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to the prefent time. Wholly without funds, and without any certainty how they could be ob tained, the important object was undertaken, under a deep sense of duty and ftrong defires, as they humbly conceive, to advance the

with fill fuch vacancy.-Provided always, that it fhall be the duty of the faid Truftees to lay before the General Affembly annually, an account of their receipts and expenditures and of fuch alterations as may be made in the aforefaid Conftitution by the Gen-kingdom of the dear Redeemer in

eral Affociation and a fummary of their proceedings and fuccefs and it fhall be in the power of the General Affembly to difallow, and fet afide any alterations of the faid Conftitution made as aforefaid at their difcretion.-Provided also, that this act or any part thereof may be altered or repealed by the General Affembly.

An Addrefs from the TRUSTEES OF THE MISSIONARY SOCIETY OF CONNECTICUT to the Minifters and people of the ftate: With a Narrative on the fubject of Miffions, and a statement of the Funds of the Society, for the year 1802.

W Miffionary Society of

HEN the Truftees of the

the inftruction and falvation of men. Yet from the moment that this charitable and noble defign commenced, neither Miffionaries to carry it into execution, nor money to fupport them have been wanting. The honorable legifla ture have patronized the defign; and the charity of the people, and the fuccefs of the miffions have exceeded the moft fanguine expectations. The Truftees acknowledge this to be the Lord's doings and it is marvellous in their eyes. They afcribe all the fuccefs and glory to him. To him, they defire not only to give thanks themfelves, but pray that they may alfo be given by all the churches of our Lord Jefus Chrift. They are happy, and it is with joy and thanksgiving, that they are able now to lay before the public fuch an account of the fuccefs of the miffions, the increafe of their funds, of the state of the Society, and the profpects of its extenfive influence and usefulness as will evince that the divine smiles have never more manifeftly attended the inftitution than in the courfe of the last year. This indeed adds greatly to their plea

Miffionary Society of Connecticut confider the fmall beginnings of the miffionary bufinefs, in the deliberations and exertions of particular gentlemen, and particular affociations, who fent out Miffionaries into feveral of the new fettlements, wholly at their own expenfe, and that of the Miffionaries who undertook thofe arduous labors, and the uncertainty which there then was of any pub-fure, that while these circumlic or general fupport; when they reflect on the progrefs which has been made in the bufinefs, and the good which has been effected, they hold themselves bound in du

to acknowledge the divine Providence, confpicuoufly watching over, fostering and fucceeding

, from its very commencement

ftances afford them peculiar fatisfaction, they will alfo excite the joy and thanksgiving of all thofe who with well to Jerufalem.

Under thefe impreffions, the Truftees requeft the attention of the minifters and people of the ftate to the following narrative.

During the rear 1802, the

Rev. Meffrs. Jofeph Badger and Ezekiel J. Chapman, have labored as Miffionaries in New Connecticut; the Rev. Meffrs. Seth Wil lifton, Jedidiab Bufbnell, James W. Woodward and William F. Miller in the ftate of New-York; the Rev. Mellrs. Solomon Morgan, Alexander Gillet, John Willard, jun. Samuel Leonard, Jedidiah Bufonell and William F. Miller in the state of Vermont.

The following fummary of their labors and extracts from their journals will give a view of the state of miffions for the past year and part of the preceding.

In the last narrative the Rev. Jofeph Badger is mentioned as having then recently returned from a tour of 14 months to New Connecticut. During that tour, he vifited every settlement which was then formed, and almost every family. He alfo vifited all the fchools; catechifed the children

Miffionaries. The country is extenfive; the fettlements as yet fcattered and generally fmall, but rapidly increafing. A wide field is opening in that territory for miffionary labors, and there is great need that in this their infant ftate they fhould be affifted by the exertions of their more favored friends in the old fettlements of New-England.

In the months of September and October, Mr. Badger, in company with the Rev. Thomas Hughes and George Blue Jacket, fon of an Indian chief, who had been living with Mr. Hughes, and who had embraced the Chriftian religion, vifited the Indians at the Miami villages. They went at the requeft of one of the Pennfylvania Prefbyteries, to propofe to the Indians to agree to live together in towns, to cultivate land, and to receive Miffionaries to teach them religion and inftru&t their children. They had feveral conferences with fome of the chiefs on the fubject, who, having held a grand council, told them they would give them a decifive answer in the fpring. They were treated kindly by the Indians, many of whom they found partially civiliz ed, and poffeffing fome faint ideas of the Chriftian religion, which they had obtained from Roman Catholic Miffionaries formerly fent among them by the French.There appears however little profpect that any thing can be done among thofe Indians at prefent, to any good effect.

and gave them religious inftruction; preached almost daily, attended conferences frequently, and performed much minifterial fervice. He occafionally went into the ftate of Peunfylvania, where he attended two Prefbyteries, preached fundry times and vifited feveral schools and families. At Auftinburg, he formed a church confifting of 14 members, and here and at other places adminiftered the Chriftian ordinances.-Moft of the inhabitants appeared friendly to religious inftitutions, and were pleafed with having a Miffionary to preach to them occafionally, till the fettlements fhall Mr. Badger, returned to Newbecome fo large as to enable them England the firft of January laft, to fettle minifters. Some of the and being reappointed a Miffionapeople, it is true, were unfriendly ry by the Trustees, went again in to religion and openly expreffed the spring to New-Connecticut, their oppofition to the truth, and where, after a very lengthy and faa determination to exert them-tiguing journey, he arrived, with felves to prevent the fuccefs of his family, the firft of May. No

particular account of his miffionary labors fince that time has as yet been received from him. In a letter dated November 19, 1802, he mentions that he had preached in about twenty different fettlements, fince his arrival in that country; and that he had formed a church at Hudfon confifting of 14 members. He reprefents the fettlements as ftanding in great need of miffionary labors, to prevent the growth of error, and to encourage and affist the people in the establishment of religious inftitutions.

The Rev. Ezekiel J. Chapman, as mentioned in the last narrative, left Hartford in November 1801,

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Range, 7 in Pennsylvania, 2 in
Young's town, 8 in No. 1, 3d
Range, 6 in Boardman, 6 in No.
1, 6th Range, 2 in Palmyra,

in No. 1, 7th Range, 1 in No. 2, 8th Range, and 6 in No. 3, 8th Range.

"I have vifited the families in 'the towns before mentioned, and publicly catechifed the children whenever I judged it expedient. In places where the ordinances are not administered, where the means of public, religious inftruction are not enjoyed, reli'gion infenfibly lofes ground, and prayer in the family and clofet is generally omitted. The confequences of these things are

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as a Miffionary to New-Connecti-infidelity, ftupidity and licencut. He reached that country the beginning of December; where he has continued to the prefent time, and is expected to remain until the enfuing fpring.Several letters have been received from him, from which it appears that he has preached in most of the fettlements, and in fome of them feveral times; that he has vifited schools, catechised and inftructed children, attended conferences, adminiftered the Chriftian ordinances, and performed other minifterial duties, wherever divine Providence opened a door for his labors.

In a letter dated September 10, Mr. Chapman writes as follows: "The following is an account of the fermons I have preached and ⚫ of the towns in which they were preached. 9 in Auftinburg, 12 in No. 11, 5th Range, 6 in No. 11, 8th Range, 2 in No. 10, 9th Range, 1 in No. 9, 10th Range, 9 in Cleaveland, 11 in Hudfon, I in Thompfon, 6 in No. 13, 1ft Range, 14 in Nos. 5 and 6, 1ft Range, 3 in No. 5, 2d Range, 3 in No. 4, 2d VOL. III. No. 8.

"I have been kindly received ' in every place which I have vifited; and have been favored with the beft accommodation which the country affords. I have been welcomed by all the 'families which I have vifited, as a man, and by most families, I believe, as a minifler of Chrift.” In his letters Mr. C. mentions feveral places in Pennsylvania, and fome of the fettlements in New Connecticut, where there was an increafing attention to religion, and an animating prospect that God was about to appear to build up Zion in the western wildernefs;. while in other places a great degree of ftupidity prevailed, and but little encouragement was giv en to Miffionaries. He laments the fcarcity of religious books in that new country, and expreffes a ftrong defire that the inhabitants of Connecticut would continue and increase their donations to the Miffionary Society, that the Trustees may be enabled not only to fend out a greater number of Miffionaries, but that they may

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In general the people take

also have it in their power to fup

ply the new fettlements with ufe-pains to notify and attend lecful, religious books, as a power

ful mean, under the bleffing of Heaven, of checking the growth

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tures, upon a fhort warning. In fome places the attention to preaching has been fo remarka

of infidel and immoral principles.ble, that I could not but hope 'the time of their redemption was drawing nigh. We hope the good people of Connecticut will not only fend Miffionaries among the new fettlers; but also pray for the bleffing of God to accompany their labors. We hope alfo that they will pray to the Head of the Church speedily to ( prepare the way, that these deftitute flocks may have ftated

From the beginning of the year to the 11th of November, the Rev. Seth Willifon, performed feveral fhort miffionary tours, in the weftern counties of New-York, amounting in the whole to 15 weeks. The rest of the time he labored as a stated paftor at Lifle. During thefe miffions, Mr. Willifton preached about 120 times, attended a number of conferences,

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adminiftered the Lord's fupper 4 paftors, which is a bleffing that

times, baptized feveral adults and children, vifited and catechifed a number of schools, attended funerals, and vifited the fick.

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clofes his journal with the following remarks: "During this year, I have not, as a Missionary, been permitted to gather in any harveft of fouls; ftill perhaps thro' grace, here and there a fheaf may have been gathered into 'Chrift's garner. Seed may alfo have been fown this year, which will fpring up into a harveft the next or fome future year. If I may not, like fome of my brethren, reap, I fhould be thankful that I am allowed to fow. I hope my miffion the prefent · year has been of fome fervice to thofe who were before in • Chrift. Sometimes I think I have feen their faces gliften under the preaching of the word. They feemed by their very countenances to fay, "Oh, how love we thy law !" I have alfo been allowed to adminifter fpecial, fealing ordinances to fome, who would otherwife have fighed for them in vain. As before, fo now I muft fay, I have been < kindly received and well treated.

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they greatly need. In confift" ency with fuch a prayer, which none will hesitate to make, we hope Christian fathers and mothers will not hold back their Samuels, but lend them to the Lord as long as they live."

About the middle of November, Mr. Williston entered on a miffion of ten weeks to the counties of Luzerne and Wayne in Pennsylvania.

He

In the narrative for 1801, the Rev. Jedidiah Bufonell is mentioned as then laboring in the upper counties of Vermont. returned in January laft, and has given the following general account of his tour, in the year 1801.

"The whole of my last mif'fion to the new fettlements, I fpent in the ftate of Vermont. I left Hartford February 18th, 1801, and continued on my miffion eleven months and two days; in which time I affifted in the formation of three churches ; • adminiftered the facrament of the Lord's Supper 15 times; preached 256 fermons ; attended 66 public conferences; baptized 22 adults and 241 chil'dren; attended one ecclefiafti

*cal council and one ordination, and performed other miffionary duties as time and opportunity would permit, fuch as vifiting fchools, families and attending to the instruction of children.

"The most of these labors were

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churches, which have generally been amicably fettled. Molt of the young churches appeared to enjoy fomething of the life of religion, and fome of them fhone in its real power and beauty. The fruits of paft revivals of re

< in the north-western part of theligion, among them are very ftate; in the counties of Addi- 'genuine. C fon, Chittendon and Franklin. I vifited the towns on the shores of lake Champlain, the Islands in the lake, and alfo the towns interfperfed among the Green ⚫ mountains. I never received more kindness from the people

"When I had visited the 'churches in the western coun'ties of the ftate of New-York, I directed my course into the 'ftate of Vermont. I have vifit'ed the three northern counties upon the weft fide of the moun

on a miffion than the laft. Theirtain, which were the field of my hofpitality I think is uncommon. miffionary labors the last year. They exprefs much gratitude They were glad to hear the gofto the people of Connecticut, pel this year. A number of churwho have contributed to the 'ches have been formed in my abfupport of miffions, hoping that ence, which, with those previouftheir benevolence may be re-ly formed, are in a flourishing ⚫warded with the infinite bleffings ftate, and appear hungry for the of eternity." 'bread of life.

In May Mr. Bushnell was re

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"In both the western and

appointed a miffionary, with di-northern countries, are partial rections to vifit the towns and fet- 'revivals of religion. I found no tlements in the states of New-York place where the divine work apand Vermont, where he had for-peared fo powerful as I have merly labored. The following feen on former miffions; neither

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' have I found any place fo dread

fully ftupid as I formerly have. The fpirit appears more generally fpread, and yet is not accompanied with thofe tokens of power, that appeared in the be

to the weftward, and commenc-ginning of the glorious work. 'ed my mission ten miles weft of

'Catskill.

and

I continued my miffion weft, and preached from town to town, and from county to county, until I had vifited most of the fettlements 'churches among which I had previously travelled. I preachto fome fettlements that I had not formerly vifited, and omit⚫ted fome with which I had been 'partially acquainted. Some dif

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ficulties appeared in a few

Our religious affemblies have been as large and probably larg'erthan on my preceding miffions. The tents of Jacob never appeared more pleasant. Christians and churches put on a degree of 'order and stability which make 'them appear more like an army 'with banners.

"Miffionaries are much wanted both to the weftward and northward. The Lord is opening a wide door for miffionary la

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