ARIOUS reports have been circulated, in feveral parts of the country, concerning the attention to religion which for a fhort time paft, has prevailed among the ftudents of Yale-College. Some perfons have expreffed a wifh, that a correct account of this fubject might be communicated to the public, that thofe, who are interested in the profperity of religion, might be able to know on what they might fafely rely. To fuch perfons the following fummary will, probably, afford fome fatisfaction. One of the youths, who, from peculiar caufes, was very deeply diftreffed, became the fubject of ftrong and dangerous temptations, which, however, it is hoped, have terminated in well grounded confolation and peace. Nothing is known to have happened, in any other inftance, which would give pain to a wife and good man, nothing enthufiaftic, nothing fuperftitious, nothing gloomy, morofe, or violent. All thofe, who have been thus affected, have plain. ly improved in their difpofition, and in their conduct. During the progrefs of the year, the ftudents have generally been, at leaft, as diligent, orderly, and decorous, fo far as is remembered, as at any former period. But thofe who have been re come more attentive to their duty, more modeft, more refpectful to their inftructors, and more affectionate to each other. A diftin In the beginning of March one of the ftudents was admitted into the collegiate church; another was admitted the following month. At this time it was not publicly known, although it was true, that a few others had become particu-ferred to in this account, have belarly attentive to divine things. Six more were received into the church, in the month of May, and, before their admiffion, a fmall number of others began to be un-guifhable ferenity and pleasantnefs commonly ferious. About this time the fame difpofition appeared rapidly to extend itself, so that before the vacation, which began on the 12th of May, not less than fifty of the ftudents exhibited a new and very folemn fenfe of the importance of falvation. On their return, after vacation, the fame character ftill predominated, and, hitherto, not an individual has appeared to lofe the interest which he had profeffed to feel in religion. The only change which has been perceived, has been that in which good men will rejoice. The determination to leave all, and follow Chrift, has, it is believed, become ftronger and more fettled. The number, alfo, has been confiderably enlargedupwards of eighty appear now to be deeply interested in their falvation. of difpofition appears to pervade them generally. With refpect to religion, all of them are greatly defirous to be taught, but none to affume the office of teaching. No fpirit of felf fufficiency, no inclination to diftribute cenfures, no appearance of arrogance, no flights of a wild imagination, have hitherto been difcovered. The lofty-minded have become humble, the lightminded fober, the thoughtless fol emn, and the vicious regular and uncenfurable. The doctrines of grace appear almoft inftinctively to be acknowledged by all, with out a doubt, as the true doctrines of the gofpel-the doctrines ac cording to which they hope to be faved. The influence of this fpirit, on their companions, has been vifible and not unimportant. At first a very small number of them difcovered an inclination to oppofe the progrefs of what they then ftyledenthusiasm. The oppofition has, however ceafed, and there are very few, who are not more folemn, and in whom a greater propriety of conduct is not clearly difcernible. On the whole, the ftate of Yale-College is, in the view of the Inftructors, more pleafing and defirable than at any former period within their knowledge. Yale-College, June 15th, 1802. The Report of the Truflees of the Miffionary Society of Connecticut, to faid Society, convened at Norwalk, the third Tuesday of June, 1802. W To them whofe agents we are. We are exceedingly happy not only in the abundant labors of our miffionaries,-in their fidelity and fuccefs,-and in the divine Ímiles on our miffionary inftitution, but in that harmony and brotherly affection which have fubfifted among ourselves: That we have feen eye to eye, and have proceeded in all our tranfactions with the fuade ourselves that it is an omenmoft perfect unanimity. We perfor good, and that our proceedings will meet the approbation of our conftituents and of our judge. That the divine fmiles have fo remarkably attended the miffionary inftitution, and that they ftill attend it, in the liberality of our good people,-in the increase of our funds, in the fuccefs of our miffionaries, in the approbation of our legiflature, and in the general increafe and spread of the miffion-. HILE we congratulate you, that, through the good hand of God upon you, you are again allowed to meet in General Affociation, not only to deliberate on the important interefts of thefe Churches, but as the Millionary Society of this ftate, to employ your counfels, and renew your exertions for the furthe-ary spirit, challenges our particurance of the gospel, in the new lar notice, and our grateful acfettlements and among the hea- knowledgments to him who perthen; we, having through the formeth all things for his people. fame merciful hand, continued to Whatever fuccefs has attended the this time, and having brought miffionaries, or any measures we our proceedings to another annual have adopted we affume nothing -termination, beg leave to prefent to ourselves, but afcribe to him all you with our report of them, and the fuccefs and glory. When he with fuch papers as may be necef- has a good work to effect, he railfary for their illuftration. es up the inftruments, provides the means to be employed, and gives the fuccefs. To him therefore belongsall the glory. As the general concerns of the miffionary inftitution are committed to the management of the Trustees, we esteem ourselves under a high refponfibility for our conduct, to him to whofe kingdom they more immediately relate, and to the Miffionary Society The narrative we have lately published, a copy of which is herewith tranfmitted to each member of the Miffionary Society, contains a general ftatement of our proceedings, of miffionary labors, and the ftate of our funds to the clofe of the year 1801. More miffionaries have been employed, and more miffionary labors performed than in any preceding year. Fourteen miffionaries are particularly named in the narrative, as having been employed in the courfe of the year, for a longer or a fhorter term. Six of thofe miffionaries, viz. the Rev. Mr. Willifton, Mr. Jerome, Mr. Porter, Mr. May, the Rev. Mr. Higgins, and Mr. Woodward, have all been employed in preaching to the new fettlements in the county of Luzerne in Pennfylvania, and in the western counties in the ftate of New-York. Their particular tours and labors are fo fully related in the narrative, that little more is neceffary to be obferved refpecting them. Mr. Williston at prefent continues one half of his time in the fervice of the Society. He is very ufeful in the fhort circuits which he makes in the counties of Otfego, Onondaga, Cayuga, Chenango, Tioga, and Steuben in the ftate of New-York, and in the county of Luzerne in the state of Pennfylvania. Mr. Bubnell, after spending eleven months in the western counties of New-York, returned to Connecticut in January 1801. During the whole term of his miffionary tour, he preached not lefs than five fermons a week, attend ed nearly ninety public conferences, befides performing other miffionary labors. Soon after his return, he was re-appointed to the miffionary fervice. It was expected he would spend a few weeks in the vacant fettlements in the ftate of Vermont, and that he would then vifit the western counties in the fate of New-York; but on VOL. III. No. 1. the account of an uncommon attention among the people in Vermont to whom he preached, he obtained liberty to continue there, fo long as there fhould be an extraordinary call for his labors there. He confequently spent about eleven months in the northern counties of that ftate, and returned to Connecticut in January laft. The Truftees have fince reappointed him a miffionary during pleafure, and directed him to revifit all the churches and places where he hath formerly preached, to confirm the brethren, to advife the churches, to compofe difficulties where any have arifen, and to perform all thofe minifterial fervices which fhall be neceffary for the furtherance of the gofpel in the places which he fhall revifit. Exclufive of the labors of Mr. Williston and Mr. Woodward, the gentlemen who have been in the western counties of New-York,, and in the county of Luzerne in Pennsylvania, have preached more than 600 fermons, befides attending numerous conferences, forming churches, baptizing hundreds of perfons, and often adminiftering the holy communion. Mr. James W. Woodward spent four months on a niffion to Black River, and has been fince reappointed to labor in the fame place.. Hence it appears that our miffionaries, in the ftates of New-Yorks and Pennfylvania, during the term of their feveral miffions, have performed fervices equal to about fix years of minifterial labor. Exclufive of cleven months labors of Mr. Bushnell in Vermont, Meflrs. Huntington, Hallock, Swift and Morgan have preached between three and four hundred fermons, during the paft and prefent year, befides the performance of other miffiorary labors. It E appears that more than three years | tled within the fame territory, or of ordinary minifterial labor have been employed in that quarter fince our laft report. The Rev. Alexander Gillet has lately entered on a miffion to the northen part of Vermont for the term of four months. Mr. Badger and Mr. Chapman are performing miffionary labors at New-Connecticut; but we have received no recent accounts from them. We confider the furnishing the inhabitants of that territory with the best ministerial inftruction as a matter of the first importance, and fhall, by no means, lofe fight of fo interefting an object. border upon it. They generally if not univerfally fpeak the fame language. The introduction of a miffionary, well versed in the Chippeway language, as we hope Mr. Bacon foon will be, may happily lead the way to the spread of civilization and the gospel through a moft extenfive country. The Trustees earnestly wish to be a means in the hands of Providence of fuch immenfe good to large numbers of their perishing fellow men. While we pray for wisdom and the fuccefs of the miffion, we afk the prayers of the Society, and of all the friends of Zion for us, that we may have light and prudence happily to conduct the miffionary bufinefs, and that it may be crowned with distinguished fuccefs. And we pray it may be no lefs fuccefsful among our brethren of the American forefts than among ourselves. The public contributions in May last, we are happy to obferve, have been more liberal than any of the preceding. In addition to thefe, many private donations have been made to the Society, two of which amounted to 100 dollars each. This affords us an ample evidence of the approbation of our benevolent people, and prefents us with a pleafing profpect, that their hearts and hands will be opened in future to the calls of Providence whatever they shall be. The laft accounts from Mr. Bacon our Indian miffionary, are flattering. He expects to proceed foon to the river Miami, about 70 miles from Detroit, where is a large body of Indians who speak the Chippeway language, and to open to them the defigns and views of the Miffionary Society and of their Trustees, and begin the communication of the gospel to them. It appears by a letter which we have lately received from him, that he has a profpect of obtaining a good interpreter upon reasonable terms, and that the Indians are difpofed to give him a favorable reception. Some of them have expreffed a ftrong defire to be inftructed in the art of husbandry, and intimated that if Mr. Bacon could inftruct them in that, fuch numbers of their Indians would collect about him as that his hands will be filled with more than he can do. The Chippeways are fettled on the lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior, and are scattered over extenfive regions about thofe lakes. The Wyandots, Twitwees, Miamis, Ottowas, and other tribes are set-Willifton continue to labor as a The Trustees at a late meeting, refolved, that for the current year, two miffionaries be employed in New-Connecticut :-That the Rev. Jedidiah Bushnell itinerate as a miffionary through the year, in the western counties of NewYork and the northern counties of Vermont :-That the Rev. Seth miffionary, fuch a part of the time as he fhall not be employed to preach to the people at Lifle; and that he vifit fuch places in the western counties of New-York as the Trustees, or in their recefs the committee of miffions fhall direct: -That Mr. James W. Woodward continue in the Black River country, unless otherwise directed by the Trustees or the committee of miffions, for the term of four months :-That a permanent miffionary be appointed to itinerate in the fouthern range of counties, in the western part of New-York ftate, and the northern counties of Pennfylvania, to enter on his miffion the first of September next: -That a permanent miffionary be employed to labor in the northern counties of Vermont :-That one miffionary be sent for the term of four months to the northern part of New-York, weft of lake Champlain :-That one miffionary be employed for four months to go up Connecticut river to the northern boundary line of the United States, and vifit the vacant fettlements on both fides of the river, within a convenient distance: and that one other miffionary be employed for the term of fix months, to labor in fuch places as the Trustees, or in their recess the committee of miffions fhall direct. and the liberality of good people, are so increased that the Trustees are of the opinion that application fhould be made to the legislature of the ftate, to form a corporate body, with power to receive and hold money, lands, books or whatever fhall be given to promote the defigns of the miffionary inftitution; and by their vote they have referred the matter to your wife deliberation. The Rev. Nathan Strong, D. D. has been appointed to wait on you with faid vote, to explain the views of the Trustees, and to tranfact whatever may be neceffary relative to the business. By the correfpondence we have opened with the Miffionary Society of London, and Societies of the fame kind in America as well as Europe, we are happy to find, that the miffionary spirit and exertions are increafing and spreading in both countries; that new and important focieties are forming for the propagation of the gofpel, and that Chriftians of almost every proteftant denomination are, in an uncommon manner, contributing their money, employing their time and talents for the enlargement of the Redeemer's kingdom; and that Chriftians of different nations and denominations are felicitating one another on the happy appearances, and mutually ftimulating each other to the glorious work. The Trustees have alfo appropriated 200dollars for the purchase of religious books, to be diftrib-ty, uted among the inhabitants of the new fettlements; 100 dollars of which to be taken up in the Connecticut Evangelical Magazine, the refidue to be applied to the purchase and diftribution of fuch books as the Committee of miffions fhall think best. The funds of the Society, through the fmiles of Providence, The London Miffionary Sociewith great zeal and energy, are profecuting their benevolent defigns of extending the gospel to the four quarters of the earth. They have fent a large number of miffionaries, the last year, to the islands in the South Sea; and their profpects, with refpect to the propagation of Chriftianity in thofe iflands, are as flattering as can reafonably be expected. They |