The missionary. (Mt. Zion, Hancock County, Ga.) 1819-182?, December 10, 1821, Image 1
No. 27. Vol. 111. EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY JYATHAN S. S. BEMAN £ CO. Toe Terms of “The Missionary” are Three (Dollars a year if paid in advance, or within sixty from the time of subscribing; or Three Dol lars anli Fifty Cents at the end of the year. Mo Subscription will be received for a short kr,Yime than one year, and no paper discontinued [until all arrearages are paid. Advertisements will be inserted, by the square, at 62 1-2 cents for the first insertion ; and for every subsequent insertion 43 3-4 cents. Those who furnish standing advertisements for the year, shall be entitled to a deduction of one quarter of the amount from the above rates. All Communications aud Letters relating to the Office, will be directed to N. S. S. Bernan & Cos. and whether enclosing money ot not, must come POST PAID: Should any neglect to do this they will be charged with the postage. Printing for Publick Officers and others will ■be done on the most liberal terms. AGENTS FOR'THIS PAPER. AUGUSTA, J. & H. Ely. J.Bynom.Esq.PM.ColurnbiaC.H. pREENESBOROUGH, A. H. Scott. fIPARTA, Cypriau Wilcox. |R WINTON, Wilkinson Th. Sherrer, Esq. PM. HARTFORD, Pulaski,G.B. Gardiner Esq.FM. fOWELTON, S. Duggar, Esq. P M. CLINTON, Jones Cos. J. W. Carrington. SAVANNAH, S. C. & J. Schenck. F.ATONTON, C. Pendleton, Esq. P M. ALFORD'S P.O. Greene, C. Alford, Esq. PM. ABBEVILLE, ( S. C.) Rev. H. Reid. SANDOVER, Abbeville, S. C Maj. U. Hill. MARION, Twiggs, S. Williams, Esq. PM. ; JEFFERSON, Jackson, Rev. E. Pharr. \ LIBERTY-HALL, Morgan, C. Allen, Esq. I WATKINSVILLE, Clark . H. W. Scovell, Esq. P. M. RICEBORO', Liberty, Wm. Baker, Esq. TM. IGRANTSVILLE, Greene, Samuel Finley. I PENDLETON, S.C. Joseph Grisham, Esq. PM. I DANIELS FILLE, Madison, J.l.ong, Esq. PM. lERVINSVILLE,1 ERVINSVILLE, Rutherford, N. C. Rev. Hutrh Quin. LATHE MS, Clarke, B. B. Peck. ytADISON, -Morgan, Milos Nesbit. IT, INCOLNTON,Lincoln, Peter Lamar,Esq. PM. mPARTANBURGH, S.C. J.Brannon,Esq. PM. W/ULLEOGEVILLE, Leonard Perkins. mU.BERTON, George Inskeep, Esq. P M. WiUBLIN , Laurens, W. B. Coleman, Esq. P M. m.OUISVILLE, Jeff'n, John Bostwick,Esq.PM. MALLORYSVILLE, Wilkes , Asa Hearing, Esq. P M. MVAYNESBORO', Samuel Sturges, Esq. P M. W.AURENS, S. C. Archibald Young, Esq. VYRIGHTSBOHO', Q. L. C. Franklin, Esq. IMONTICELLO, Greene D. Brantley, Esq.P M. KARNESVILLE, Henry Freeman, Esq. P. M. I \SALEM, Clark, Raleigh Green, Esq. P. M. From the * Friend of Man.’ MANNERS OF SCOTLAND. The eloquence of George Whitfield, wa ■always well adapted lo his auditory, and ■varied much in original feeling, a? well as mental power; yet his words were as the ■arrow of a skilful archer, the arrow drawn ■o the head and sent home to the mark. ■One great faculty of his mind, consisted in •eizmg the interesting events of the passing ■noinent —catching the manners living as ■hey rose before him and embodying them ■n his discourses, so that every vital feeling ■hnuid rally round the truth, which he de ligned to inculcate, and impress them on he bgp&rt with eloquence of soul. When George Whitfield first visited idinburgh, he was cordially received by miltitudes of people. At that time an exe utinn took place. Perhaps not disposed o interfere with ministers under whose are the criminal was, or to intrude on lero in a land where he felt himself yet a ■ ranger, he only indulged his curiosity to see the manners of the people by mixing in the crowd. But his appearance drew the eyes of many on him, and gave rise to al most as many opinion®, and, perhaps as va rious as the imaginations of a number of individuals were likely to generate. The lext day he preached to a large body of lersons in a field near the city. We may udge of the crowds attending his first ser ious at Edinburgh, when in London, where e was known, ten, twenty and thirty thous id persons would often attend hi preach g—at five o’clock in the morning. On the subject of the execution he ad ressed hi Edinburgh audience, nearly as Hows: ‘ I know,’ said he, ‘ that many of in will find it difficult to reconcile mv ap earance yesterday, with my character; any of you, I know will sav that my time ould have been better employed in pray g for the unhappy man. than in attending im to the fatal tree, and that perhaps cu osjty was (he only cause that converted e into a spectator on the occasion ; but lose who ascribe that uncharitable motive •e under a mistake.—l witnessed the con ict of almost every one present, on that :casion with which I was highly pleased, lid indeed it has left on my mind a very ivourable impression of the Scottish na on. Your sympathy was visible on your juntenances, and reflected the greatest •edit on your hearts ; particularly when le moment arrived that your unhappy fel iw creature was to close his eyes on this odd forever, you, as if all with one im ulse, turned your heads aside and wept. ‘hese tears were precious, and will be pld in remembrance.—How different |ben the Saviour of mankind was extend ion the cross. The Jews, instead of rmpathiskig, triumphed in bis sorrows, [hey reviled him with bitter expressions, Stb words even more bitter than the gall id vinegar which they handed him to THE MISSIONARY. drink: not one of all that witnessed his pains turned the head aside, even in the last pang ! yes, there wa9 one—That glori ous luminary, (pointing to the sun) veiled his-bright face & sailed on in ten-fold night!” Well may such an apostle be held in ven erated remembrance. The beauty of the scene, every eye suffused in tears, eve ry face veiled in sorrow; the apt contrast between the feelings of men under the in fluence of Christianity, and those who cru cified its author, with the sublime recol lection, “yes there was one,” as if new light had beamed on his memory ; all bring him to the mind’s eye as a great man with consecrated talents and devoted zeal, ef fectually impressing powerful truths on the susceptible heart, as absent yet present, as one that being dead yet speaketh. This transaction took place many years past. In 1811, the author of this article was in Edinburgh. Two young men were then sentenced to death for murder. The Eng lish law has the motto —“ cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground.” It orders exe cution within twenty-four hours after the sentence is passed. The Scotch laws have imbibed more of a gospel spirit. The criminal, after sentence is allowed six weeks, for repentance. On the day of ex ecution, the author had been at Leith, and on walking back to the city, a distance of two miles, met multitudes of persons re turning in crowds, from the speotacle. The strong muscular figure of many, evi dently in humble condition of life, bespoke, as far as simple shape and features could indicate, bodies of iron and hearts of steel; but they walked in solemn pace, a9 if they had just been attending to the grave the last remains of a near relation. They were silent as well as solemn, and many an hardy counlenance evidently shewed the channels and traces of tears. The effect of thi9 unexpected meeting, left a lasting impression on the mind—for the execution took place in Edinburgh, and in walking from Leith, to which the crowds were re turning, the writer had a full view of al most every person’s countenance, and saw almost every face had recently been swel led with tears, and the feelings of his heart then responded to the sentiment of Whit field, in giving him a very high opinion of the Scotch nation, for those (ears were preciou®, and will be held in remembrance. The clergy and magistrates entered into consideration of what could have been the cause to originate an increase of crimes where they expected from past experience to hear as little of murder as of canihalism. The criminals were found to be in a state of ignorance, which was another prodigy among well educated Scotsmen. They discovered that their population in Edin burgh had so increased beyond their regu lar education, that jguorance was making inroads upon their character and laying waste their morals, and they resolved as a corrective of the evil—to establish Lao casteriar. schools—and the principal of their university, and Lord provost of the city, with the most eminent of their clergy and laity became active in promoting the measure. REV. WM. WARD. The following letter, from the Rev. W. Ward, who recently visited the United States, full of ar dour and enthusiasm to establish Christian semi naries of learning in Hindostan, may be perused with interest, on account of its local allusions.— The charitable spirit which it breathes, and the liberality of the national opinions of Mr. Ward, will conciliate those who disagree with him in point of faith. B. Ev. Gas. To the Rev. George Barclay, Rilwinning , Scotland. London, April 24, 1821. “ My dear Brother. —l went to America to be edified by its religious character and institutions, and not as an economist, or pol itician : you will not expect, therefore, from me, any thing which has relation to these subjects. Yet 1 may observe, once for all, that the roads,the culture, the style of build ing, the vehicles, the extent of every kind of improvement; these come short of the same things in England. And who ought to wonder at this, when the age of the two countries i9 considered ? The winters in America are long and severe, and the sum mers hot. On the seaboard the variable ness of the climate is very great, and pul monary cases are very numerous and fatal. Yet, still it remains true, that most of the deficiencies and faults of America are the deficiencies and faults of youth. After visi ting the States ofNew-York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, &c. and the cities of N. York, Boston, Philadel phia. and Baltimore, I was quite amazed at the progress of society in the U. States; these colleges, these courts of justice, these scienlifick and benevolent institutions, the extent of country cultivated, these state governments, this army, this navy, this powerful general government! Why, my dear brother, when 1 considered that the other day this whole continent was a forest, the exclusive abode of half naked savages, and wild beasts, all this scenery appeared before me absolutely as the effect of en chantment. I may here give you impres sions made on my mind in passing through GO YE INTO ALL THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE.— Jesus Christ. MOUNT ZION, (HANCOCK CO. GA.) MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1821. the State of Connecticut, and of which I made a memorandum at the time ; “That country must be a happy one, in which the poor can obtain a respectable education for their children for nothing: where each man of good character, without regard to his sect, can become a legislator; where provisions are exceedingly cheap; where, except in particular towns, taxes are few; where there are no tythes, nor the galled feelings arising from the unwise elevation of one part of the people, oo a religious ac count, over the other part, and where the people (as I had just seen them in Boston) meet in convention to amend the constitu tion of the State, with the same good hu mour as men go to the annual meeting of the Humane Society in London. I saw several Baptist Ministers in the above con vention, as well as among the legislators of the State of Maine. This may suffice for these subjects. “ Many places of worship in America, among different denominations, have wood en steeples ; which, however, when paint ed, look nearly as well as stone. Among the Presbyterians and Congregationalists, the vestry, or session house, is a separate, and sometimes a distinct building; the small vestries, a9 in England, opening into the chapel, where the minister can retire, and see bis friends and deacons, are very rare in these states. The minister goes at once into the pulpit, and pulls off his great coat or cloak, and throws it over the side of the pulpit. In the winter a pan of coals in a box is ready for him to set his feet upon. The services are conducted nearly the same as in England—but I was very sorry to observe that our custom of lining out the hymn as sung, scarcely exists; and that singing, in many cases, was profanely aban doned to the choir, as though praise, at any rate, might be done by proxy ; or, as tho’ the object of Christian worship was partial to such and such tunes which the congre gation could not acquire. How any person can blame cathedral worship as popish, and admire these exhibitions in the front galle ry, I know not—Notes entreating the pray ers of the congregation for the sick, &c. are in many places sent up into the pulpit; and, directed by these notes, the ministers visit the sick during the week. The read ing of the Holy Scriptures does not com monly, I regret to say it, make a part of the services of the sanctuary. Dr. Watts generally supplies the forms of praise to the American people. I have seen selec tions, the greater part, however, the com positions of Watts, by Dr. Dwight, Dr. Liv ingston, Dr. Worcester, and Mr. Winchell. American editions of Dr. Rippon’s selection are not uncommon. The reading of their prevails, I apprehend to a consid erable degree among the congregational ministers if not among others also. The services are, in many places, concluded in the evening at least, with a doxology, the congregation standing. Blacks are mem bers of the churches of the whites; and sit down to the Lord’s table with the whites wherever I travelled. “ Elders, as the scripture name of minis ters, is much used in some parts. Black cloaks are generally worn by the ministers in the New England States; and I saw several ministers wearing queues. “ The number of religious institutions in America exceeds, if possible, those of Eng land. Bible, Missionary, Tract, and Sun day School Societies, are very numerous. The American Bible Society is a noble in stitution, doing great good. The Orphan Asylum at New York has been favoured with such remarkable instances of the Di vine care, as to remind one very strongly of the institution of Professor Frank in Ger many. The Deaf and Dumb Asylum, at Hartford, Connecticut, under the care of the Rev. Dr. Gallaudet, prospers exceed ingly. I spent a few hours at the Asylum, enjoying a flow of feelings so sacred and so refined, that I can never lose the recollec tions of this visit. Regular prayer meet ings confined to females, held at each oth er’s houses, are very common in America, “ But there are some institutions existing in America, which I have not heard of in other countries : At Boston, and in other places, a missionary for the town and neigh bourhood is maintained and employed ; his work is to carry the gospel to the poor; to preach in cellars, in garrets, and amongst those who, by their poverty, peculiar cir cumstances, or their disinclination, are ex cluded from the publick means of grace. 1 met two or three of these interesting mis sionaries. Societies of ladies exist for as sisting poor Christian students by purchas ing cloths and making them clothes. Other ladies are united to work together ODe day in a week, fortnight or month, devoting the produce of their sewing, &c. to some good object. One of the party reads for the ed ification of the rest. Societies of girls, and separate ones for boys, are numerous; these have meetings, and devote a quarter, or a half, or a whole dollar a year each, to some Christian object. In the church un der the care of the Rev. Mr. Payson, of Portland, a number of married females have associated, under a solemn engage ment, that the survivers will, as much as possible, seek the spiritual good of the chil dren from whom any mother in this associ ation may he removed by death. “ The different denominations in this country come together in delightful harmo ny, and co-operate, without being obstruct ed by those impediments which exist in oth er countries. The Sunday School Union, in New York, exhibits a noble specimen of true Christian feeling; and the Union flour ishes accordingly. In short, I found more places of worship in the large towns in America, than in sim ilar towns in Britain, and much genuine pi ety among the Presbyterians, the Congre gationalists, the Evangelical Episcopalians, the Methodists and the Baptists, and as far as my journeying extended, I observed a cheering exhibition of Christian progress As in England, all denominations of real Christians are increasing; and are all grow ing better. The revivals in different sec tions of the Union, are greater than ever. I have made special inquiry into the nature of these revivals, and find, that the far greater portion of those who commence a religious profession, under these impres sions, continue till death to adorn the doc trine of Divine influence. Christian mis sions, too, begin to be more popular, and the duty of the church to identify them, as an integral part of its institutions, begins to he more generally felt and acknowledged in this highly favoured country. What a cheering sight it was to see, on (he 9th of last month, coach and wagon loads of mis sionaries coming into Princeton, on their way to the Indians; ‘the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them.’ And how still more astonishing that these Indians should be willing to devote to the education of their children all the dollars paid them by annual instalments, for lands, by the government of the United States. “ Blessed be God ! the appearances in all Christian countries indicate, that w§ are rapidly passing into anew order of things. Indeed, all the great events of our own times seem but the harbinger of his ap pearance, who is the desire of all nations.” NOVEL READING. From the Washington Theological Repertory. Os all the seductive amusements of the age, few present to the youthful mind attractions which it is less capable of resisting, and few are in their tendency more perverting to the principles, or more corrupting to the heart, than popular Nov el reading. We are aware what sophistry has been employed, and what deep self deception practised in order to conceal this tendency, and excuse the pernicious indulgence. Gladly would we before have exposed the insidious danger ; but this is a subject on which conviction is too often overpowered hy the force of habit or of a prurient curiosity, to result in the correction of the prac tice. We venture, however, to reiterate the ap peal on the subject, to our youthful readers in particular, in the following Extract from a late anonymous writer, whose production, under the title of“ No Fiction,” has acquired a large and deserved share of the publick favour. The pas sage copied i9 a part of a letter from the circum spect and pious Douglass, to his relapsing friend Le Fevre, whose perilous fall commenced in the very indulgence here so justly characterized. “ My very dear Friend, “ You wish that I would give the ques tion of the tendency of Novel reading some particular attention. This I will cheerful ly do. Never was it a burden to me, to meet the request of my fripnd. “ Perhaps I ought to preface my remarks by stating, that I by no means object to a tale, or fictitious narrative, as such. Those who do, appear to me to carry their objec tions too far; and, by extending, invariably weaken them. Such objections would ope rate, not merely against some of our best prose writings, but equally against the com positions of our finest poets; yel, surely, if there are those who would forbid our perusal of the prose fictions of Johnson, De Foe, and St. Pierre, there are none who would interdict the poems of Cowper, Montgomery, Scott, and Milton. More over, I apprehend that such indiscriminate censure would affect even the scriptures themselves ; for I know not what we can call the parabolical parts, except it be, truth under the veil of fiction. Indeed, we seem so constituted, as to receive in struction through this medium, with pecu liar delight; for every nation, whether re fined or barbarous, serious or gay, has abounded with fictitious combinations, from the engagements of life and the forms of nature, to illustrate moral truth. “ While, however, so much should be conceded, let it be observed, that it is a eoncesiion, rather to what is possible , than to what is fact. I can conceive of a taie being so constructed, as to illustrate and enforce the highest lessons of virtue and religion ; but at the same time, it must be confessed, that the body of existing novels is directed to very different objects. There have, indeed, recently been writers, who have laudably endeavoured to wrest this powerful engine from the enemy, and em ploy it on the side of truth and goodness ; but their number is far too few to redeem the character of this species of composition. They deserve our gratitude, and will, of course, be an exception from the following objections:— “ First , then, I object to a course of nov el reading, as it produces an undue excitement on the mind. The design of the novel writ er is to interest and inflame the passions ; and this design is generally accomplished, by giving that position to incidents and Price, \ pr. ann. or, 7 ( $3,00 m advance. > characters, which shall fill the imagina tion, and excite the deepest feeling! of the heart. This excitation, from being pleas ing, becomes necessary; the appetite grows with the gratification ; till, at length the novel reader requires his tale, as the drunkard does his polion. “The evils of this excitement must be apparent. Where it is indulged, the relish for sober pleasures and rational pursuits, is lost; —the understanding and the judg ment are enslaved to an inflated imagina tion ; and ennui, the inseparable compan ion of violent emotion, sheds its destructive mildew on all the soul. The habitual nov el reader feeds on essences and liquors, rather than on a temperate and wholesome diet. “ And, if the observation is to he applied to youth, the case is aggravated. In youth, the fancy wants restraint, and the under standing, cultivation; a course of novel reading, at this period (hen, must be as per ilous as the administration of stimulants, where there is every symptom of fever! ” Secondly, I object to general novel read ing, because it gives false impressions and views-of life. Although it is the boast of the novelist, that he 1 draws from life,’ I will venture to say, his descriptions are no more a fair sample of life, than the gardens ofltaly are a fair specimen of the world, or the portraits in Somerset House a fair representation of our species. It is rather a selection from life, than a delineation of it; and, though the copy should be cor rect, (he impression will be erroneous. There is too much bustle, and surprise, and agitation ; the heart m9t thrill with fear and hope, through every page of the story ; while the days, the months, the years of real life, which pn99 away in regular duty and quiet happiness, receive neither de scription nor encomium. “ But it frequently happens that the exhibitions of life, partial as they are, are unjust. Characters are drawn with a mon strous compound of vice and virtue. Pas sions are described with necessary conse quences, which are by no means conse quent. Trifles are raised into importance; events not likely to occur in a lifetime, are made essential to life ; and others, common to humanity, and which frequently bring with them little pain or pleasure, cannot be realized without sinking into an abyss of endless misery, or rising to a paradise of everlasting joy. “ But, thirdly , my principal objection to novel reading is, its immoral tendency. This charge, though a most serious one, is,. I fear, to be applied to nearly all the books which pass under the name of novel. In making this assertion, however, I am taking the New Testament as the standard of morality; and by this standard, although there will be no comparison in the shades of guilt, few wili escape, condemnation. What are we to say of works which fritter away the distinction® between right and wrong; and deceive the unwary into the paths of vice, by surroundiug them with the waymarks of virtue ? What are we to say of works, which treat with contempt those admirable qualities, industry, frugali ty, and prudence; while they squander their praises on extravagance, carelessness, and folly? What are we to say of works, which alienate the heart from domestick and retired duties—which convert every quiet home into a prison-house—and make the best of parents appear either rediculous or tyrannical? What are we to say of works, which are polluted by luscious de scriptions of sensual pleasures, lascivious innuendos, and infidel bon-mois ; and which almost uniformly, make love a passion wholly irresistible ? What are we to say to works which justify emulation, pride, vanity, revenge, ambition, and hatred ? Os works which, in some cases, become apologists of drunkenness, fornication, adul tery, gambling, duelling, swearing, lying, and suicide ? “ To a person ignorant of the subject, it would be thought that this is an aggravated statement ; but (as you perhaps know) so far from being such, it may be substantiated without a reference to those works, which are denounced as scandalous. I firmly be lieve that this representation may be justi fied by the writings of Swift, Smollet, Sterne, and Fielding alone ; and yet their works are the “ standard of novels,” and their names are in highest reputation with the world ! It is no atonement for these writers, that they occasionally throw out some good mor al sentiments—that they satirize certain vi ces which are unfashionable ; and that they sometimes make the catastrophe speak on the side of virtue. When one vice is con demned to patronize another; when a mo ral maxim is pinned on to a licentious pic ture ; when a fable is composed of intrigue and wickedness, terminates in a cold allu sion to virtue ; —virtue and morality are only scandalized and betrayed—they are only made a slight covering to the pitfalls of vice ! “ Nor is it any apology that these writers draw from life. This has been urged in their favour, with a tone of great assump tion ; but as Dr. Johnson has well observ ed, there are characters and scenes in life that ought never to be drawn. What is un necessary-and improper for us to see, or