From Rev. Dr. Smith, the annual collection of the church of Princeton; and for one copy of Confeffion of Faith; Dollars. 16.00 I Making with the above balance; 693 65 And he has paid by order of the Affembly for miffion ary and other purposes; 800 34 So that the treasurer has advanced on account of this fund on the 14th day of June 1803. 106 69 PERMANENT FUND. There has been paid into this fund, in the courfe of the year. By Rev. Nathanael Irwin, agent, 266 56 Rev. Dr. Cooper, do, 16 44 Jofeph Clark, do. 73.50 Ditto. do. a donation from a gentleman, 15 00 Rev. Simon Hofack in behalf of Presbytery of Al bany, 78 61 Rev. James Hall for Mr. Thomas Hall, 530 00 468 00 Rev. John Clark, from church of Franklin, 11, 19 and from Fishkill 19, 30 19 Rev. Nathan Kerr, of the Prefbytery of Hudson, Received of the executors of Mrs, Donnell a legacy, N. B. Since June ift, 1803, the treafurer has received of Rey. Mofes Hoge, agent. The whole of the above fum has been invested in stocks on account of this fund, and 19 38 overpaid by the treasurer, June 14th, 1803. Lift of Socks belonging to the Permanent Fund. Two fhares of Bank Pennfylvania. 800 at 9 per cent. do. Nominal amount of stock 14500 Annual interest. The honourable Dr. Elias Boudinot has granted to the corporation by indenture, ten thousand acres of land in North Carolina; for the pious ufes in the indenture mentioned. For the payment of the taxes on faid land, Dr. 784 00 132 09 102 00 72 co 1090 00 15 26 8393 Boudinot alfo gave 400 dolls. of the 8 per cent. ftock of the United States. Dollars. June 14th, 1803, add one years interest on ditto. June 1ft, 1802 balance of the interest of the stock in hand this day, 23992 32 00 This land, and the refidue of the stock, after fatisfying the taxes theron, is to be regarded as a part of the permanent fund. When the General Affembly fought a charter of incorporation, it was in order that they might be enabled to hold securely any property committed to their truft, for pious uses, and to render the fame productive. A charter has been obtained, founded on liberal principles and guarded against abuse. It binds the members of the corporation to give their services without fee or reward; and to apply donations to the uses prescribed by the donors, under the direction and controul of the General Affembly. Pious perfons will be pleased to find that there is a way, in which they may, in life, er at death, devote to God, a part of the wealth he has entrusted to their stewardship; and to be affured that it will be held fecurely by a legal and permanent body, whofe very funds will depend on a faithful administration thereof; and that it will, for ages to come, be applied to any purpose of piety or charity, which they may prefer: To gratify fuch, and prevent a disappointment of their laudable defigns; the proper form of a devise or bequest, by laft will, is fubjoined, viz. To the Trustees of the General Affembly, of the Presbyterian church, in the United States of America, and to their fucceffors and affigns, I give devife and bequeath the sum of (or a certain meffuage and tract of land &c. as the cafe may be); to be added to their permanent fund, and applied to the general uses of that fund, under the direction of the faid Affembly, (or to be applied toward fpreading the gofpel on the frontiers of the United States-or, toward civilizing and instructing, in arts and religion, the Indians of North America, under the direction of faid Affembly; and to no other ufe, intent or purpose whatever): Ac cording as the pleasure of the teftator fhall be; Who may designate any other purpose of piety or charity. COMMITTEE OF MISSIONS, IN COMPLIANCE WITH The Requisition of the General Assembly, NOW REPORT. - IT is with pleasure that the committee are enabled to begin this information with notice of a new Miffionary Society, having been established in New-Hampshire, the latter end of the last year, or the beginning of the prefent. By their Conftitution it appears that they are zealously engaged in the fame common caufe with the General Affembly, having explicitly declared their defign of affociating together, to be "for the increase of knowledge and evangelical piety; for the promotion of the prefent well being, and eternal falvation of men, from a confideration of the great number of those who are in danger of perishing through lack of vifion, among whom the divine word and ordinances cannot be statedly enjoyed: from a defire that grace, mercy, and peace, may be multiplied to them, through the knowledge of God and of Jefus Christ our Lord."-This Society is denominated, "the Piscataway Miffionary Society." In the infancy of this Inftitution, four miffionaries were employed for part of the first year, who in Auguft laft reported," That their fervices in the new fettlements both in the district of Main and in New-York, were gratefully acknowledged. In fome inftances ferious impreffions were made, convictions produced, reformations effected, difficulties removed, order and peace restored, schools were vifited, examined and inftructed, Churches formed, and the ordinances administered, people crowded to attend lectures and conferences, and to hear the word of life. They are not eafily fatisfied with hearing, but noticed with wonder and pleasure, the measures which were taken for their best interests by those who lived fo remote from them. Frequently different religious fects attended with decency upon their public labors, and appeared pleased and profited. They often affembled even in uncomfortable places and inconvenient buildings. The miffionaries penetrated through difficult and rugged ways into places where none had been feat before, and were unexpected. They did not fpare themselves, but labored much in the Lord; and it is charitably hoped that the bleffings of fouls ready to perifh reft upon them. One of these Gentlemen gives it as his opinion, that the miffionary bufinefs is of great importance if judiciously managed. That fpecial regard should be had to the character and experience of those who are employed. He states several of the advantages as they presented themselves to him, arifing from a discreet and steady management of miffions. Among which are the following, They ferve to counteract the powerful inclination of people in a new country wholly to neglect the concern of their fouls, and regard nothing but procuring a comfortable fubfiftence.-They check the pernicious influence of the immoral and unprincipled. They encourage and strengthen the few pious characters which are to be met with, in their duty. They serve to fecure the youth from the dangers to which they are expofed, and incline them to hear and regard the truth. To convince of the utility of civil order, good neighbourhood and friendly intercourse. To imprefs a deep conviction of the importance of religious inftitutions and public worship, and the regular difpenfation of the word, as relating both to the present and future life. To work fincere regret for the precious privileges which they had loft by their removal, and an ardent defire to regain them. The Society for propagating the Gospel among the Indians and others: instituted at Boston, HAVE established a fund for the regular and conftant progreffing in the one common caufe. The income of a part of their funds, is appropriated to ameliorate the civil, moral, and religious condition of the Indians. They affift in the fupport of three Miffionaries, and a number of small schools for the benefit of those destitute people, and as many more among the poor inhabitants, principally of Maine and the Ifle of Shoals.-They have alfo affifted in building School-Houfes, and a house for a Minister, and have defrayed the expence of printing a catechifm in the Indian language, and have distributed a number of religious Books among them.-The Society have not forgotten their own poor, but those of the district of Maine have experienced their liberality, by which children have had the means of inftruction, and perfons in more advanced life, have had the ferious impreffions, early made upon their minds, revived and strengthened, which they would otherwife have been in great danger of lofing, in places where they cannot enjoy the advantage of attending upon the ordi nances of the gofpel.-They further report, that the people have attended upon their ministrations, with great readinefs and apparent fatisfaction. They have administered the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, and baptized great numbers of children and many adults.In feveral places they have gathered Churches, and in more, have established habits of regard to the duties and offices of religion, which were before formed. Their difcourfes and their converfation, have tended to check the progress of error and vice, and to confirm the wavering.-Full and grateful teftimonials have been received from many places on these fubjects, and earnest requests that the Society would continue attentions of this kind. The Massachusetts Missionary Society. HAVE alfo greatly exerted themselves in the caufe of their Lord and Mafter. They have given the public an account of an awakening at Holles. The number of particular cafes, mentioned by their correspondent, fhows that the plentiful fhowers of divine grace have reached them also. He concludes the recital of particulars in the following words; "To the above I might add one hundred relations, which I now have on hand, in which the distinguishing grace of God is as clearly difplayed, as in any of those particularly related." They were not felected because they are more noticeable than others; but because they are of the first characters in the town.-So that it may not be faid, that none but ignorant, fuperftitious people are the apparent fubjects of fpecial grace. Two of the perfons whofe cafes have been mentioned, have received a public education, and feveral others are of the most distinguished abilities, and the most influential among us." → By a report of one of their Miffionaries, dated Nov. 1803, it appears, that in the Society of New-Canaan there has been experienced a confiderable degree of the fpecial influence of divine grace. The inftances of converts from fin to holiness, were very numerous. Fifty-four have been added to our Church; of thefe, thirty were young, unmarried people. Some families appear to be almost wholly taken, and others altogether left. In fome cafes, only one individual was taken from a neighbourhood. One family in which there were three young men, was remarkably vifited; at firft the mind of one of the young men was arrefted, which appeared to diffeminate through the family, till each of the three, and both the parents, were hopeful fubjects of regene rating grace. In another family, there are five young people, four fifters and a brother, all of whom have hopefully become pious." |