Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

No. 30. Voi„ lit EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY NATHAN S. S. BEMAN £ CO. The Terms of “The Missionary” are Three Dollars a year if paid in advance, or within sixty days from the time of subscribing; or Three Dol lars and Fifty Cents at the end of the year. No Subscription will be received for a short er time than one year, and no papei discontinued until all arrearages are paid. Advertisements will be inserted, by the •quare, at 62 1-2 cents for the first insertion ; and for every subsequent insertion 43 3-4 cents. iThose who furnish standing advertisements for ithe year, shall be entitled to a deduction of one quarter of the amount from the abeve rates. All Communications aud Letters relating to the Office, will be directed to N. S. S. Beman & Cos. and whether enclosing money or not, must tome 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 FOK'THIS PAPER. AUGUSTA, J. & H. F.ly. COfjUMBIA, J.By nom flsq.PM.ColumbiaC.H. GREF.NESBOROUGH, A. H. Scott. SPARTA, Cvprian Wilcox. JR ti'LNTON Wilkinson Th. Sherrer, Esq. PM. HARTFORD, Pulaj4t,G.B. Gardiner Esq. PM. POWELTON, S. nuggar, Esq. T M. CLINTON, Jones Cos. J. W. Carrington. SAVANNAH, S. C.& J. Scheiick. EATONTG X, C. Pendleton, Esq. P M. AEFO RD'S P.O. Greene, C. Alford, Esq. TM. JjJBREVILLE, (S. C.) Itev. TL Reid. yDOPER, Abbeville, S. C Maj. U. Hill. MARION, Twiggs, S. Williams, Esq. P M. JSFFERSOX, Jackson, Rev. E. Pharr. LIBE RTY HALL, Morgan, C. Allen, Esq. WATKLNSVILL \, Clark. H. VV. Scovell. Esq. P. M. RICE BORO', Liberty, Wm. Baker, Esq. Y M. G RANTSVfLLE, Greene, Samuel Finley. PENDLETON, S.C. Joseph Grisham, Esq. PM. DANJELSVILLE, Madison, J.l.ong, Esq. PM ER FINS FILL E, Rutherford. N. C. Rev. Hugh Quin. ATHENS, Clarke, B. B. Peck. LINGO LXTCjX, Lincoln. Veter Lamar,Esq. PM. SPARTI A BURGH, S.C. J.Brannon,Esq. PM. Ml LLEDGBVILLE, Leonard Perkins. ELBERTON. George Inskeep, Esq. P M. DUBLIN Laurens, VV. B. Coleman, Esq. P JVT. LOUISVILLE. J ff'n, John Bostwick,Esq.PM. MALLORYSVILLE, Wilkes, Asa Hearing, Esq. P M. WAYNESBORO', Samuel Stnrges, Esq. P M LAURENS, S. C. Archibald Voting, Esq. WRIGHTSBO AO', Q. L. C. Franklin, Esq. MONTICr- LLO, Greene H. Brantley, F.sq P VI. CARNESVILLE, Henry Freeman, F.sq. P. M. SALEM, Clark, Raleigh Green, Esq. P. M. FOR THE MISSIONARY. MY MINISTER. Messrs. Printers, 1 moved into this up-coirntry some two or three years ago, and united with a respec table church,concerning the pastor of which I beg leave to give you some information, and ask you a few questions. He is turned sixty, and has been preaching nearly half his life. The Lord has blessed his labours in an eminent degree, and made him the moans of salvation to many souls ; but though he is my minister, and I have every reason to believe a pious, godly man—yet I will tell you I fear he has become spiritual ly proud. Can this be the case with a man of God ? With what are termed the doc tfc ines of The Reformation, he is thoroughly acquainted and defends them with no small share of ing-nnity amiability. He makes, however, some queer exordiums to his ser mons, such as a relation of his feelings when riding to meeting, what he has thought be fore now of certain subjects in the abstract, what would have become of man had be not sinned, &c.’; but he generally gives us wholesome truth® in a plain, unvarnished style, though sometimes a vulgar expres sion escapes his lips. Thi®, howevpr, is easily overlooked in one of his age, and is indeed sufficiently atoned for in the zeal he displays, and rich doctrines he communi cates. On the ivbolp, I am pleased with his discourses, though now and then a remark does grate on the ejr of re finement, for I am a plain blunt man myself apd tell our grandees that they will he more .profited by him, than by those frothy de claimcrs who have nothing but their lungs and their impudence to recommend them. You know a wise man would willingly bear the goadings of a few thorns, where fruit was plentiful, rather than, for fear of them, get nothing but leaves for climbing. I get your excellent paper—l see the ac counts of the revivals in our own country ; of the progress of light in the dark corners of the earth*—of the zeal of all denomina tions of Christians in sending the Bible to the ignorant, the out-cast and destitute, and of the many schemes of benevolence now laid and advancing wittvsrfch signal rapidity, and it warms my heart—it is like cold water to a thirsty soul. Before 1 became ac quainted with my Minister's views on these ‘subjects, l had mentioned my gladness at Rearing that some of the Sandwich Islands THE MISSIONARY. had cast away their idol gods; that two missionaries had been sent to Jadea, and one had already set his feet on the prom ised land—that eleven Gurmans had pro fessed Jesus Christ, &c. &c.—and that this had been effected through the instrumen tality of Missionaries ; hut, Messrs. Printers, instead of rejoicing with me at such soul cheering news, he seemed agitated, turned pale, and was silent 1 Had it not been for my loquacity, I should have left him igno rant of the true cause of his apparent sad ness. 1 supposed at firet., his mind, from the sketch 1 had given him, had so grasped the miseries of the heathen, and was so la bouring with the load, that his tongue re fused to do its office; but oh ! how was I mistaken, how did my heart ache, when I had broken the silence by observing, “ you must rejoice to see the spirit now exhibited for missionary exertions,” and I received for answer, “ the missionary business is all a matter of speculation.” fie made other remarks of the same purport, but for the honour of Christianity I will not permit the eye of infidelity to see them. Isitpossible that prejudice can so chill a breast which has been once warmed with a Saviour’s love, that it has no pulsations for the salvation of the heathen ? Is that Christianity genuine, which looks no further than the bounds of the neighbourhood which gave ns birth 1 — Or does the benevolence of Christ which embraced a world, teach us to pray and la bour for every description of people ? It any good object is proposed at our monthly conferences or in our social circles, say, for instance, the formation of Mite So cieties for Missionary and Education pur poses, he invariably repeats the fable of the cat and rat—“ It may he meal,” &c.— One of our members had been down to Augusta, and attended the Sabbath School there, and the monthly concert for prayer. He bad seen the proficiency in Scriptural knowledge made by the pupils in the form er, and had caught a little of the fervour of spirit exhibited in the latter, and on his re turn made bold to mention it—the old gen tleman exclaimed, “ What shall we come to when such a passion for new things gets hold of the people—our children will be came head-christians, and religion will be unknown among us.” He so far possesses the affections and confidence of the church, that not a member will knowingly offend him. Should any one propose an innova tion, though it be ever so small, he would be denounced as heterodox,and expelledthe church. 1 do not object to influence in a good man ; no, who so fit to sway the ojjjn ions of a people as men of righteousness ? 1 protest against Popes, and every attempt to lord it over God’s heritage, for I find no superiour orders in my Bible. Though a preacher may claim no pre-eminence as a man, yet his office entitles him to a kind of authority or influence in the church. He is to “ feed Ikeflock, of God.” Now 1 learn ed bv reading an Essay on the office of the Ministry, that the word here rendered feed, is used in relation to a shepherd, leading, controling his flock : So the minister his brethren, not arbitrarily, but gently. Rut what I regret is, that he does not exercise hi? authority for the grpnter good of thp cause of religion. The people are wealthy and some of them ready to communicate of their substance for the purpose of forward ing the great objects in which so many Christians are engaged—hut they are afraid to incur his displeasure—they are so jaun diced by an inveterate prejudice against missions, that they cannot see the deplora ble condition of the heathen world. 1 fre quently take my paper to their housps, read to them, press them to become subscribers, but no—we have our Bible. When a minister of a different stamp comes along and preaches in our meeting house, we are all quite punctual to attend. But when he has warmed our feelings by his comfortable truths and persuasive man ner, and wound us up almost to a pitch of enthusiasm, should he happen to mention to encourage us, the promise, “ l-willgive the heathen &c. and that this is becoming ac complished by the exertions of Missionaries, , some of us in a twinkle are cold as lumps of ice in Nova Zembla ; others abe gaping and i nestling on their seats; others are fa- 1 tigued with silting all at once ; others’hor- j ses are loose, and must be seen to, &c. &c. t But let me ask you, Messrs Printers, though 1 GO YE INTO ALL THE WORLD AND PREACH THE wOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE.— Jusus Christ. MOUNT ZION, (HANCOCK CO. GA.) MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1821. I fear I may weary you with my silly ques tions—is that true zeal for religion which evaporates whenever a bare mention is made of the Father’s promise to his Son is meeting its accomplishment in ithe very way and by the very means whith he has used in every age to convert men. Without thinking, I oue day read your ac count in his hearing of the Theological Seminary at Andover. He fetched a deep sigh, with “Ah ! what will become of the uext generation ? I once knew a young fop,” continued he, “by the name of W ~ whose father sent him to study divinity on purpose to make him a clergyman. Well, he appeared quite moral because it concern ed him to be so—he was ordaiued, and for a while all thought he would be useful ; but it turned out just as I prophesied. His heart had netfer been changed, and 1 told them that he was not called of God—he soon be came profligate, and is now a poor wretch. I would not send a son to such a place for the world. He apostatised, and so may others.” W ,an unregenerate young man, entered a seminary with a heart des perately wicked, and when he could not conceal his dissimulation any longer, he de serts his profession, and gives a loose to those appetites which he had before curb ed for mercenary purposes : ergo , all pious young men, called of God to the ministry, because they have shared the advantages of a Theological education will follow his footsteps. I will thank you, Messrs. Print ers, if have Duncan or Watts by you, to see whether this reasoning is logical or not —if not, I beg you would detect and ex pose its fallacy, that plain, unlearned peo ple like myself, may not be deceived by its specious claims. Indeed, gentlemen, I could not convince my minister, that students be fore admittance to Theological Seminaries, must be regular members of some church, and in the Baptist denomination thev must be Licentiates : but his notions are differ ent, and he “ is wiser in his own conceit, than seven men who can render a reason .” A respectable young man of talents and acquirements had nearly engaged himself to teach our school, while my minister was absent from the neighbourhood. When he returned he was quite pleased with the candidate—he was a young man of piety and stability, and possessed every qualifica tion to instruct our children, not only in the various branches of science, but also in re ligious knowledge. There was but one ob jection made to him, and that was, it was thought it would take our children so long to understand a learned man, that neighbour B would be preferable. They say he knows enough to teach them, and is sure to bring them forward mighty fast. I never knew before that real learning was the eruise of men’s speaking unintelligibly.—l had charged the many big words and wise expressions to conceited knowledge. But so it is. Now instead of an accomplished, pious instructer for our neighbourhood,who would have corrected the many erroneous ideas and habits which children have imbib ed from ignorant and vicious teachers, we have engaged Mr. B , who not unfre quent ly uses foul language in school, and sometimes carries his bottle there ; who also condescends to play games with his pupils, and to hunt and fish with them on the Sabbath ! How can we expect any thing better when we yield our offspring to the control, and permit them to see the copies of such Instructers t If your patience is not quite gone,Messrs. Printers, indulge me while I beseech you to advise me what I ought to do to change our notions on certain subjects. A constant reader of your paper, Richard Orderly. AMERICAN EDUCATION SOCIETY. Extracts from the sixth Report presented Octo bei, 1821. [Abridged for the Southern Evan. Intelligencer.'] Though the directors have cause for much gratitude to God for the posperity that has attended the discharge of their arduous duties, they have found their way obstructed by disheartening difficulties. While the number of beneficiaries was rap- i idly increasing, they beheld, with painful i apprehensions, a great diminution in the 1 receipts of the treasury. The prospect ! that the claims on the Board would continue | to increase beyond its resources, suggested j the obvious necessity, either of rejecting a i part of the young men, or of requiring all to refund a portion of wbat they receive, to he applied when refunded, to the aid of others equally necessitous and deserving with themselves. It was accordingly adopted as a general rule, that each beneficiary, in making ap plication for the continued aid of the society, shall transmit to the treasurer a promissory note for one half the sum of the appropri ation, which he had last received from the funds. This note is to become due within one year after the beneficiary shall have entered on his professional labours; aud if not paid by the jend of that year, to be thenceforward oa interest. If any benefi ciary, however, chooses not to obligate himself in this manner, he may notwith standing, receive one half the usual appro priation. At the succeeding quarterly meeting, the treas urer reported that the whole amount of money in his hands for current use, was only $1,446. As the only alternative therefore, the directors, after serious deliberation, made a reduction of twenty five per cent, below what had been usually grant ed them ; still the excess of appropriation beyond the amount in hand, was $2,408, with a reliance upon the generous co-operation of Christians, as in a similar previous case. The directors notice the succeeding exertions which were made to re plenish the treasury in the following manner. In the mean time, they made efforts of no ordinary kind to increase the funds of the society. They spread their want 9be fore the publick, in the hope and belief, that they would not be compelled, for want of means, to abandon any of those who are training up for the ministry under their care. To every one ofthem, the directors consider themselves as standing in a very sacred and endearing relation. And it has never been without pain, that they have found themselves obliged to leave any one ofthem to pursue his studies in circum stances of embarrassment or anxiety. But notwithstanding all the exertions that were made, it appeared, at the quaterlv meeting of the Board, in April, that the receipts of the preceding quarter fell far below what was necessary to make even the scanty appropriations, that were made in January. Still hoping and believing that an enlight ened Christian community would not suffer an institution of such vital importance to the interests of the church, to languish and die for want of that support which may be afforded with so little sacrifice and self-de nial, the directors determined to divide the amount of their funds, for present use, among the whole number of beneficiaries. In doing this, they indulge the hope, that the relatives and friends of those young men, whose necessities were urgent, hut could not be relieved by the funds of the society, would be excited to make larger contributions and greater exertions for their relief. It was also believed, that many of the beneficiaries might make a saving of expense, by the practice of a still stricter economy. The disclosure of these embarrassing and discouraging circumstances to the publick; the appeals made and repeated to the.hearts of the benevolent; and the other efforts which the exigency of the case demanded, had so far the desired effect, that at the quarterly meeting in July, the funds for the present use were sufficient to meet the exis ting demands; not, however, upon the scale that guided the appropriation® of former years, hut upon a scale somewhat above the point of depression, which had been made the ratio of the preceding grants. A number of tracts (the report states,) have been published to promote the objects of the so ciety and augment its funds. The amount re ceived into the treasury from September 30, 1820, to September 30, 1821, amounted to $13,108 97. Os this, SSOO are a bequest; $1660 from life members; $684 from annual subscribers ; and $667 54 interest of productive funds. The balance were donations. The society consists of about 425 members, of which 197 are life-mem bers ; 40 of them added last year, 26 by the liber ality of females ; 133 of the 197 were made life members from the same source of benevolence. The number of beneficiaries aided by Hie socie ty is 321 since its first establishment in 1815; and the number now depending on it about 250. The report then notices the benevolence of auxil iary societies. The Norfolk Auxiliary society within the five years of its existence has paid into the treasury $4,579 31. The Young Men’s auxiliary society of Boston, in two years ha 9 added $1,000; the Female Aux iliary Education Society of Salem has contributed, in five years, $695 03 ; the Female Auxiliary Society of Boston, in three years, contributed sl,l 19 32; and the Graham Society of Boston, have aided 42 beneficiaries with articles of cloth ing to the amount Os $626 27. The profits on the sale of treatise on education ha* yielded to the society $350. Os the 51 auxiliary societies, 31 are composed of females. % If, then, the Christian ministry is of vast importance to the salvation of men, and the want of preachers is great and increasing must not those who are convinced of these facts, allow to the claims of this society, a magnitude inferiour to the claims of no oth er institution ? Os the former of these facts, it must be taken for granted, that every man who believes in the necessity of the Gospel, believes in the necessity that the Gospel should be preached. And as to the latter fact, the great and increasing want of preachers, the evidence has been too dili gently sought, too ably and fully exhibited, too often repeated, and too widely spread Pnce,* *3,50 Pr. RM>. or,) 7 # $3,00 in advance. ) in our land, to leave a doubt in the mind of any enlightened Christian. But the evidence already overwhelming, is daily increasing. The Macedonian cry from every part of the country, waxes louder and louder, send us missionaries, . send us pastors. The following appalling facts are drawn from the most authentick sources. In the state of Maine are 127 towns, ma ny of them extensive and populous, that are destitute of Congregational, Presbyteri an and Episcopalian ministers. In 1813, in two counties of New-Hampshire, were 45 destitute towns. In Vermont, 84 towns have no minister, of any denomination, and 139 have no Congregational, Presbyterian, or Episcopalian minister. There are 53 congregations in Massachu setts, and 35 in Connecticut, and 332 in S. Carolina. Id the Presbyterian connexion in the United States are 451 vacant church es, and in the Baptist connexion 1000. All Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, apd the Michigan Territory, are destitute of regularly educa ted ministers, except so far as 16 car. sup ply a population of 300,000, scattered over a territory almost three times as large as New-England. A table, made with great cat-', from in formation obtained from gentlemen in civil office from almost all the counties in Virgin ia, furnish the following melancholy re? suits: In that ancient and opulent state, there are not as many Baptist ministers, in proportion to the population, as in Connec ticut. 46 counties have no Presbyterian minister. 62 counties have no Episcopali an minister. The whole Slate has not one Congregational minister. 46 coontips, con taining a population of more than 300,000, have neither a Presbyterian or Episcopali an minister. The State contains 974.000 inhabitants, and but 92 Presbyterian and Episcopalian ministers, leaving upwards of , 882,000 souls destitute of such ministers. In 1810 the population of the United States was 7,223,903. By the official re port of the Secretary of (fie treasury, it appears our population increases 34 per cent, in 10 years. The census of 1820, gives a population of almost 10,000,000. On this ratio of increase, in 50 years, there will be about 45,000,000; enough to give all the territory within the limits of the States belonging to the Union, a population as dense as that of Connecticut. To sup ply this population as well as Connecticut is supplied, would require 45.000 ministers. But in the last 70 years, the number of ministers was a little more than doubled. If we allow that the number will double in the next 50 years, there will then be but 6,000, not as many as are wanted at this moment. War, famine and pestilence, mav retard the rapid growth of our nation. But from the immense extent of our territory, the fertility of our soil, the salubrity of our climate, and the enterprising character cf our citizens, we may fairly calculate, that the increase of our population will not be checked for a hundred years. On this sup position, our country would then contain 177,000,000 of souls, a number nearly equal to the population of Europe, and yet if spread over our whole territory, between the Atlantic!* and Pacifick oceans would be less dense than the present population of Massachusetts. The prospect is grand. But bow is it darkened by the moral deso lation, that will overspread this vast em pire, unless stayed by Omnipotence, thro’ the agency of Christians: unless the friends of the Redeemer have more of his spirit; his zeal for his God, —his love to man, — his self-denial and perseverance in the mighty enterprise of saving a lost world. This enterprise must be achieved “ by the preaching of the Gospel;” and the com pany of preachers must be great. If moun tains of difficulty obstruct the way, they will sink before the power of faith. A stronger impulse must he given to the tone of feeling and action in the Christian com munity. The word and providence of God warrant the fullest confidence, that when the friends of Zion unite, with system and “energy, on Christian principles, (o apcom plish the purposes of divine grace, every mountain will be brought low, and every valley exalted; the crooked ways will be made straight, and the rough places smooth. To excite the fripnd* of this society to more systematick and vigorous action, the direc tors respectfully propose the following ways and means, fop increasing its funds. I. Let the churches become education societies. To Christian professors we ap peal with confidence. Those who enjoy the regular ministrations of the Gospel, and eppreciate their importance, will naturally care for the destitute. Those who have been washed in redeeming blood, and tast ed the sweetness of the liberty of Christ, will have bowels of compassion for the millions living without God, and dying in spiritual thraldom. Several chnrchps have given the exam ple. The churches in Hartford, Farmingt ton, Pittsfield, Lenox, Lop, Stockbridge, Goshen, Old South and Park-street, in Bos ton, in the Theological Seminary in Ando ver, the Presbyterian church in Newbury, port, and the churches in Beverly and Ports land, have in effect become education $r cieties, and support ?7 beqe^ciarjeff.