members the existing state of its affairs, they proceed to this duty with feelings of unabated interest in the objects of their trust. The plain statement of their transactions for the year, which this, their eleventh report, is intended to convey, will bring to the view of those interested in them, nothing of very remarkable occurrence; but it will exhibit evidence, they trust, of the still progressive usefulness and respectability of the society. It will, at least, appear by it, that the board have in no degree relaxed in their attention to the interesting objects of their appointment; and that they have been anxious, to the utmost extent, which the means placed at their disposal would allow, to be instrumental of the advancement of Christianity in South-Carolina. The business of the board of trustees, according to the constitution of the society, is, "to distribute copies of the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, useful religious tracts, and other works of approved reputation; to send forth missionaries, duly recognized by the ecclesiastical authority of the diocess, to places, in which their services may be expected to be useful; to patronize young men of genius and piety, meet to be trained up for the ministry of the church, and, in general, to adopt such measures, as in their best judgment, they shall deem good and practicable, for the accomplishment of the purposes of the institution." In the distribution of books and tracts, the board have endeavoured to continue the usefulness of the society. In consequence of an unexpected delay on the part of the "New-York Auxiliary Bible and Common Prayer Book Society," to forward the Bibles with which they were engaged to supply this board, to an amount, as was supposed, adequate to the demands of the year, they have had no Bibles to distribute. Of the Prayer Book, they, however, procured for distribution 400 copies of these, a due proportion have been distributed by the book committee, according to a resolution of the board, among congregations most recently formed, or recently re-organized, viz. to the church at Chatham, were sent 24; to St. Matthew's parish, 24; to St. Mark's, Cla rendon, and St. Mark's, Williamsburg, 30; to the congregations at Pendleton, Greenville, and the South-Carolina Armoury, 48. Twenty-four have been purchased of the committee, for the church at Ashepoo; 48 by the commissioners of the Orphan-house; 24 have been distributed among American seamen, and 75 have been given to the "Charleston Sunday School Society." Six Prayer Books have been given for the use of Christ Church, in Christ Church parish; and several copies have been carefully given among poor members of the church in this city. In an early period of the year, the board received from " The Prayer Book and Homily Society," in London, 200 copies of the English Prayer Book, and the same number of Homily tracts, to be distributed among British seamen, who might happen, from time to time, to be in this port; they proceeded, without delay, to order the distribution of them in such manner as might best answer the benevolent purpose of that society. Captain Ekford kindly undertook the distribution of these books, and found them to be received with great thankfulness and joy. Of tracts published for the use of the society, the board have distributed, in the course of the year, 1221. Viz. 116 of an Address to Christians on the utility of distributing tracts; 254 Stanley's Faith and Practice of a Churchman; 90 Andrew's Devotions; 176 Hints on Public Worship; the same number of a tract on Morning and Evening Devotion; 164 of a tract on Devout and Decent Behaviour in Church; and, 245 of the Explanation of the Church Catechism, published by the society.* The sermons of the late lamented Bishop Dehon, which his family con sented to give for publication, at the request of the trustees, are now in the press, and may shortly be expected to be ready for delivery to subscribers, at the book-store of Mr. Thayer. The board need not repeat the expression of * The total amount of books and tracts distributed since the commencement of the society, is as follows: 200 Bibles, 1064 Prayer Books, 300 Porteus' Evidences, 433 Nelson's Christian Sacrifice, 7491 Tracts. the confidence with which they expect much benefit and honour to be derived to the church, from this publication. Mrs. Dehon has made a pious offering of the profits that may arise from the sale of the edition now in the press, to this society. It having been ascertained, that a parish had been organized and incorporated before the revolution, in the north-, ern part of the state, near the NorthCarolina line, by the name of St. David's Parish, the board felt it to be their duty to procure, early in the year, a clergyman to visit that parish, as their missionary; to investigate its actual state and circumstances, and, if possible, re-organize it. The Rev. Mr. Fowler was accordingly induced to undertake that mission, and officiate at Chatham for one year: provision being made for his expenses, according to the best ability of the board. The report of Mr. Fowler gives the result thus far of his enterprize, and affords encourage ment to hope, that it has not been undertaken in vain. He represents that véstrymen and wardens were duly elected at Easter; that the building, which is ascertained and admitted to have been erected for the uses of the Protestant Episcopal Church will, by the voluntary subscription of individuals, be repaired, and that a clergyman stationed there might soon happily restore, in the minds of the people, the knowledge and love of the church, which have now for so long a season been absent from them. He further represents the people, among whom no minister of the Episcopal Church had been since the revolution, as attentive to the service of the church, and seeming, by the seriousness and propriety with which they partook in it, to wish to catch its spirit. He thinks they are disposed to follow the counsel and pastoral instruction of any prudent and pious minister, who might be induced to take the charge of them upon him. Mr. Fowler's term of arduous service at Chatham having expired, the board are desirous to employ another clergyman, on the same mission, whenever a suitable person, willing to undertake this duty, can be procured. The Rev. Mr. Folker was engaged, in March last, to visit, as a missionary of the society, the villages of Pendleton and Greenville and the parts adjacent. He performed a missionary tour of six weeks, satisfactorily to the board, and reported favourably of the prospect of the establishment of congregations at the two above named places. Within a few weeks, the Rev. Mr. Dickinson, having been approved by the board, in consequence of his producing to the ecclesiastical authority of the diocess, ample canonical testimonials from the eastern diocess, has been appointed the society's missionary for a season, at those places and the South-Carolina Armoury: at each of which, as appeared by regular official information, transmitted to the Bishop, congregations had been formed, by means of Mr. Dickinson's labours, as early as in June last. Mr. Dickinson's absence in the summer, and his not having forwarded the canonical testimonial of which he was in possession, prevented an earlier appointment of him, by the board.-În the month of August, the board authorized the temporary employment of the Rev. Mr. De Lavaux as a missionary at Pendleton, Greenville, and the neigh bouring places; but Mr. De Lavaux was prevented from carrying the purpose into effect. In the patronage of young men destining themselves to the ministry as their calling, the trustees have had occasion, in the course of the year, to add no cases to those which were mentioned in the last report. With respect to these, they have reason to hope for the happiest result of their proceeding. Deeply impressed with the importance of the church at Columbia, to the interests of Christianity in the state, the board felt it to be their duty, in 1819, to pledge to the vestry of that church, their assistance for three years, in the maintenance of its offices, to the amount of one thousand dollars a year. They are also under an engagement to extend assistance, as stated in the last report, to St. Mark's Church, Clarendon, and St. Mark's, Williamsburg. To Christ Church parish they are under an engagement of a similar kind, which will not expire until the end of two years from the 1st of November, 1819. In conformity with resolutions pass ed at the last anniversary meeting of the society, the board, early in the year, proceeded to the institution of committees of the society at certain places of the state, having for the objects of their appointment, "the more easy and useful distribution of the society's publications, and other books procured for distribution, the more convenient, certain, and effectual collection and transmission of monies due, and donations, whether of books or money, made to the society; and, in general, the furtherance of the views and purposes of usefulness to the church, with which the trustees are charged." The board have been officially notified of the organization of only one such committee, according to the plan they projected, viz. at Columbia. The measure, they however hope, will yet go into operation, in a manner, subserving, in the particulars stated, the interests of the society. In furtherance of the great end of the institution, the board are still endeavouring to make its library more and more adequate to all the proper uses of such an appendage and in the persuasion that to be useful, it ought to be more accessible than under present circumstances it can be, they are contemplating the provision for it, of an apartment, which shall relieve the librarian of the inconvenience to which, through a zealous solicitude in its behalf, he has for several years submitted, of giving it a place in his own private study. The board are peculiarly anxious to effect this measure, and attach to it great importance. A building, they hope, will be erected, where their library may be deposited, as well as the records and papers of the society; and which will serve as the scene of all its business. In the course of the year, some books of considerable value have been presented to the library; and the board are constrained by their sense of his generosity, to mention, Thomas S. Grimke, Esq. as, in this respect, a considerable benefactor to the society. Other donors of books within the year are the Rev. Mr. Gervais, William Clarkson, Esq. Mrs. Keating Simons, Mr. Mair, and William Sinclair, Esq. of the United States navy. The total number of books composing the library. at present is 653. By the accounts of the treasurer, (of whose disinterested diligence and perseverance in the service of the society the board cannot say too much) it will be seen, that the society's funds have not increased recently, in a proportion equal to their growth in former years. The pressure of the times has affected the interest of various charities, and it was not to be expected that this should not, in some degree, suffer loss by this cause. It is the duty of the board to report, that there are arrears due to a considerable amount, and that several subscribers have withdrawn their names. Confident that no depository of the means of doing good, which the pious benevolent are willing to dedicate to "the Giver of every good and perfect gift," is more worthy of the steady confidence of the members of the Episcopal Church, than the treasury of this institution, the board earnestly solicit them to consider, before they in any instances withdraw their support from it, whether they may not alienate from all uses of real charity, or at least devote to charities, having far less reasonable and meritorious claims on their regard, than this, the small boon which membership of the society requires. To delinquents who continue their names as subscribers, the board respectfully beg leave to repeat the suggestion, which they find on the pages of their last report-that "when they remind a delinquent subscriber, that the operations of the society must be restricted by even his inattention to its demands, within somewhat narrower limits than his own benevolence would prescribe for them, they say to him all that the case requires. At present the appropriations of the board are various and liberal. The punctuality of every member who is an annual subscriber, in meeting the demands of the treasurer for arrears, is, therefore, of the utmost importance." The board, in thus expressing their solicitude for the objects of their trust, feel that they make an appeal to the hearts of members of the church, that can neither be rejected nor received with unkindness. They will only add, that were the means in their hands larger, the usefulness of the society might be considerably extended. They have not enough for the good which they wish most earnestly to do. Collections have been made in aid of the funds of the society in several churches of the discess, viz. St. Philip's, St. Michael's, and St. Paul's, Charleston; St. Helena's Church, Beaufort; St. Mark's, Clarendon; St. Mark's, Williamsburg; St. John's, Colleton; and St. Matthew's. From St. Matthew's the amount collected has not yet been received. The funds have received, in the last year, small accession by life subscriptions, and only nine annual subscribers have been added to the list. A lady, whose name her own delicate spirit of benevolence forbids to be placed here, in becoming a life subscriber gave 150 dollars to the funds, in addition to the amount required. How many are there within our communion who might, after this example, satisfactorily to themselves, and most beneficially to the interests of the kingdom of Christ, deposit, in the same treasury, some portion of the abundance with which Providence has blessed them! Calls upon their charity, it is true, are frequent; but might not a judicious discrimination deduct from demands of less obvious merit, something in behalf of those of an institution which is so manifestly useful to society and the church as this? If the plain fact of the good annually done by it, in this state, be not an argument sufficiently forcible to the minds of the benevolent and pious, in favour of the claims of this institution, the board know not what they can urge that would have a more persuasive influence. They may, perhaps, however, in some degree promote the disposition to befriend this institution, on the part of some, who hitherto have not enrolled themselves among its friends, and, at the same time, encourage the patrons of it to persevere in this their good work, by the mention of the interest which this society has awakened in kindred associations, in the parent country of these states. Having instructed their corresponding secretary to convey copies of some of their publications, and VOL. V. 15 of Dalcho's History of the Church in South-Carolina, to the London Prayer Book and Homily Society,' the venerable Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts,' and the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge,' the board have received, through that officer, most kind and animating communications. The following are extracts from a letter addressed, through the Rev. C. R. Pritchet, their secretary, by the committee of the first named of those societies, to the corresponding secretary of this society: "This is not the first communication, breathing a spirit of Christian love and unaffected piety, which we have received from individuals and societies belonging to the Episcopal Church of the United States : and bright in the prospect, which all such circumstances, in the light of God's word seem more and more clearly to open to the eye of faith."- "Very few.. letters have come before us so truly satisfying to our feelings, and so much in the spirit we desire ourselves to cultivate, as those addressed to us from Maryland, where there is a Prayer Book and Homily Society, South-Carolina, and other parts of the United States. We transmit, in exchange for the publications sent to us, two copies of our last report. Indeed, that document, drawn up without the most distant idea of your ever seeing it, will, perhaps, better express to you the feelings excited by your first communication, than' any thing which should come in the shape of a direct communication." The board beg to be permitted to mingle their feelings with those of its members in general, in thankfulness to heaven for the prosperity and honour with which, thus far, the society has been blessed; and while they would respectfully solicit, that in the minds of none, the love of Christ and his church, exerted in the advancement of its interests, may be permitted to wax cold, they will not cease to hope and pray that still there will be help from the Lord, to make it more and more promotive of that great object of every Christian's prayer- may the kingdom of God come, and his will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.' Signed in behalf of the board, NATHANIEL BOWEN, President. (From the Missionary Register for Dec. 1820.) REGENT'S TOWN, (SIERRA LEONE.) CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. Second Anniversary of the Missionary Association. THIS meeting was held, about a month after Mr. Johnson's return, on the 25th of February. Several of the missionaries and communicants addressed the meeting. From some of the speeches of the natives we shall make a few extracts. One of the Christian Negroes spake thus: My dear Brothers and Sisters-I stand here before the congregation, not by my will, but by the will of God. I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for his mercy, in bringing me to this country to hear the Gospel. When I first went to the meeting, I did not know what I went for. One evening when I live in my house, Mr. Johnson came to me, and he talk to me about my soul; and what he told me that night I no forget till this time. I thank the Lord Jesus Christ that he has shown me my sinful state. That time I live in my country, I think I very good; but I see now, suppose I been die that time, I go down to everlasting condemnation. When I live in my country, fight come; they catch me; and when I live in ship, I sick too much. But God know what was good for me. I see plenty people jump into the water, and I want to do the same; but God would not let me he prevented me, and brought me here. If the Lord had not brought me here, I could not come. White man no come for nothing here: he tell us about Jesus, and Jesus know every sinner. He willing to save them; but no one can come to him. God must draw him! Oh! I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for what he done for me. Christ says, Let your light shine before men. Consider-Does Your light shine? Again he says, Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions-Those mansions are for the people of God. I thank the Lord that he has brought Mr. Johnson back. I know Mr. Johnson can't save me; but that Word he tell me can. You pray for missionary-that very good thing. He come to you: he leave his brother, mother, and father, to come to tell you that Jesus Christ came to save sinners. You must give your coppers too. Suppose you have one copper, or one shilling; no say you no got plenty: what little you have, give that. A second native thus addressed the meeting: I once more stand among you, in the House of the Lord. Last year I no been know if I shall live this time; but God enable me. I know not my father and mother, but God is my Father and Mother. Some white man take me, and sell me. I came here, my eyes blind, my heart hard. No word of man can open my eyes and ears. The Lord Jesus open my eyes and ears, and I received his Word. As long as I live I desire to talk to my country-people, but they no hear what I say. I pray that they may hear and be saved. They go in the bush, and take bug-a-bug nest, and make god: and they take sticks and make fire to cook rice; and part they burn to their god. I go to see my country-people at their farms, but they talk about their good works: they no want to hear about the Lord Jesus Christ. You should all give to the Missionary Society; and may God grant that my heart may give also! A young man followed : My dear Brethren, I am not worthy to speak any thing before you: for I am not worthy to mention the name of God. I see, and you know, when Mr. Johnson first came, he preach-I go and come back the same as I go: I no understand what he preach. He then preach again-the word he speak hurt me too much. I feel heart sick. He say, "No man can enter into the kingdom of God, except he be born again-no thief, no bad man go there." Then me hear again, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. When I hear this it made me very glad. I was the same like a man who carry a bag full of stones on his head: I went into the bush and pray, and I get peace, and my heart glad. That time I see the light of God shine in my heart. When I go to church, I have joy when I go home, I have joy when I in bed, I have joy-when I get up, I have joy. But this time, I no feel so glad. I feel myself guilty: my heart is as hard as a rock. If God cast me into hell, he do good. I deserve it. But I thank him for his salvation bought with blood. He save me freely. I see the difference now. When I was a little boy, no done suck, fight come in my country. My mammy run away; and, when she run, she throw me away, and a man come and pick me up, and I no see my mammy again. By and bye, they sell me for a bundle of tobacco. After relating the circumstances of his being brought to Sierra Leone, he added: Missionary come here, and preach to us, free, and bring us to this country. God, and we pay nothing. England make us but I have denied him like Peter. I can my Brothers, has done great things for us; say I am guilty before him; but he will have mercy upon whom he will have mer cy. Oh may he have mercy upon me! |