North America, and to fupport and promote Chriftian knowledge in the new fettlements within the United States." The Society annually elect a Board of Trustees, confifting of fix Civilians and fix Clergymen, to whom the management of the concerns and the difpofal of the funds of the Society is intrufted. They alfo elect a Treasurer and an Auditor of accounts. Since the Society was inftituted, a number of Miffionaries have been fent to the new fettlements in Vermont, New-York, and Pennfylvania. In thefe fettlements there are now four Millionaries; two or three more are expected to go out in the courfe of the fummer, and one to the Connecticut Western Referve. The Miffionaries have been favorably received, and their labors abundantly bleffed. The funds of the Society arife from contributions in the feveral parishes in the State on the first Sabbath of May annually, in parfuance of a Refolve of the General Affembly paffed at their feffion October 1798. Several donations have also been made by individuals towards the establishment of a permanent fund. The Trustees of the Society for the prefent year are the Honorable JOHN TREADWELL, Lieutenant Governor of the State, the Honorable ROGER NEWBERRY and the Honorable HEMAN SWIFT, Members of the upper houfe of Affembly, the Honorable JONATHAN BRACE and the Honorable JOHN DAVENPORT, Members of Congrefs, Doctor JOSHUA LoTHROP, Merchant, the Reverend Meffrs. Nathan Williams D. D. Benjamin Trumbull D. D. Levi Hart, Cyprian Streng, Nathan Strong, and Charles Backus. ANDREW KINGSBURY Efq. is Treaf urer, and JOHN PORTER, Efq. Auditor of accounts to the Society. The Honorable JOHN TREADWELL is Chairman, and the Reverend ABEL FLINT, Secretary to the Board of Trustees. The Society, at their annual meeting, laft month, re-elected the fame Trustees, Treasurer and Auditor of accounts. The Miffionaries now in fervice are the Rev. Meffrs. Seth Willifton, and Jedediah Bushnell, and Mr. Amafa Jerome, all in the new fettlements in the states of New-York and Pennfylvania, and the Rev. William Storrs, in Vermont. Proceedings of the Truflees of the Miffionary Society of Connecticut, relative to a Miffion among the Indians. T HE Trustees of the Miffionary Society of Connecticut at a late meeting, determined, that a difcreet man, animated by the love of God and fouls, of a good common education, who can be obtained for a moderate compenfation, be fought for to travel among the Indian Tribes South and Weft of Lake Erie, to explore their fituation and learn their feelings with refpect to Christianity, and fo far as he has opportunity, to teach them its doctrines and duties; and that faid Miffionary, with the advice of the Rev. Mr. Sergeant of New-Stockbridge, ob. tain from among his Indians a pious guide and interpreter to accompany him in his travels. It was alfo refolved by the Trustees, that the Committee of Miffions, with the addition of the Honorable Heman Swift, take meafures to carry this refolution into effect. The following fyftem of inftructions was prepared to be given to the perfon who may be fent to vifit the Indians. To SIR, YOU being appointed, by the Trustees of the Miffionary Society of Connecticut, to go among the Indian Tribes, with a view of exploring their fituation and the propriety of fending the gofpel among them, the faid Trustees give you the following instructions: which they have that they through Jefus Chrift might he faved from their fins, and become with them the followers of Chrift and heirs of his kingdom. You are to offer Chrift and his falvation to them. Tell them who Chrift is and how he loved and died for mankind, and the happy confequences of loving and obeying him. Carefully notice their appearances and anfwers. As you have opportunity, teach them the doctrines and du. men Be a man of prayer; be fure to keep your heart with all diligence and live near to God. At all times maintain a Chriftian circum-ties of our holy religion and the fpection, gravity and dignity of motives to induce them to become character, and let nothing vain or Chriftians. Particularly teach them trifling be discovered in your con- the duty of morning and evening duct. Demean yourself with Chrif- prayer, and as opportunity fhall tian fortitude and humility. Cau-prefent do it by example as well as tiously avoid all controverfy with the Indians, all trade and worldly bufinefs, except fuch as fhall be abfolutely neceffary for your comfortable fubfiftence. Employ your whole time and all your talents in the bufinefs of your miffion. Particularly you are inftructed to explore the situation of the various tribes, through which you fhall travel, and as far as poffible learn their feelings with respect to Chriftianity, and their prejudices against it. Spare no pains to conciliate the esteem and friendship of the Indian who fhall go with you as a guide and interpreter; and as far as may be with a good confcience, conform yourself to the customs and manners of the natives; like the Apostle becoming all things to all men, that you may gain fome. When you fhall reach any tribe or tribes to which you are fent, you fhall by your interpreter, make known the benevolent defign of your coming, and affembling fuch numbers of them as conveniently may be, acquaint them with the great love of the good people of Connecticut to their brothers in the wilderness, and with the concern in words. Whenever the ill con- remove; whether they have any attachments to particular parts and people of the United States; and every thing which may be of importance to the Miffion, and make a faithful report to this board. venerable body, with defign to promote the happiness of their fellowmen, who do not enjoy equal advantages to obtain religious knowledge with the people of Connecticut, have lately formed themfelves, by common confent, into a Council or Society, called the Miffiona The Trustees affectionately and fervently recommend you to the care and keeping of their great Re-ry Society of Connecticut; and that deemer. When you walk through Society have appointed the Truf the tracklefs and lonely paths of tees before mentioned, and have the wilderness, may he be with given them authority to fend good you, invigorate and comfort your men and able inftructors in religion, foul. May he preferve and emi- into the new fettlements, which nently fucceed you, and return you are forming on the frontiers of the with rich experience of his pater- United States, and among fuch nal care and goodness. Indian nations as will receive them; which men, fo fent as teachers of religion, we call Miffionaries; and from hence the Society above described takes the name of the Miffionary Society. The following Meffage was pre- FRIENDS AND BROTHERS, THE perfon, whofe name is underwritten, announces himself to you as the Chairman of a Council of twelve perfons, who are here known by the name of the Truftees of the Miffionary Society of Connecticut. You will pleafe to liften while, in the name of the Trustees, he explains to you their origin, their views and the objects of this addrefs. Having explained to you the or igin, and general defigns of the Trustees of the Miffionary Society of Connecticut; it will be proper more particularly, but very briefly, to inform you what is meant by religion, as the word is used in this addrefs; leaving it to future occafions, as they may occur, to unfold it more at large. Religion, then confifts, fummarily, in believing that there is an eternal all perfect Being of fupreme power, wifdom and goodness whom we call GOD-that this great and good Being, in the beginning, made the world; the fun, the moon, the ftars, the earth, the fea, the air, and all creatures and things therein, and efpecially man, the Lord of this lower worldthat he made higher and nobler or Our fathers, and brethren, whose office it is to teach the People of Connecticut the things of Religion, annually chofe from their number twenty-four perfons diftinguifhed for piety, gravity and good fenfe, who meet together in a Grand Council called the General Affociation, to confult and advife togeth-ders of rational beings in Heaven, er, and to adopt fuch regulations called Angels-that he upholds all as, in their judgment, may beft things by his power, and fupports ferve to advance the caufe of vir- every living creature by his bounty tue and religion among their own -that he is the great King and Govpeople, and, as far as they have ernor of the world, and in his opportunity, thro' the world. This government feeks his own honor, moned to the judgment feat of Chrift, and there be judged accord. ing to their works, whether good or evil, and will receive the reward of eternal life, or eternal death or endless mifery, by the fentence of the judge. Religion, in practice, confifts in loving and fearing GoD and keeping his commandments-in receiving his fon Jefus Chrift as our only Saviour in loving all our fellow men as ourselves; particularly, in abstaining from murder, adultery, ftealing, lying, cheating, flandering, and oppreffing one another-in honoring and obeying our parents and governors-in doing acts of justice and kindness, as we have power and opportunity, to all men, even to our enemies in moderating our paffions and affections and in liv and the greatest good of the rational creatures he has made that fome of the Angels have broken his laws, and become rebels and enemies, for which caufe he has caft them down from heaven, reserved them for judgment, and will doom them to fuffer endless torments, as their juft punishment; and thefe evil Angels are called Devils-that the first man and woman were made in the likeness of GOD in temper and character, and perfectly happy that the Devil tempted them to break the law which God had placed them under, and by his fubtilty feduced them from their obedience, and they fell from their first happy state -that all mankind, of all nations, fprang from this finful and unhappy pair, partake of their finful nature, and are all expofed to fuffering foberly, chastely and temper eternal death as tranfgreffors of ately in our conversation. GOD's law-that being in themfelves in a helpless and hopeless ftate, GoD was pleased, of mere mercy, to provide an Almighty Saviour JESUS CHRIST his own Son, who, in our nature, came into this world, in ages paft, and as our fecond head, perfectly obeyed God's law, and fuffered a bitter death for us that we might lively true; and that this book con⚫ and be happy in the world to come that through his obedience and death, God can freely pardon our fins, and restore us to his favor that if we repent and are forry for our fins, and truft in this Almighty Saviour, who is rifen from the dead and afcended into Heaven, GOD will for Chrift's fake, give us eternal life; but if we repent not, we fhall be forever miferable after death-that he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in rightcoufnefs, by his fon JESUS CHRIST that all men, of all nations and ages, will then be raifed from the dead, and fumVOL. I. No. 1. Should you ask how we know these things are true, the answer is, we have a book we call the bible, being of all books the most precious, written by good men, in very ancient times, who were infpired by God himself, and of confequence, that all it contains is most important, and most certain tains all the truths which have been mentioned, and many more fully unfolded to view, and in a word, all things which are profitable for inftruction in religion, by which a man, rightly difpofed, may be furnished to every good work. We obferve, that our religion is taken wholly from this book of God, the bible; and are fure that right reafon approves all that is written in it, tho' there are fome truths therein revealed which reafon, of itself, could never have difcovered. It may be proper to remark, though you may already know it, that from the C name of our Lord and Saviour Je- | to bring you to the knowledge of Jefus Chrift, and to the belief and practice of his holy religion. fus Chrift we, and all others, who profefs the religion which he taught, are every where called Chriftians, and that religion is called Chriflianity or the Chriftian Religion. FRIENDS AND BROTHERS, The General Affembly, or Grand Council of the State of Connecticut, feeling the importance of fpreading the knowledge of the Chriftian Religion in the newfettlements on your borders, and among you, have, from time to time, granted liberty to the Trustees to afk the contributions of the good people of Connecticut, and their liberality has enabled the Trustees to fend a Miffionary among you, to inftruct you in the great truths of religion; and to prepare the way for this, they have fent their Chriftian Brother who reads this TALK before you, as their meffenger, to explain their defires on this great fubject, and to learn your mind upon it, whether you are willing to receive a Miffionary among you. Him though not by office a teacher of religion, they recommend to you as a good man and a good Chriftian; he will talk freely with you on the great truths contained in the bible; and will more fully explain the views of the Miffionary Society; and having learned your mind on the fubject, he will faithfully report to the Trustees the fuccefs of his journey and labors. The General Affembly and people of Connecticut, the Miffionary Society and their Trustees in all this, can have nothing in view but to promote your peace and happinefs in this world, and your everlafting welfare in the world to come; they defire not your cornfields, nor your hunting grounds, nor any of your goods; but only In your dealings with people who call themselves Chriftians, it is not unlikely you have obferved, in some of them, much fraud, injustice and cruelty, and may have become prejudiced against Chris tianity on that account : But you may reft affured, that men of this fort are not indeed Chriftians, but the baseft of men, who either never embraced Christianity, or have wickedly renounced it, and become apoftates. True religion must be learned from the bible, and not from the practice of wicked men, who though they may take the name of Chriftians, are wholly unworthy of it. The bible teaches us to love God and our fellow-men of all complexions and of all tribes and nations; to do to others as we would wish them to do to us; to deal justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God; and, in all things, to ceafe to do evil; and to learn to do well. The Trustees having thus briefly ftated their defign in fending this their good brother to you, conclude by intreating you to receive him, and to treat him kindly as a friend to you, and to all his brothers of the human race, and only add their fervent prayer that God would prepare the Indian tribes and nations, who are the offspring of God as well as others, to embrace and practise the holy religion of Jesus Christ, and with this prayer they commend you to his favor and bleffing. By order of the Trustees, The Committee of Miffions, appointed to do bufinefs in the recefs of the board of Trusteees, ac * C |