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About The missionary. (Mt. Zion, Hancock County, Ga.) 1819-182? | View Entire Issue (Jan. 14, 1822)
No. 32.— -Vol. 111. EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY NATHAN S. S. BEMAN <fr 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 fora short er time 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 lor 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 and Letters relating to the Offi.it, will be directed to N, S. S. Beman & Cos. and whether enclosing money or not, must come POST PAID: Should any neglect to do this they will he charged with the postage. Printing for Publick Officers and others will he done on the most liberal terms. AGENTS FOR THIS PAPER. AUGUSTA, J. & H. Ely. COLUMBIA, J.Bynom,Ssq.PM.ColumbiaC.H. GREENESBOROUGH, A. H. Scott. SPARTA, Cyprian Wilcox. /R WINTON, Wilkinson Th. Sherrer, Esq. PM. HARTFORD, PtHajfct,G.B.Gardiner Esq.PM. POWELTOS, S. Duggar, Esq. T M. CLINTON, Jones Cos. J. W. Carrington. SAVANNAH, S. C. & J. Schencli. EATONTON, C. Pendleton, Esq. P M. ALFORD'S P.O. Greene, C. Alford, Esq. PM. ABBEVILLE, (S. C .) Rev. 11. Reid. HANDOVER, Abbeville, S. C Maj. U. Hill. MARION, Twiggs, S. Williams, Esq. PM. JEFFERSON, Jackson, Rev. E. Pharr. LIBERTY-HALL, Morgan, C. Allen, Esq. TV A TKINS FILL E, Clark. H. W. Scovell, Esq. P. M. JIICEBORO', Liberty, Wm. Baker, Esq. P M. GrRANTSVILLE, Greene, Samuel Finley. PENDLETON, S.C. Joseph Grisham, Esq. PM. DANIELSVILLE,Madison, J.Long, Esq. I’M. ERVINSVILLE , Rutherford, N. C. Rev. Hugh Quin. ATHENS, Clarke, B. B. Peck. LlNCOLNTON,Lincoln.?eter Lamar,Esq. PM. SPARTANRURGH, S.C. J.Brannon,Esq. PM. MILLKDGEVILLE, Leonard Perkins. ELBERTON, George Inskeep, Esq. P JVt. DUBI'IN,. Laurens, W. B. Coleman, Esq. PM. LOUISVILLE,Jtff'n, John Bostwick,Esq.PM. MALLORYSVILLE, Wilkes, Asa Hearing, Eeq'. P M. WAYNESBORO', Samuel Sturges, Esq. P M- JjAURENS, S. C. Archibald Young, Esq. JV RIGHTS BORO', Q. L. C. Franklin, Esq. MONTICF.L LO, Greene D. Brantley, Esq.P M. CARNESVILLE , Henry Freeman, Esq. P. M. SALEM, Clark, Raleigh Green, Esq. P. M. MADISON, Morgan, William Bandy. OBJECTIONS TO THE AMERICAN EDUCATION SOCIETY CONSID ERED. ♦ Continued from <rur Paper of Dec. 31. FROM THE BOSTON RECORDER. Objection 2. — “ The money is often be stowed on those who do not need it.” So far as this objection may be true, it involves the moral character of the beneficiaries, and of the “ three serious and respectable men” whose “ unequivocal testimony” is required to their “real indigence.” It ought therefore never to be uttered lightly, nor to he admitted as a fact without serious in vestigation. If it be false, it is a slander to which no epithet of baseness can he impro perly applied ; if it be true, it is capable of demonstralion, and on every principle of equity might to be made to appear. The pecuniary circumstances of each beneficiary are known to the Directors as far as the above mentioned testimony may be relied upon; and they not only require such evi dence of indigence at the commencement of the beneficiaries’ literary course, but also n written statement every year, “of his necessities —of any change in his pecuniary circumstances —an accurate account of his necessary expenses, aud of any assistance that he may have obtained, or may have reason to expect from other sources.” Such a statement is indispensable to a con tinuance of charity. Now, either the Di rectors are in fault, or the beneficiary, if the objection be true. We believe neither to he in fault; and if we are mistaken, will he grateful to any individual to point out the instance, by which the objection may he sustained. If a young man applies for aid. who is possessed of one or two hundred dollars, is he to be refused for that circum stance ? He must expend it, and earn in some way much more, in order to complete his education, even though lie receive $75 or SIOO per ann. from the Education Socie . ty.’ The utmost that this Society proposes ’ to do for any young tnan, is to defray about ’ half his necessary expenses—leaving him to make up the deficiency by his own indus try, —the assistance of friends, &c. It ought not to be regarded an unpardonable sin in him to possess a little pittance, nor in the Board of Directors to encourage him by their proffered charity, to improve that pittance is qualifying himself for the Chris tian ministry. Bat in the ears of many, one or two hundred dollars sounds large, be cause it is more than they possess them selves; —they ought to remember, howev er, that with very rigid economy, a thousand dollars will scarcely suffice to complete an education at most of our Colleges.” Objection 3. —“ Money is often bestowed on those whose friends would support them if there were no Education Societies to do it.” Ills natural to inquire, how Ibis can be known ? What is the evidence, that a parent worth SSOOO, with a fiimily of ten children, would send a sqn to College, if THE MISSIONARY. he had no prospect of assistance from Edu cation Societies ? It may be presumed that such instances would occur, because they have occurred, and do still occur; but it is not easy to prove , that parents who are able to give their children a publick edu cation, would do it without being encourag ed to hope for aid. Are there not many rich parents, destitute of piety, who would rifcver advance a cent toward the education of a pious son for the Ministry, who have no respect for the office, and no complacen cy in the effects that are to flow from it. But if they will consent that their son be educated for the benefit of the church, and he possess “ promising talents,” ought not the churches to educate him? Will not their exertions for him probably result in incalculable good to the world ? Is the guilt of his parents to consign him to ob scurity and comparative uselessness ? If a youth has pious parents, able to help him, who yet refuse to do it, from mistaken views of duty to othpr members of their family, they are accountable to God, and we know’ not how they can stand excused at the bar of conscience, or of their final Judge, for taking from the sacred funds of the church, to enrich their family. We would not that our souls should be in their 9oul’s stead. Whether they think of it or not, they are in fact robbing others; they are taking from those poorer than them selves to save their own purse strings. This is ungenerous; it is cruel; it is wick ed ; and it is bad policy too—for that Pro vidence ot God which never sleeps, will infallibly take from them in one way or another, more than they thus take from the poor of the church. But we contend that the misconduct of parents, from whatever principle il proceeds, ought not to interrupt the flow of this sacred charity. In the first place, it is believed, that instances of such misconduct are very rare, and a few in stances of abused charily ought not to pre vent any min from being charitable; if others are infatuated and left to do wrong, it is no reason why wc should do wrong, and we cannot refuse to aid in the education of pious youth for the ministry.; according to our ability without doing wrong ; i. e. ad mitting that we are enlightened on the sub ject. In the 2d place—all the young men that are educated by the Society, are de voted to “ Christ an • the Church”—they are not educated for their own ease, emol ument or honour, but to endure hardships as good soldiers of Jesus Christ—to fight the battles of the Lord—to suffer weariness, puinfulness, watchings, fastings, &c.; they are to be set for the defence of Zion, for the protection of the saints, for the over throw of the enemies of that cause w hich is equally dear to every Christian ; for rear ing the standard of the Cross or the hills of idolatry; for bringing all nations to the obedience of the faith. This is a work to which every Christian i3 hound to contri bute, and to which he can contribute in no way more effectually, than by assisting in the education of pious youth, if those youth have no property of their own, they cannot educate themselves. If their pa rents are able and will not give them the needed assistance, it may reasonably be expected, that the property they hold in reversion for these charitably educated children, will ultimately flow into the treas ury of the Lord; for when such young men have given themselves, soul and body, to the service of Christ, it is but a small thing to give their property also. Objection 4.—“ Young men of talent 9 and zeal, do sometimes procure an educa tion without patrimony, and without publick or private charity; therefore others can do the same.” What will the objector reply to such reasoning as the following ; Washington, the most distinguished general that has ever commanded the armies of the United States, had no regular military education ; therefore, other young men may be as well qualified for command without military ed ucation, as he was. Again—Dr. Carey passed through no regular course of classic al study previous to going to Calcutta, hut has since acquired such knowledge of the Oriental languages, as to he made Professor in the College of Fort William, and to be come one of the most able translators of the Scriptures, therefore other young men may do the same, aud our Universities may he regarded as useless institutions. What some young men of talents can do, others, of equally valuable talents cannot do. We have known some youth who bad talents enough to obtain an education without the aid of friends or charftable institutions, who had no talent whatever to make that edu cation useful. We should be far from urg ing this as an argument against economy or industry, but it might be urged against those virtues with as much force as thp argument contained in the objection has, against educating pious youth for the min istry by charity. It is very certain that an education is not to be obtained without money, nor money to be obtained by miracles. Those yonth who have strength of constitution enough to pursue their studies successfully, and yet depend on their own resources for entire support, are few in number, and those who have the happy art of living above mean ness, and yet spending almost nothing, are GO YE INTO ALt THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE.— Jesus Christ. MOUNT ZION, (HANCOCK CO. GA.) MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 1822. fewer still. The talent of getting or saving money ist not to be despised; it is highly deserving of cultivation among ministers as well as others; but we have never regard ed it as a talent, characteristick of a very* strong mind, though sometimes found in connexion with such minds; nor as deci sively characteristick of a weak mind. As many men, destitute of “ talents and zeal,” do in fact obtain an education without the assistance of friends, as those that possess talents ; therefore it is no proof! of talents as the objection supposes, to pais through a regular course of education without charge to friends and pnhlick charities. But a young man who relies wholly on his own industry, must of necessity be often embarrassed—his mind must become dis tracted by the variety of his cares; and very peculiar energy t>r dulness atone, can prevent him from falling into a state of de pression extremely unfavourable to the prosecution of his main ohject. The loss of much lime is unavoidable. And if he can gain a given portion of knowledge in a given time, while much of his mental ener gy is wasted in devising “ ways and means” for his support, how much greater the por tion of knowledge be might gain in the same time, if his whole intellectual strength might be devoted to a single object. Though it may’ be proper and commen dable in some individuals to refuse the pat ronage of Education Societies when they have no other resources hut their own in genuity, it will not follow that the same course wrould be equally commendable in all. Many would become premature vic tims of the grave. Othets would sink into insignificance through the force of mere discouragement; and nearly all would find difficulties of magnitude enough to retard their progress materially. Desirable as it may be for the relief of publick charity', that indigent youth should support them selves in a course of education: it is a well ascertained fact, that they never will do it to such an extent as to supply the increas ing demands of the churches. On this point, we believe the experience of the past to be satisfactory evidence. They must be encouraged with the expectation ot charitable aid, or no inducement can pre vail on them to submit to the pecuniary burdens necessarily connected with a pub lick education. Nor is this reluctance an unreasonable one ; nor does it indicate any want of Christian zeal. It is rashness, or dinarily, in a young man to contract a debt of SIOOO or SISOO before he commences an active course, from which he may expect emolument, and especially when he has m view the ministry from which he can never derive but a bare competency for the ne cessary purposes of life. And in one shape or other, such a debt must be contracted by nearly every indigent young man, who en joys no patronage, ft is highly proper that every young man intending to devote himself to the ministry should be encourag ed to make the utmost efforts for himself that health and wished-for success will al low ; it is also necessary that he should possess a spirit of self-denial, and be ready to make sacrifices of inclination and interest to duty; and these are points to which the attention of the Directors has been abun dantly directed, as their “annual reports” and “circular letters” will show; but we can never admit that the piety or zeal of a youth ought to be called in question, from the circumstance thfct he is unwilling to plqnge into a labyrinth of difficulties, out of which he can see n if way of escape, when the whole Christian publick is as much bound to make provisions for the perpetu ity of the ministry as he is; as much bound to devote a portioniof their substance to his education as he is to devote the talents God has given him to the enlargement of the church. We have onfy to observe farther on this objection, that the Edecation society aids only such as apply for aid, and prove their need of it; of course young men are still at liberty to obtain an education, without laying themselves under unpleasant obliga gations to charity ; they are not urged to re ceive alms, nor considered disrespectful when they decline any encouragement that may be given them by the friends of the Society ; so that the existence and enlarge ment of the Society, need create no uneasi ness to those who fin) one young man in a hundred confident enongh in hit own resour ces, to avoid obligations which are gladly incurred by the remaining ninety-nine. Ojection 5.—“ Many who receive assis tance from the Society, are not benefitted by it, being rendered thereby less frugal.” It is an easy matter to bring forward alle gations of this sort. Their foundation is usually mere rumour. The testimony of those who have the beneficiaries under their care, flatly contradicts them. We have often heard stories, full marvellous enough for any gormandizer of fairy tales, or legends of witchery, respecting the prodigality of charity students; and those stories have been examined, the truth has been • found out, and the poor scholar who had a friend kind enough to loan him a horse and chaise for a journey that he could not have taken on foot, but at the hazard of his life—& another who wore a watch, the valuable remembrance of some absent but endeared friend—and another who ued a decent balfworn coat, that had been given him by an opulent relative, have all been acquitted, as having done thereby nothing worthy of death or of bonds ! That these young men are liable to im providence, there can be no doubt. That they do not always expend what they re ceive, in the most advantageous manner is highly probable. Eut older men sometimes mistake their true interest; and if a few, among 250 young men mistake theirs, does it prove the whole number, or even the few , to be prodigals?—But, as before ob served, all these young men are obliged ev ery year, to render their accounts to the Board—to state the whole of their receipts and expenditures in detail; if they are ex travagant therefore, the Board must be ac quainted with the fact: and in two or three solitary instances, when extravagance has been discovered, or even suspected, they have instantly suspended any further ap propriations. But it has hitherto been the happiness of the Board to find almost no just ground of complaint; on the other hand, they have had satisfactory evidence of a disposition among their beneficiaries, not only to avoid every species of extrava gance, but also “ the very appearance of the evil.” If there be any just ground howev er, for such a charge as the objection con tains against any individual or individuals, we venture to say that the Board will be grateful for information, and lose no time in their inquiries and decisions on the case. It must be remembered still, that surmise is not proof—and that common report is not a proper foundation for judgment. Let eve ry friend of Education Societies regard it as his duty to watch over the beneficiaries within the circle of his acquaintance—to give them counsel and reproof as they may need it—to instruct them in principles of economy, and iunpre99 them with their res ponsibilities to the church and to God, and it is presumed that more real service would be rendered to the cause of Charitable Ed ucation, than by all the complaints and in sinuations that have yet been uttered in publick or in private life. Objection 6. —“ Beneficiaries of such a magnificent Society acquire a sense of their own importance which has a pernicious moral influence.” To us, this objection is entirely new ; and if we furnish no satisfactory answer to it, in the haste with which we are drawing to a conclusion, it is believed that a little reflection on the part of Qur readers, will save us the trouble of answering it hereaf ter. What constitutes the magnificence of the Society we cannot divine. With scarcely any other funds than are supplied by the liberality of the publick, from year to year; unable to grant its beneficiaries more than 50 or 75 or 100 dollars per an um, and obliged to require their notes for half that sura—the epithet “ magnificent” is surely badly applied. It contemplates a great object, and extends its patronage ac cording to its means over the whole coun try, but its patronage is limited by princi ples of the strictest economy, and accompa nied by so many cautions and admonitions as to render it often irksome rather than pleasant to receive it. It has indeed a comprehensive name, and in the ears of an American a great name; hut it is difficult to conceive how this can exert “ a perni cious moral influence” on the minds of youth. The evil must lie either in the name or the thing ; and whichsoever it may be, the objection has equal weight when urged against any other valuable institution. Why are not the American Bible Society, and the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, chargeable with en couraging pride in the objects of their bounty, as well as the American Education Society ? Their funds are much larg er, their operations more extensive, and for ought we know, a Bible from the press in Sloat-lane may excite more pride in the bosom of the receiver than another from a pres 9in Comhill; or the Chocktaw In dian may be more liable to pride in consid eration of a Missionary being sent to him by a Society that is able to expend $50,000 a year, than the Osage, whose Missionary is not paid from so full a treasury. But we are not enough acquainted with a cer tain kind of metaphysics to discern the dan- ger. If we have occupied more space with the consideration of these objections than their importance deserves, we will trespass no further on the patience of our readers, by apologies. The solemnity and interest of the object pursued by the Education So ciety, require that no effort should he neg lected to remove popular objections, and inspire the publick with that confidence in its principles and operations which alone can insure its success. By a letter from the Rev. Ebenezer Brown, it appears there is a gracious revival of religion in Middlebury, Vermont. He says, “ The most hardened offenders came to the altar, seeking for giveness, and desiring an interest jn the prayers of God’s people. It was an awful timer I never witnessed so mighty a revelation of the power of God ; and yet the most perfect order prevailed, and all was solemn as the house of death ! Indeed order and solemnity characterize every meeting for the publick worship of God. About fifty have been added to our church since my resi dence here, oiw of which is the high sheriff of he county.” [Melkoditl Magazine. I Price J s 3 v so pr - **“• oT 'i ’ e ’ } $3,00 in advance. $ LIFE OF MELANCTHON. Philip Melancthon, one of the most dia tingdished instruments in the Reformation, was born at Bretten, in Saxony, on the 16th of February, 1497. His German name was Schwatzerd, a name signifying black earth. It was changed by Capania, his friend and patron, ioto Melancthon, a word formed from the Greek, having the same import with Schwatzerd. Hi 9 father and mother were both respectable. He was a celebra ted engineer, and well known by most of the prioces of his time. She was daughter of the Mayor of Bretten. His father dying, from having drank of a well whose waters had been poisoned, when Melancthon was only 11 years of age, the care of his edu cation was assumed by Reuther, his grand father on his mother’s side. He was instructed in the Latin language by John Hungarus, a superiour scholar and an able preacher of the gospel. In the academy at Phorhzeim he commenced the study of Greek, and soon furnished indica tions of a vigorous imagination, and an in satiable thirst for solid learning. At the age of twelve, he entered the University of Heidelberg, whose professors were, for the age in which they lived, men of high celebrity. Here he continued but three years, dispirited on account of the unhealth iness of the place, and of the obvious dis position of the professor*, to retard his claims to literary elevation, merely on ac count of his youth. entered at Tubin gen, in the dutchy of Wnrtemberg, and at the age of seventeen received his master's degree. Erasmus, was so impressed with his attainments, that, writing to a friend, he say3, “ l am persuaded Christ designs this youth to excel us all.” At the age of twenty, he delivered, an elegant oration on the liberal arts. Soon after he removed to the Witteinberg University, and was ap pointed to the Greek professorship. Here he became the instructer of Luther, and formed a friendship with this first of He>- fortners, which continued unviolated either by the temeriiv and decision of the one, or the cautiousness and moderation of the oth er. This intimacy was, in a high degree propitious to themselves and to the inter ests of the church of God. In the schools in Germany, Melancthen acquired such veneration that he was uni versally regarded as the reviver of letters. Almost every subject relating to philology or science was by him adduced from obscu rity, and illuminated with the radiance of native genius and unwearied research. Ilia writings, and especially’ his clasical lec tures, on which many hundreds would at tend at the same hour, created anew era in literature. His constitution became enfeebled by the severeness and multipli city of his labours. At this period the church of Rome wa9 reposing in all the consequence of authority, and in all the blandishments of licentious ness. The piincipal objects of prayer, were a crowd of saints, with the virgin Ma ry at their head. Relicks the most pre posterous were amassed. Indulgences were procurable for all the varieties of crime- “Italy,” to use the w6rds of Lu ther, “ was involved in- the most profound Egyptian darknesg.”* Aroused by the memorable disputation that took place at Leipsick, between Carlostadt, a zealous re former, and Eckius, an advocate for Popery, Melancthoo entered on the study of the scrip tures with fresh ardour. The doctrine of the gospel opened on his mind with a splen dour undiscovered before. He wrote an answer alike mild and keen to the objec tions of Eckius, promoting by its publication, most substantially, the Protestant cause. In the year 1520 he married Catharine Crappin, daughter of the burgomaster o£ Wittenberg, a lady whose accomplishments and virtues were a source of sacred pleas ure. The liberality of Meluncthon was distinguished. No mendicant retired emp ty from his door. Candour towards hia enemies, sympathy towards the sufferer, condescension towards his doinesticks, and a strong aod tender affection towards his wife and children, characterized this emi nent man. His sincerity wa9 unmingled with dissimulation, his modesty uncorrupted with self-esteem, and his humility untarn ished with the breathings of pride. In the same year, at the instance of Ec- kius, (he pope issued a bull against the intrepid Luther. Under all the embarrass ment this unavailing attempt induced, Me lancthon was Luther’s undeviating friend. If less courageous than bis Christian broth er, he was not less faithful to the cause in which they were engaged, or less assiduous it> promoting it. His “Loci Communes Theologici” furnish a standing memorial of the clearness of his understanding, the correctness of his principles, and the piety of his heart.f * One of the monks, at this time, alarmed at the prospect of the revival of letters and religion, thus expresses himself. “ Anew language has been invented, which is called Greek ; guard carefully against it; it is the mother of every heresy. I observe in the hands of a great many people, a book written in this languge, which they call the A'cii'-Teslamnit ; it ia a book full of thorns and serpents. With respect to Hebrew, it is certain my dear brethren, that all who learn it are in •tantly converted to Judaittn." 1 ' — SitCox'thife. of MAantlhon. t The following is his illustration of tfie term
