Collected in P. R. Congregation $17 583 in Binson do. in Big Spring do. 9.25 4.00 in Lawrenceburg do. 585 at Mount Vernon 5 12 at Shepherdsville 4 87 From an individual near New castle do. near Louisville From sundry individuals at different places 5.00 Extracts from the Missionary Reporter. A WORD FROM KENTUCKY. The following is an extract from a highly interesting communication received at the office of the Board of Missions some weeks since. It was written by an aged clergyman, of elevated piety and high standing in the church, and contains sentiments, not only worthy of its author, but worthy, also, of the candid and serious consideration of every conscientious Presbyterian. We feel it to be due to ourselves, as the servants of the Presbyterian church, as well as to our kind and valuable correspondents, occasionally to make known to the churches, the views and sentiments which are entertained by enlightened and influential individuals, respecting the operations of the Missionary Board. The sentiments expressed in this communication, we have reason to believe, are those entertained by a very large number of the most distinguished ministers and laymen, connected with our church in Kentucky, and in most of the other western and southern states. nianism was yet but a little monster in that town, for at that time it was almost entirely confined to the city; it was then predicted what things would come to, unless they could erect some acknowledged tribunal, before whom errorists could be brought, and by whom they could be held up to publick distrust. And without the spirit of prophecy it may safely be predicted, that unless the New England churches 600 have some common barrier thrown around them, such as is the General Assembly to $60 683 the Presbyterian churches, inroads will continue to be made by the wild beasts from every desert, until the fair garden of God shall be trodden down, and become worse than the mire of the streets-become the hold of every vile and ravenous beast. It is just as impossible that a society of any kind can long exist without a head, as it is that a decapitated body can live and breathe. The Jewish church had God for its head. The Urim and the Thummin, the word of God about the tabernacle, the perfect intercourse that God held with Abraham, with Moses, with Joshua, and with Samuel, were intended by God to direct every eye to himself. So soon as this intercourse ceased, the Jews were scattered to the four corners of the earth, like sheep without a shepherd. The apostles, and their immediate successors, sustained to the Christian church the same relation, and combined with themselves the same power, that Moses and the prophets did respecting the Jewish church. And so soon as inspiration ceased entirely, and the people had no infallible guides to look to, the mass, leavened as it was with the growing and holy spirit of Christianity, began to crumble to pieces, and hence prelacy and popery arose, and formed a bond of union which held the disjointed materials in some degree of proximity until the reformation. What is the history of all the ecclesiastick councils that have ever convened, but the history of the weakness of the great mass of the church seeking strength and union, and safety, from the aged, the wise, and the good. The people of the nineteenth century are just such beings as have inhabited our world from the beginning. This may be, for aught I know, the "age of reason;" I am sure it is the age of speculation, and next to our imagination, nothing so much needs the bit and rein, as our speculations. In addition to this, the present, if it be not the harvest of the world, is surely the dawning of that three hundred and sixty-five thousand years that is to bless our world. Amidst the wide spreading blessedness which the last thirty years have given birth to, what American Christian does not think of the Presbyterian church and her General Assembly? I do not believe that any ecclesiastical council ever met on earth, that sustained so important a relation to the church of Christ, as does the General 3 G "The General Assembly is, under Christ, the great bond of union that must hold together that immense mass of Christians, bearing the name of Presbyterians in these United States. I am aware of the value, and of the reliance that is placed upon our confession of faith, and book of discipline and government, as bonds of union. But I contend that these books, valuable as they are, stand to the church, without the living co-operation of the Assembly, much in the relation that the scriptures would do to the world, without the living ministry. It is granted that there are some instances in which ignorant and sinful men have been brought to the knowledge of Christ, by reading God's word, and without a living ministry. But we defy an instance to be produced, where any church has remained for any length of time united and pure, without a living, energetick executive. We have a lamentable example in our own country, of what a church is, and what she may be brought to, for the want of a living, energetick, ecclesiastical council. The writer of these remarks was in Boston, thirty-four or five years ago, when SociVOL. VII.-Ch. Adv. spectable clergyman, who went to Tailahassee, under the auspices of this Board, in 1828, and is now engaged in teaching and preaching in that place, and its immediate vicinity; and has enjoyed peculiar advantages for becoming accurately acquainted with the character, condition, and moral necessities of the people of Florida. It is earnestly hoped that this powerful and affecting appeal to young men of piety and talents, who purpose entering upon Missionary labours, during the ensuing autumn, will be deeply felt and duly appreciated. It would be highly gratifying Assembly of our church. The venerable AN APPEAL IN BEHALF OF FLORIDA. assembly of Westminster had a specifick object to accomplish. Their work was perceived a few days since from a highly reThe following communication was reformed, it seems to me, under something like a spirit of inspiration. The Assembly of our church have not only to guard the invaluable treasure committed to their hands by God, and by his servants, the Westminster divines, but they have to overlook, and keep enclosed, the most extended spiritual vineyard ever committed to the hands of man. How shall this vineyard be kept safe, and be well cultivated, if I am permitted to work with what tools I choose, and when, and where, and how I please? If labourers are to be hired into the vineyard, am I, or any set of men, to be permitted to employ them, without being amenable to the General Assembly, the great fountain of delegated power? If so, then let the Assembly be dissolved, never to meet again, and let every man do that which is right in his own eyes. If this is deprecated, then let us soberly submit to the truth, that the Assembly is of right the only bond of union and fountain of action to the Presbyterian church. One thing deeply regret, viz. That when our Assembly was first organized, and our church constitution formed, it was not made a law, that no minister under thirty years of age could be a delegate to that body. Look at our political restrictions on this subject. And shall the children of this world always be wiser than the children of light! Is it less important to have a seat in the General Assembly of our church, than to have a seat in the Senate of the United States? The nature of the case makes it proper, that every sect should have its own Missionaries. It has been said that Missionary Societies, like Bible Societies, ought to be projected upon the broad theatre of the world, and ought to be conducted upon the principle of universal catholicism. This plan has greatly outrun the present state of the world, and, as I think, the indications of Providence; and I am by no means certain, it is not inconsistent with the original principles of our nature, with what will exist in the most perfect state of the millennial glory. All Christians will probably never wear the same livery, or be called by the same name. At any rate, this time has not come. My age, and the great probability that I shall never again be a member of the Assembly, must plead my apology for intruding my thoughts on a subject which I deem so vital to the Presbyterian church. It certainly is something like a self-evident truth, that just as far as the General Assembly permit our Missionary concerns to pass out of her hands, so far she lessens her authority over the churches, and endangers innovations both in doctrine and discipline, connected with the most awful results." 1 to the Board of Missions, to commission and send forth at least two devoted Missionaries to this important field, without delay. And are there none to respond to the call of the church, "Here are we, send us?" Towards the close of his letter, the writer states that a Sabbath school is about to be formed in Tallahassee, and then remarks:-"Tracts are very much needed in this country. Could not a small bundle be forwarded from New York, or Baltimore, to Magnolia, the port of Tallahas see?" We leave the fact stated, and the inquiry suggested, to make their way to the hearts of those whose province and privilege it is to give wings to these silent messengers of mercy and salvation. "Tallahassee, Aug. 4, 1829. Reverend and dear Sir,-I am anxious that the character and the claims of Florida should be presented to the minds of those young men in the north who are preparing to enter this fall upon the field of Missionary labour, because I am candidly of opinion that there are here a few important posts that ought to be occupied as soon as possible, by men of the proper stamp. I therefore take the liberty of laying before you a few facts in relation to this country, and of requesting you to present them to the consideration of such persons as you may deem best adapted for this service. Florida is a new country, and when this is said, much is implied-much that will be but poorly comprehended by those who have never been beyond the Alleghanies, nor below the Potomac. every new country, there are many circumstances which operate unfavourably upon the moral and religious habits of the community, and which tend to embarrass and discourage the preacher of the Gospel. The pressure of business is necessarily heavier than it is in old and established communities. Plantations must be cleared up, as well as cultivated; houses are to be erected-the whole apparatus of agricul ture must be provided-while at every step difficulties and delays are encountered, unknown to those who have never expe In rienced them. Under these circumstances, it is not strange that human nature should strongly develop its gravitating propensities, and that the thoughts and feelings of men, necessarily so much occupied, should at length become absorbed in worldly business. The thinness of the population too, and the inconvenience which attends their assembling themselves together, unite with the calls of business in keeping them at home even on the Sabbath. Difficulties such as these, every Missionary, who visits a new country, must expect to encounter; and a full proportion of them will be encountered here. These considerations, however, magnify the importance no less than the difficulty of the undertaking. How important is it that these deteriorating influences should be counteracted-that society, in its present state, should be cast into the mould of the Gospel-that the foundations of religious and literary institutions should be laid early, that they may be deep and durable; that the sanctity of the Sabbath should be guarded, and its obligations urged upon the people, in all their weight and importance, and that Tracts and Bibles should be dispersed abroad, carrying the Gospel to those who visit not the sanctuary. There are many circumstances, then, which render Florida, in common with other new countries, an arduous and discouraging, but, at the same time, an important, and, therefore, an inviting field for Missionary labour. There are other considerations, however, which render this a peculiarly interesting and important field. It, possesses advantages, and holds out inducements, surpassed, in some respects, as I suppose, by no other section of our country. The climate is pronounced by those who speak from experience, to be as fine as that of Italy, and hitherto has proved highly salubrious; a portion of the soil is highly fertile, and is believed to be admirably adapted to the cultivation of sugar, one of the most profitable of crops, yielding an average produce of more than $100 per acre; the inhabitants are characterized by intelligence, hospitality, and refinement, a large proportion of them having previously been among the most respectable members of society in the older states. In this respect Florida differs from most new countries, where the rough aspect of the country finds its counterpart in the rude manners of the people. This circumstance is of importance, because we feel authorized to expect that religious and literary institutions will eventually meet with a liberal support from such a population. Indeed, munificent appropriations have already been made by Congress for the support of publick schools and a univer sity; the lands selected for this purpose are among the most valuable tracts in the territory. It will be some time, however, before they will become available, and indeed the history of the mismanagement of publick property in other states, warrants the apprehension that their whole value may ultimately be squandered. I forbear to dwell upon the picturesque beauty of the natural scenery-the glowing brilliancy of an almost tropical sky-the elasticity, buoyancy, and blandness of the air-the beauty and profusion of the flowers-the verdure and majesty of the forests-these are matters which, though they may not have lost their charm for the heart filled with the spirit of missions, have nevertheless been superseded in their influence by stronger motives, and deeper and more intense emotions. The principal inquiry, no doubt, will be, what materials are there to be operated upon? Is the field ripe for the harvest? The inhabitants of the territory amount already to about 25,000 souls, and are rapidly increasing in number. The half of this population, probably, resides in Middle Florida, or within 100 miles of Tallahassee, the capital. Tallahassee itself contains upwards of 1,000 souls. In the whole distriet of Middle Florida, containing about 12.000 inhabitants, there is no Presbyterian preacher except myself, though in many parts of this section of the country, the majority of the people are favourably disposed toward the Presbyterian system of ed, in a recent tour made for this purpose, doctrine and discipline. I have ascertainthat the two counties immediately westward of this, would each afford an interesting field for a Presbyterian Missionary. I have spoken to some of the most influential characters in each county, who manifested considerable anxiety to engage the services of a preacher, and urged me to lay their wants before a Missionary Society. Owing to the pecuniary embarrassments of the country, however, missionaries would have to rely, at present, almost exclusively upon the Society for remuneration. They might live in either of the counties to which I have referred, free of expense. Invalids retiring before the severities of the northern winter would find a delightful retreat in Florida; and were they disposed to engage in the business of teaching, they might gain a cordial admission into the most respectable families as private tutors. Those, however, who come as missionaries, ought to possess the mens sana in sano corpore. They ought to be men of intelligence, because the people are intelligent; capable of appreciating the force of an argument, and the fairness of an illustration. They ought to be men of enterprise and active habits, because the inhabitants are sparse, the country new, the discouragements many. SYNODICAL AND PRESBYTERIAL RE PORTS. SYNOD OF OHIO. The Board of Missions under the Synod of Ohio, in their last Annual Report to this Board, state "That during the past year, they have employed twenty missionaries, most of them for short periods, amounting in the aggregate to twenty-five months and a half. From these Missionaries, they have received reports of twenty-one months and a half missionary labours. In performing these labours, our missionaries have visited 140 places, preached 604 sermons, received into the church 13 members, baptized 9 adults and 16 infants, and administered the Lord's supper six times; and from their reports, the Board have received increased evidence of the anxiety among our vacancies, to obtain the stated means of grace. We regard the present as a time peculiarly auspicious for missionary efforts in this part of our Zion. There is demand and room for at least fifty additional ministers and missionaries within our bounds, and after a few years' labours, we think that this, or even a greater number, would receive their whole support from their congregations. We rejoice that our Parent Board, and the Am. H. M. Society are beginning to direct their Missionaries to this field, and hope that they may be enabled greatly to increase their efforts in our behalf. The amount of our collections for ordinary missionary purposes is about $600. In addition to this, the members of the Synod pledge themselves to the Board for $400 per annum, to support our Missionary to the convicts in the Ohio State's Prison. From this, Missionary, we have received a favourable report. The convicts generally appear to give good attention to his preaching, and several have felt much gratitude for his efforts to do them good; his whole time is devoted to that station. He reports that in conversing with them in their rooms, he has frequently seen them affected even to tears, and that some of the prisoners, of their own accord, established a prayer meeting, to be held on the Sabbath morning. He is encouraged to hope that his labours among these wretched men have not been in vain, and that through his instrumentality some three or four have been changed." WESTERN RESERVE SYNOD. "The Synod of the Western Reserve report to the Board of Missions of the General Assembly, that as a Missionary Society, during the year past, they have appointed three Missionaries, who have performed fourteen weeks of service. And what is peculiarly gratifying to the Synod, is, that two of these Missionaries, since their appointment, have become established as stated pastors over two of our congregations, where we hardly dared to hope one year ago, that the people would be so soon supplied with the regular preaching of the Gospel. By a partial, yet pleasant revival of religion in Twinsbury, the Lord opened the way for a minister of the Gospel to be settled in that place; and by a concurrence of favourable circumstances in Florence, a minister is settled there. Although this Society has not acquired that efficiency of exertion to which it had aspired, nor accomplished that amount of good it anticipated, yet in view of what it has been instrumental of doing, we are encouraged to go forward, praising God our Redeemer for past success, and looking to him by humble prayer for future aid." WM. HANFORD, Stated Clerk. PRESBYTERY OF LEXINGTON, VA. The last report of this Presbytery to the Board, is as follows. "We have a wide and very destitute region lying within our bounds, and loud and pressing calls have been frequently made for missionary labour; but we have not had it in our power to supply it. Could two or three suitable Missionaries be had, the means for their support could be easily obtained, there being two or three hundred dollars already on hand. There are large portions of our Missionary field, which must continue to be uncultivated, unless furnished with labourers by some Missionary Society. The population is sparse, and, indeed, must remain so for many years to come from the nature of the country. For the present summer we have the prospect of procuring the services of one or two licentiates. Could the Assembly's Board afford to this vast and waste region one or two Mis. sionaries, much, we think, might be done for the interests of the church of Christ. G. A. BAXTER, Moderator. J. D. EWING, Clerk. PRESBYTERY OF MISSISSIPPI. The delegate from this Presbytery to the last General Assembly, in a note to the Secretary, communicates the following pleasing intelligence, which we hope may be teries, to go and do likewise. the means of exciting many other Presby "At the Session of the Presbytery of Mississippi in October last, it was unanimously resolved, that the Presbytery approve of the plan for raising funds in aid of Missions suggested by the Board of Missions in their circular, and recommend to the churches under their care to adopt said plan, and pay the monies so collected to the treasurer of the Presbytery at the spring Session, to be forwarded by him to the Treasurer of the General Assembly Ninety-five dollars, obtained from indivi dual subscriptions of fifty cents, have been paid in, and the plan meets with general approbation." PRESBYTERY OF LANCASTER, OHIO. At the last stated meeting, the following preamble and resolution were adopted and forwarded to the President of this Board, viz: PRESBYTERY OF WINCHESTER, VA. "The committee appointed on the communication of the agent of the Board of To the Board of Missions of the General Missions of the General Assembly, presented the following report. The Presbytery of Lancaster view with heartfelt gratitude to God, the exertions making by various Missionary Societies, to evangelize the heathen, and to afford supplies and pastors, to feeble and destitute churches in our own land. They feel particularly gratified with the vigorous endeavours recently made by the Board of Missions, emanating immediately from the highest judicature of our church. To encourage them in their good work, we recommend the adoption of the following resolution: "Whereas, The Board of Missions of the General Assembly, have recently commenced a course of vigorous and extended operations, somewhat suited both to the wants of the churches and the spirit of the age, this Presbytery do consider it as one of the auspicious omens of the present day, and hereby pledge themselves, to sustain the Board, with their prayers and efforts as far as they can, consistently with previous engagements." PRESBYTERY OF CHAMPLAIN, N. Y. Dear Brethren Assembly. At a meeting of the Winchester Presbytery, which commenced on the 22d ult. after much deliberation, the Board of Missions of the Presbytery was dissolved, and a Missionary Society was formed, auxiliary to the Board of Missions, of the General Assembly. Under the former organization, the Presbytery was the Missionary Society, and the officers of the Presbytery as such, were the only officers known in the Missionary Society. Under the present organization, the society consists of the members of the Presbytery, annual subscribers, and delegates from auxiliary societies. It has its own officers and a board of managers, consisting of the members of the Presbytery, (who are managers ex officio) and eight laymen, who are chosen annually. The business of the Society is conducted by an executive committee of five members, chosen by the managers out of their own body. The funds of the society are to be chiefly employed in supporting missionaries in places where there may be a prospect of organizing, or building up permanent churches.-The design of the recent Extracts from the last Annual Report of organization is to give more efficiency to this Presbytery to the Board. "There are a number of towns within our limits, destitute of the means of grace from any minister of our order, and several large settlements, where the Gospel is not preached by any denomination of ministers; new settlements are springing up in our wilderness, which are very appropriately missionary ground. These are favourite places for every empirick in theology to try his powers at proselyting; error grows readily and rapidly in such fresh soil. Many of the people would joyfully receive a messenger sent from you to carry them, in the name of Christ, the good tidings of peace. But their poverty pleads as strongly as their spiritual necessities. They are literally poor. In the best places in the three counties over which our Presbytery extends, the people do not, nor are they able generally, to pay more than $300 a year. This is the common salary your brethren receive in Champlain Presbytery. Your Missionary the last year visited and spent some weeks in five of their places, and was well received. The prospect of usefulness, could a Missionary missionary exertions in our bounds. When we look around us, we see much need for increased zeal in missionary operations. Our Society, which embraces the limits of the Presbytery, extends over a region of country embracing a population of about 240,000; and the best data on which we have been enabled to base our calculations, lead us to the conclusion that nine-tenths of these immortal beings are not professors of religion in any branch of the Christian church. We state this fact with the hope that the attention of the Board will be turned towards us. In many parts of our destitute region, congregations might soon be gathered, and churches organized. At present, we have three or four stations where missionaries might be placed in feeble churches; and where, if they were supported in part for some time, under the blessing of God, numerous churches might be gathered. If we could obtain a suitable person, we would be willing to engage his services at once, trusting to God for the means of meeting the expense. But at present, we do not know of any suitable |