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tions, and recommended to the churches as fuitable candidates to preach the gospel, and for fettlement in the work of the gospel miniftry. Our churches are therefore always furnished with preachers, and the public worship of God is attended twice every Lord's-day in all our churches, extraordinaries excepted. We abound in fchools, and they are better endowed than in any other state in America, and we perfuade ourselves, that common fchools are not more amply provided for in any part of the world. It is enacted by law, that the Bible fhall be read in all the fchools once every day, and that fome orthodox catechifm fhall be taught in them every week; and it is alfo enacted that all mafters fhall be examined and approved by a committee of the district appointed for that purpose. The schools alfo are all fubject to a vifitation of the committees; and cannot, without submiffion to the laws, in these refpects, receive the money appropriated to their fupport. Thefe are late regulations made by the legislature of this ftate.

In confequence of peace, and the almoft incredible population of our inhabitants, the new fettlements in the northern and western parts of the United States have spread themselves beyond all former parallel, over a tract much more extenfive than all the old fettlements in New England. The General Affociation of Connecticut, though thofe fettlements are all without their limits, to keep up the habits of fanctifying the Sabbath, and of public and family worship and religion, to animate and affift good people in the formation of new churches, and to fettle ftated paftors among them, as expeditiously as circumstances will admit, have for a number of years paft, fent paftors and candidates for the miniftry, to itinerate among them, to inftruct them in the things of the kingdom, and adminifter the ordinances as occafion might require. The legislature of the state have been pleafed to countenance this benevolent and pious defign, and twice have granted contributions in all the congregational churches, or ecclefiaftical congregations in the ftate, for the term of three years fucceffively.

In June 1798, the General Affociation formed themselves into a Miffionary Society, and elected a board of trustees, for the purposes of christianizing the heathen in North America, and to fupport and promote Chriftian know. ledge in the new fettlements, within the limits of the United States. On this inftitution it has pleased our gracious Redeemer to fmile. The chairman of the trultees is Deputy Governor of the State, the other civilians are gentlemen of principal character and influence in it.

Perfect harmony and fincere brotherly affection appear to reign among the trustees, and they have one heart to promote the benevolent defign of their inftitution. The fociety have been happily affifted by the charitable contributions of good people, and our funds are increafing.

But that which is moft worthy of our notice, and challenges our highest gratitude and praife to the Author of all good, is his gracious vifitation of many of our churches, and the new fettlements alfo, with an important revival of religion Many, both in the old and new fettlements, have, in the judg ment of charity, been born of God, and have commenced the humble, obedient, fruitful, followers of the Lamb. The work has been powerful and genuine. Perfons of all characters, ages, and fex, have been its happy fubjects. The moft ftupid, erroneous, haughty, and stubborn have been humbled. Univerfalists, deifts, and even atheists have been made to bow to the fceptre of Jefus. Thofe who have been moft implacably opposed to the foul-humbling and Christ exalting doctrines of the gospel, have been brought moft cordially to embrace them, and to rejoice in them as the only foundation of their hope and comfort. The fruits of the work have been love, union, humbleness of mind, piety, righteousness, and all good fruits. In this glorious work we have had a recent and ftrong evidence, that the Christian religion is divine.

With fentiments of great esteem, and the most affured friendship, we are Rev. Sir, your brethren and fellow-labourers in the kingdom and patience of our Lord Jefus Chrift,

The Rev. J. Eyre, A. M.

Hackney.

BENJAMIN TRUMBULL.
NATH. STRONG.

ABEL FLINT.

ARTICLES OF THE AMERICAN EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

Extracted from the Journal of the Convention.

The new Articles, in number feventeen, revised and abridged from those of the Church of England, were propofed by Mr. John Biffet, a native of Aberdeenshire, ordained by the Nonjurants, now Affiftant Minister of Trinity Church in Norfolk. But the confideration of them is referred to the next Epifcopal Convention to meet at Trenton, 1891.

Art. I. Of Faith in the Holy Trinity.

"THERE is but one living and true God, everlasting, of infinite po ver, wildom, and goodness, the maker and preferver of all things, visible and invifible. And in the unity of the godhead there are three perfons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier.

Art. II. Of the Holy Scripture.

"Holy Scripture containeth all things neceffary to falvation, fo that whatever is not read therein, and cannot be proved thereby, is not to be re, ceived as an article of faith, nor deemed neceffary to falvation. By Holy Scripture we understand the canonical books of the Old and New Teftament" (and after an enumeration of them, it follows) "The apocryphal books are read by the church, for example of life, and inftruction of manners, not for the establishment of discipline or doctrine.

Art. III. Of the Old and New Testament,

"There is a perfect harmony and accordance between the Old and New Teftament, for in both pardon of fin and everlafting life are offered to mankind through Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man; and although Christians, are not bound to obey the civil and ceremonial precepts, yet thev are obliged to obferve all the moral commandments of the Mofaic difpenfation.

Art. IV. Of the Creeds.

"The Nicene Creed and the Apostle's Creed ought to be retained and believed; becaufe every article contained in them may be proved by Holy Scripture.

Art. V. Of the Tranfgreffion of our First Parents.

"By the tranfgreffion of our brit parents they loit that primitive innocence and perfect koliness, in which God had created them; and thus the nature of men became corrupted, and prone to evil; fo that there is no man living who finneth not.

Art. VI. Of Juflification.

"We are justified or pardoned by God, not on account of our own good works, but only through the merits and mediation of our blessed Redeemer and Advocate, Jefus Chrift,, But altho' good works cannot put away our fins, nor appear perfest before God, yet they are pleafing and acceptable to God in Chrift, and effentially neceffry to falvation; for Scripture affures us, that faith without works is dead; and that without holineis no man fhall fee, the Lord.

Art. VII. Of Predeftination and Election. "Being well affured from Holy Scripture of the eternal purpofe or promile of redemption, according to which God fent his Son to be the propitia

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tion for the fin of the whole world, and Chrift Jefus gave himself a ransom for all; we receive the doctrine of predeftination as confiftent with, and agreeable to, this most gracious and general scheme of falvation, which we believe to be univerfal in the intention, however partial the wickedness of mankind may render it in the application. Under the impreffion of this belief, it is the duty of Chriftians to be fatisfied with, and attend to, the promifes of God, as they are generally fet forth to us in Scripture, without feeking to be wife above what is written, or plunging into the unrevealed fecrets of either paft or future eternity, but always remembering the diftinction which, in fuch cafes, Mofes lays down: "Secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but the things which are revealed unto us and to cur children for ever; that we may do all the words of this law.”

Art. VIII. Of Salvation by Chrift alone.

"Holy Scripture declares, that there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be faved, but the name of our Lord Jefus Chrif. But we are not authorized to affert, that men fhall not be faved by Jesus Chrift, to whom his Gospel has not been promulgated. We leave them to the uncovenanted mercies of God."

Art. IX. Of the Church.

"The visible Church of Christ is the whole multitude of believers of whatsoever nation or language, dwelling upon the face of the earth; among whom the pure word of God is preached, the facraments duly adminiftered, and the order of the priesthood preserved, according to Chrift's ordinance and appointment.

Art. X. Of the Authority of the Church.

"The Church hath power to ordain, charge and abolish rites and ceremonies, and to determine controverfies of faith; but it is not lawful for the Church to order or command any thing to be received or believed, which is contrary to the canon of Scripture: or to expound one part of the fame, fo as to be repugnant to another. The Church alfo is the witness, or keeper of holy writ; and muft neither adulterate, nor add to, or take from, the fame.

Art. XI. Of Miniftering in the Church.

"It is not lawful for any men to take upon him the office of public preaching, or adminiftering the holy facrament, until he be regularly or dained, and fent to execute the fame. And those we judge lawfully sent, who are ordained by the bifhops of the Church.

Art. XII. Of the Sacraments.

"Sacraments were ordained by Chrift, not only to be badges or tokens of Chriftian profeffion, but to be outward and visible figns of inward and fpiritual grace; by which he doth work invifibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but alio ffrengthen and confirm our faith in him.

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Art. XIII. Of Baptism.

Baptifm is an ordinance by which we are regenerated and horn again of water and the Holy Ghoft, received into Chrift's Church, and made, living members of the fame.

Art. XIV. Of the Lord's Supper.

"The Supper of the Lord is not only a token of the love that Chriftians ought to have towards one another, but rather a pledge of our redemption by Chrift's death. To fuch as w rthily receive the fame, the bread which is broken is a partaking of the body of Chrift; and the cup of bluffing is a partaking of the bloot of Chrift, both which are Ipiritually received for the prefervation of our fouls and bodies unto everlasting life.

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Art. XV. Of the Oblation of Christ.

"The oblation of the body of Chrift, once made, is that perfect facrifice, propitiation and fatisfaction, which was once offered for the fins of the whole world. And there is no other facrifice, fatisfaction, or atonement for fin, but that only.

Art. XVI. Of Excommunicated Perfons.

"Whofoever is publicly excommunicated by the government of the Church, and cut off from the unity of the fame, is to be confidered as an alien from the promises of the Gospel, until he be openly reconciled and received again into communion.

Art. XVII. Of the Power of the Civil Magiftrate,

"The power of the Civil Magistrate extendeth to all men, clergy as well as laity, in all things temporal, but hath no authority in things purely fpiritual. And we hold it to be the duty of all men who are profeffors of the Gospel, to pay a respectful obedience to the civil authority, regularly and legitimately conftituted."

HOXTON ACADEMY.'

WE have great pleasure in relating that, through the bleffing of God,

this feminary has fent out ten ufeful Minifters in the courfe of the last year, who are labouring in the following places: Mr. Cobbin at South Molton; Mr. Cope, Launceston; Mr. Dewhirft, Bury St. Edmond's; Mr. Durant, Dundee; Mr. Gawthorn, Derby; Mr. Harris, Kington; Mr. Kent, Gravefend; Mr. Mitchell, Quebec; Mr. Thornton, Billericay; Mr. Vincent, Deal.

We under and that at a general meeting of the Society, the 9th of January, in order that the students might receive greater advantages, and that the ufefulness of the Institution might be promoted, it was refolved to add one year to the time of the ftudents' continuance on the foundation. It alfo appeared that from the encreafe of ftudents, and the advance of the neceffaries of life, the expenditure far exceeds the fated income; but we trust while it continues a bleffing in the land, the Inftitution will never want fupport from the friends to the Redeemer's kingdom.

WEST KENT ASSOCIATION.

October 28, 1800. The Diffinting Minifters of this diftrict, united for the purpofe of diffufing the knowledge of evangelical truth, met at Mr. Ralph's Meeting Houfe, Maiditone; when the business refpecting the great object of their union was attended to, and fettled. Two fermons were preached on the occafion; the former by Mr. Morris, of Eynsford, from 1. Cor. iii, 11. and the latter by Mr. Knott, of Chatham, from Rom. i, 9. And the brethren Fowler, Beaufoy, Gooding, Stanger, and Macdonnel, engaged in prayer.

The next half-yearly meeting is appointed to be held at Maidstone on Tueday, April 28 next, at 10 in the forenoon, when the brethren Pilcher and Shatterie are nominated to preach, the former at three in the afternoon, and the other in the evening.

THE EAST KENI ASSOCIATION

Met at Mr. Parnell's Meeting, Canterbury, Nev. 12, 1800. when Mr. Stanger preached in the morning from Pfalm lxxxix. 15. Mr. G. Townsend in the evening from 2 Tim. i. 8. Mr. Goldfmith the preceding evening from Jonah iii. 2. The opportunities were found very refreshing to many who were prefent.

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The next meeting was appointed to be held at Mr. Townsend's Meeting, Ramigate, on Wednesday April 8, 1801. Mr. Young, of Canterbury, to preach in the morning, the Minifter at Afhford in the evening, and the Minifter who may be at Deal the preceding evening.

CHAPELS OPENED.

IN our Magazine for August 1799, we gave account of the opening of Salem Chapel, Wakefield. This f on hecame fo regularly crouded, that it was judged necessary to build a new chapel, which holds upwards of one thousand perfons, with good accommodations for the poor: this was opened on Sunday, December 21ft, 1800, by Mr. Raylon, paftor, who preached from Numbers xxiii. 23.

The new Chapel at Farringdon, was opened May 23, 1800. Morning fermon by the Rev. Rowland Hill, from Acts ii. 42. Afternoon, by Mr. Wilkins, Goring, from Haggai ii. 7. Evening, by Mr. Griffiths of Wallingford, from Isaiah lx. 1,

Very lately alfo was opened, a new Chapel in the neighbouring town of Cricklade; and we have the pleasure to add, that the gospel is obtaining a growing fpread in this neighbourhood.

Dec. 2, 1800, was opened a Meeting-houfe in Broad-ftreet, Reading, which will feat about 700 perfons. Rev. Mr. Clayton, of London, preached in the morning, from Luke vii. 5. Mr. Hinton, of Oxford, in the afternoon, from Zech. ii. 9. Mr. Hughes, of Batterfea, in the evening, from John ix. 27, latter part of the 27th verfe.

Mr. Scho efield, of Henley; Mr. Winter, of Newbury; Mr. Thresher, of Abingdon; Mr. Morris, of Ameriham; Mr. Evans, of Abingdon; Mr. Lovegrove, of Wallingford; Dr. Davies, of Reading; Mr. Jefferson, of Basingstoke; and Mr. Cooke, of Maidenhead, offered up the prayers on the occafion, and Mr. Douglas, paftor of the church, gave out the hymns, The congregations were large, and the fervices both folemn and pleasant, many found their minds refreshed, and, we truft, the whole was attended with the peculiar prefence of the Great Head of the Church.

It is with the highest satisfaction we add, that the Lord has awakened among this people a spirit of liberality, that they might honourably defray every expence without delay, or without any application to other churches.

JUN

ORDINATIONS.

[UNE 9, 1800. The Rev. Mr. NELSON, late Minifter at Swalwell, Durham, was ordained to the paftoral charge of the new Diffenting congregation in North Shields, Northumberland. Mr. Colquhoun, of Perth, preached from Mark xvi. 15. asked the usual questions, and received the confeffion of faith, gave a charge to Mr. Nelfon from 1 Timothy iv. 16. and to the church from Hebrews iii. 7. The following Sabbath Mr. Nelion preached from Pfalm 1. 5. after which the Lord's Supper was difpenfed to the church, and another minifter preached in the evening, from Luke xi. 2. Mr. Colquhoun preached on Monday from Gal. iii. 29. " If ye be Chrift's then are ye Abraham's feed and heirs, according to the promife."

Feb. 16. 1801, The Rev. T. JACKSON was ordained paftor of the Church of Chrift at Stockwell, Surry. Mr. Platt, of Holywell Mount, begun the fervice of the day with prayer and reading the Scriptures. Mr. J. A. Knight, of London, delivered the introductory difcourfe, afked the questions, and received the confeffion of faith. Mr. Grove, of Walfall, offered up the ordination prayer. M. Wilks, of London, gave the charge from 1 Timothy iv. 12. fiift claufe. Mr. Radford prayed the general prayer. Mr. Rowland Hill preached to the people, from 1 Cor. xv. 58. Mr. Hughes, of Batterfea, concluded in prayer. POETRY.

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