000 dollars. In view of an equitable distribution of this amount among the several Presbyteries, it was ordered, that each Presbytery make report to the Synod at the next annual meeting, and continue to do so at each successive meeting, till this business be fully ad justed, and the whole sum secured. A communication was received from the Agent and Trustees of the Presbyterian Church in New Orleans, and Messrs. Beman and Davis were ap pointed a Committee to address a letter to that Church expressive of the views and feelings of this Synod, on the subject to which their communica tion relates. These papers, containing an affect ing picture of the state of religion and morals iu that part of our country, and making, at the same time, an appeal to the charity of the Christian publick, will be presented to the readers of The Missionary, and, we hope, will meet with that consideration which they richly merit. We trust i the ear of mercy will not be deaf nor the hand I that can be liberal,withhold relief. Tha business of the Missionary Society, which was conducted during the recess and adjourn ments of the Synod, was prosecuted with much Christian zeal. This Society has been in exis tence tvvo years, and begins to excite considers-