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cation Society in Connecticut has passed a vote in favour of becoming a Branch of the American Society. An Auxiliary Society has been formed in Hampden County, Massachusetts. "It is no more than what justice re. quires, to state, that the Auxiliary Society in the County of Norfolk has from the first, exhibited a zeal and libcrality in this cause, highly worthy of praise, and of imitation.

"The Treasurer's statement will show to the honor of the various contributors, what has been the whole amount of receipts for the year; namely, $19,530.

"The number of Beneficiaries received by the Board during the year, has been 58. The number of those, who have been assisted by the funds of the Society the past year, is 161.— The whole number on the list of Beneficiaries, from the beginning, 204.*

"The Board rejoice in being able to report, that the literary improvement of the Beneficiaries, and their Christian deportment have, almost without exception, been represented to be such, as may justly afford satisfaction to their Benefactors, and excite lively hopes, that their future usefulness will, in the best sense, repay all the friendly assistance they are now receiving."

The Directors proceed to state, that they are sensible of the danger of misapplication of funds, and that they have been more particular and exact in requiring the proper testimonials respecting the diligence, the moral behavior, and piety, as well as the genius and indigence of every Beneficiary,' and that for any evidence of a radical want of economy, or of christian circumspection, especially for any just ground to apprehend a disposition or character incompatible with the sacred object in view, the Directors feel themselves under imperious obligations to withhold charitable support.'

The Directors then speak, 'with the utmost plainness,' of the danger that young men will choose the ministry, as a profession, from improper motives, and express their solicitude that this evil should be guarded against. They also caution their beneficiaries not to rely so far upon the assistance of the

*Fifteen Beneficaries have been added, since the annual meeting of the Society, at the quarterly meeting of the Board in October.

Society as to remit exertion for themselves.

The Directors then state, that the charity entrusted to them may be likely to detract from energy of character. They have therefore made it their uniform principle, not to afford to any beneficiaries a complete support, and in April last adopted and published the following resolution, viz: "that it is the desire and expectation of this Board, that their Beneficiaries, in each stage of their education, should, as far as they have opportunity, employ at least two hours in a day, in productive labor, with a view both to aid them in defraying the expences of their education, and to promote vigorous health; and that their instructors be requested to direct and assist them as to suitable employment."

After adverting to the moral influence which may be produced in their beneficiaries, by the habit of relying for support upon others, the Directors request the "ministers and friends of religion, and especially instructors of public schools, to co-operate with them in guiding, and forming for usefulness, the beneficiaries of the American Education Society; to exercise a watchful friendship over them, and to give any information to the Directors, which can enable them more advantageously, or more faithfully to execute their important and difficult trust."

To the question, "whether it is expedient that the Directors should select beneficiaries by name, as the particular object of the charity of individual churches," it is after a detail of arguments stated, that "it is, on the whole, the persuasion of the Directors, that there is no occasion to resort to this plan, in order to excite in the public mind the most lively interest. They cannot but think, that any church or society, who have sufficient enlargement of heart to engage in this benevolent work, will feel a more sensible excitement, in contributing, with others, to the education of several hundred young men for the ministry, than from the consideration, that some single individual is the object of their chari

ties."

After a deliberate consideration of the subject, and a little experience,' the method of selection proposed, is declared to be inexpedient.

The Directors, however, add "that when churches or individuals desire it,

a suficient degree of definiteness and individuality may be given to the object of these charities, in another way, not attended with any of the difficulties, which embarrass the plan of selection, yiz: that a church, or individual benefactor, should statedly contribute the average sum, that is necessary for the maintenance of one or more beneficiaries. And they wish it to be distinctly understood, that in case any church or individual benefactors, are acquainted with a young man of promising qualifications, and choose to commit him to the care of the American Education Society, affording him, through their agency, and in conformity to the rules which govern them respecting other beneficiaries, what is necessary to enable him to acquire an education for the ministry, thus taking upon themselves the responsibility of making their own selection; the strongest objections which lie against the plan, considered above, would be entirely removed."

At the same meeting, the Directors, with a view to advance the extensive interests of the Society, adopted the following resolution, viz:

"That the American Society for educating pious youth for the gospel ministry may keep up such a connexion with its Branch and Auxiliary Societies, as the great and growing interests of the institution require; and that a complete view of the combined operations of the Society in different parts of the country may be given in its Annual Reports; the Directors request each Branch, and County Auxiliary Society, to transmit to this Board a statement of their proceedings by the first of July in each year; and the Directors propose, that a representative from each Branch, and County Auxiliary Society, attend the Annual Meeting of the Parent Society, and when practicable, that a representative from the Parent Society attend the Annual Meetings of such District Societies."

FOREIGN MISSIONS OF THE AMERICAN BOARD.

In our number for November, we published part of the Report of the Prudential Committee. We have within the present month received a continuation and conclusion of this interesting Report, from which we make the following extracts:

CHEROKEES.

"Your Committee have from the first regarded the cultivation of the farm, as an object of high importance. It is important for the purpose of exercising the native boys of the institution in agricultural labors; and of shewing to them and to the nation a sample of a farm under good husbandry, and yielding its products in variety and plenty. And it is important for the purpose of supplying, in the surest and cheapest manner, the principal provisions for the maintenance of the estab lishment. This last consideration has been urged upon our attention by the facts and circumstances, just referred

to.

"It became, therefore, an object of earnest desire to obtain a man of suitable qualifications, for the skilful and vigorous management of a farm, intended to be enlarged to an ample extent. And it could not fail to be regarded as a particular favor in Providence, that just as the exigence came to be deeply felt, the desire was answered.

About four months ago, Mr. Abijah Conger of Rockaway, N. J. made a sacred offer of himself for the service. In his letter, making the offer, he says, "My wife is a native of Bridgehampton, Long Island. We were married in the year 1803; and begun to keep house in the spring of 1804, with nothing but our hands. God has prosper. ed us greatly in the good things of this world; and I hope we both have a treasure laid up in heaven for us. I have a large property here: and had any body told me, two years ago, that I would leave it, and go into the wil derness, I should have thought them beside themselves; as some of my neighbors and friends now do me.But while reading last winter of the difficulty the establishment had, to get mechanics, &c. the thought struck me, that I ought to go to their assitance.I tried every way to get it out of my mind, but to no purpose, till my sleep left me. I then made my wife acquainted with it; and she said, 'Go, and I will go with you.'-I have concluded to offer myself to the Board to go to Brainerd, and act in the sphere, which the Board shall think me most capable to fill,-provided it is for the furtherance of the Redeemer's Kingdom. My business for fifteen years back has been to manage a large fami

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ly, consisting of fifteen to more than twenty persons, most of them grown persons;-besides several families living on my land, that came directly under my care. My own family consists of seven persons, myself and wife, and five children, two boys and three girls; all remarkably healthy, and well educated according to their age, the oldest fourteen, the youngest two years old, all trained to industry when out of school." "Mr. Conger is himself about 56 years old,--a Christian of good report ; by trade a carpenter, but accustomed to turn his hand to various kinds of bu siness, as carpentry, cabinet-making, coopering, blacksmithing, and farming; all which he has had upon a large scale under his direction. 'He has been,' says his minister, the Rev. Mr. King, for ten years past one of the most industrious, and persevering mea in the business of the world, that I ever knew. For six years in his youth, he was a schoolmaster; and for the two last years has been a principal teacher in a Sabbath school.

"When the determination of Mr. Conger came to be known, others of kindred spirit connected with him in business, and some of them by family alliance, and whose minds had for sometime before been employed on the subject, came to a similar resolution. Messrs. John Vail, a farmer, John Talmage a blacksmith, and John Mott, a carpenter, but all of them more or less, like Mr. Conger, accustomed to different kinds of business,-offered themselves, with very satisfactory recommendations; and were according ly accepted for the service. Mr. Vail has a family of five children; Mr. Talmage and Mr. Mott are young men recently married.

"These four devoted men, have given themselves to the service, on the same principle with the missionaries and assistants now at the stations,-as an engagement for life; consecrating themselves, their faculties, and their earnings, to the sacred aud benevolent object of christianizing and civilizing the Aborigines; and expecting no earthly compensation but a comfortable maintenance. Their children, when they come of age, are of course to be held as free in regard to any engagement for the service, as any other per1018."

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at present consists of 20 promising chil dren. Many more are anxious to come, but we are unable to obtain provisions for them at present.' And in his talk, delivered to the council about the same time, he said to them;Brothers, we have twenty of your children in our school, who are learning very well. When dry corn comes plenty, about the first of Oct. we will take 20 or 30 more. We wish to do all for your children that we can.'

"To meet and secure these favourable dispositions, is a matter of great importance. The effect of diappointing them might be incalculably detrimental. The brethren of the mission have done what they could: and they have done much. Feeble handed, as they have been; weakened and afflicted with sickness; subjected to inconveniences; encompassed with difficulties; struggling on in weariness and painfulness; it is wonderful, that in so short a time, they have brought the establishment to its present state.They need help and must have help.

"More than five years ago, Mr. Alfred Wright, while a student in the Theological Seminary at Andover, after serious and prayerful deliberation, came to the resolution to devote himself to the missionary work among the heathen, should Providence open to him the way; but a failure of health has hindered him. After a residence, however, in North Carolina for two or three years, in a climate favourable to his constitution, he found his health so far restored, as to encourage him to commence preaching; and for several months past he has been employed in missionary labors to good acceptance, in South Carolina. With the return of health, his desire to go to the heathen has gained strength and animation.

"Having offered himself to the service, under the patronage of this Board, with satisfactory testimonials, he is now under appointment to the Choctaw mission. A request has been sent on for him to be ordained at Charleston, S. C. and it is hoped, that he will join the mission before winter.

"Several young men, teachers and mechanics, have offered themselves, and been accepted, for the service among the Aborigines; some of whom are intended for the Choctaw nation. And the Committee cannot doubt, that it will be the pleasure of the Board, that the help and means, requisite for VOL. 2-No. I. 6

the work there, should be supplied, with as little delay as possible.

ARKANSAW.

"About twenty-two months ago, proposals were made, in behalf of the Board, to that portion of the Cherokee nation, that have migrated to the Arkansaw, for the establishment of a mission and schools among them. The proposals were favourably received, and a strong desire was expressed by the Arkansaw chiefs, that their people might be favoured with means of instruction, similar to those afforded to their brethren on this side of the Mississippi. These proposals were solemnly repeated in May, 1818, and were received with gratitude. About ten months ago, a conference was held with them, by the Rev. Mr. Peck from the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions, and the Rev. Mr. Ficklin from the Kentucky Mission Society, with reference to establishments contemplated by their respective Societies. They too were answered with kindness; but were given to understand, that their proposals could not be accepted, until more should be known respecting our intentions. At the instance of the chiefs, and with a highly creditable liberality and Christian spirit, a correspondence was opened by them on the subject; which resulted in a talk, sent to the chiefs by Mr. Peck, in the latter part of last winter, of the following purport.

"Brothers,

"I have heard from your brothers in the north, who have a mission among the Cherokees on the other side of the Mississippi. They remember you with great love, and have not forgotten the promise to send you teachers. They have appointed a good man, who will visit you soon, and afterwards other good men, who will instruct you and your children, and seek your welfare.--I will do all in my power to promote the good work.'

"And may the Great Spirit breathe upon the Chief and head-men, and upon all the Cherokees on the Arkansaw, both small and great-disperse all the clouds, and cause the true light to shine upon them, that they may be happy here and after death."

"The person here referred to, as having been appointed to visit them soon, was the Rev. Alfred Finney, who was mentioned in the Report of the last year. He was designated for

the Arkansaw in November, with the intention that he should go out early in the spring, explore the country, make arrangements preparatory to the contemplated establishment, and be joined by others, as soon as it should be deemed advisable. But particular circumstances occasioned delay.

"Mr. Finney and his wife are now with the company from Rockaway, mentioned under the head of the Cherokee mission,as being bound to Brainerd. At Brainerd, he is to be joined by the Rev. Cephas Washburn, mentioned also in the last year's Report; who has been employed for the last nine months in Georgia, and has received instructions to leave Georgia, in season to reach Brainerd about the first of November.

"From Brainerd, Messrs. Washburn and Finney are to proceed to Elliot; and there leave their wives with the Choctaw mission, until they shall have visited the Arkansaw and made such preparations, as shall render the residence there of females, belonging to the mission, safe and proper. The mission is projected on the same general plan with those already established; and it is intended to be put for ward with all convenient despatch."

FUNDS.

"The donations to the Board within the year past have been about thirtyfour thousand dollars, and other sources of income have amounted to three thousand. Thus there has been a small advance in the receipts, notwithstanding the pecuniary embarrassments of our country. The expenditures of the Board, within the same period, have somewhat surpassed forty thousand dollars, which is about three thousand more than the receipts. The sum immediately needed, particularly for the Palestine and Sandwich Island Missions, is much greater than the balance on hand, after deducting from that balance the permanent fund, and those legacies, which, though not expressly assigned to that fund, it seems desirable to keep as a last resort. But the Committee do not hesitate to confide in that Christian liberality, which has been hitherto displayed.

"Donations have been received from more than five hundred associations, of various names; some formed for the general objects of the Board, and others for specific objects. Many of these associations are new; but it

must be stated also, that many others, previously existing, have not made remittances within the time above mentioned. From a considerable proportion of these, however, aid may still be expected. Others have united with larger auxiliary associations in their vicinity. Contributions made at the monthly concert have been received from ninety-four churches, of which fifty-nine made their first remittances during the year past. It is confidently believed, that this source of income will be greatly increased. Nine Masonic Lodges have made donations for the distribution of the Scriptures: eight of them for the first time within the limits embraced by this Report. "The Board has now under its direction, and dependent upon its funds, twenty-three Missionaries, and as many Assistants in the different parts of the work, sacredly devoted to the service for life-with thirty-five Female Helpers of like spirit. In its Mission Families and schools it has from two to three thousand heathen children and youth under Christian Instruction; of whom from two to three hundred are also chiefly supported from its funds. The numbers are continually increasing; the operations are extending; and the necessary expenditures are multiplying and augmenting."

From the London Missionary Register.

CHINA.

EDICT AGAINST CHISTIANITY.

The following translation of an Imperial Edict, issued in China, in 1805, is extracted from the transactions of the Literary Society, in Bombay. It has been sent to us by a friend, as likely not to be seen by the great body of our readers in the work from which he has extracted it. The European, to whom the edict refers, under the name of Tetien-tse, was father Adeodato, a Missionary at Pekin. The edict manifests a degree of alarm at the employment of the press in China, in the diffusion of the truths of Christianity, which will not fail to encourage Christians in the determined employment, in every practicable way, as opportunities shall be offered, of this powerful engine.

"The Supreme Criminal Court has reported to us the trial, investigation, and countenance of that tribunal, re

specting Ching-yo-vang, a native of the province of Canton, who had been discovered to have received privately a man and sundry letters from the European Te-tien-tse, and also regarding several other persons who had been found guilty of teaching and propagating the doctrines of the christian religion.

The Europeans, who adhere to the christian faith, act conformably to the customs established in these countries, and are not prohibited from doing so by our laws. Their establishments at Pekin were originally founded with the auspicious views of adopting the Western method in our astronomical calculations and Europeans of every nation, who have been desirous of studying and practising the same at this court, have readily been permitted to come and reside upon the above establishments; but, from the inning they were restricted from maintaining intercourse with, and exciting trouble among our subjects.

Nevertheless, Te-tien-tse has had the audacity secretly to propagate and teach his doctrines to the various persons mentioned in the Report; and he has not only worked on the minds of the simple peasantry and women, but even many of our Tartar subjects have been persuaded to believe and conform to his religion and it appears that no less than thirty-one books upon the European religion have been printed, by his order, in the Chinese character.

Unless we act with severity and decision on this occasion, how are these perverse doctrines to be suppressed? how shall we stop their insinuating progress? The books of the christian religion must originally have been written in the European languages; and, in that state, were incapable of influencing the minds of our subjects, or of propagating the doctrine in this country: but the books lately discovered are all of them printed in the Chinese character-with what view it is needless to enquire: for it is sufficient, that in this country, such means must not be employed to seduce our simple peasantry to the knowledge and belief of these tenets; and much less can it be suffered thus to operate on the minds of our Tartar subjects, as the most serious effects are to be apprehended from it on the hearts and minds of the people.

With respect to Ching-yo-vang, who

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