twenty thousand. The same amount of twenty thousand dollars would be obtained, were the average sum of twenty dollars to be collected in a thousand places, or by a thousand individuals.

So "possible" is the thing, and so easy. And shall it not be done?-Will not every one of the societies do something in the way of special effort? Will not the officers of each Society make a serious matter of consulting on the subject, and seeing what can be done?-What, by collecting the arrears of subscribing members-what, by procuring new subscribers-what, by soliciting donations from those who are not and do not choose to become members;—in which service it may in some places be deemed advisable, that a suitable individual, or more than one, should be especially employed, for a longer or shorter time according to circumstances.

Will not every minister of the merciful Redeemer, attend kindly and earnestly to this object, and make it his care to procure, in the way that to him shall seem best, donations or contributions within his proper circle?—And will not every Christian-will not every person who loves the Lord Jesus, or esteems the Gospel a blessing-readily and gladly do something himself, and excite others to do something for the cause which should take hold so deeply of every heart?

As the object of this appeal is not only to obtain what is necessary for our present exigences, but also to promote the missionary spirit, and the permanent augmentation of the sacred funds, we beg to recal to the earnest attention of the officers and members of auxiliary Societies, and of all our helpers and friends, our address published in the Missionary Herald for Jan. 1818, and in the second edition of the Conversion of the World:-particularly the latter half of the address, in which the general system, deemed proper to be proposed for obtaining a regular and increasing supply of funds, is exhibited in detail. Had we now time we could add little on the subject, and we are persuaded that the system, if carried into vigorous operation in all its parts, will produce great results.

Thus, respected and beloved friends, with simplicity of purpose we have made our statement and our appeal Not for ourselves-not for any private object have we done it. It was a duty-indispensable. In the providence of the Redeemer and Sovereign of the world, a trust has been committed to us, to which we must be faithful.-We present an object that should go home to every bosom. We plead a cause which, more than any other, is to be regarded as the cause of every person on earth. Had we a pen to write, or a tongue to speak, in a manner and with a force equal to the subject, this whole community should be moved as the heart of one man. May we not hope that—such as it is—this address will be read a second time, by every person to whom it comes; and be pondered, until-under the divine influence which we devoutly invoke to attend it the heart burns with the subject, and hastens to communicate the sacred flame to others.

The question is to be decided, and it may be decided soon-whether there is in this country Christian benevolence enough-sufficiently undivided, unobstructed, and unrestrained-sufficiently resembling the charity which descended from heaven-to bear any proportionable part in the great work of evangelizing the heathen. It can be done by no one man; by no few men; by no number of men acting separately or in small divisions. It is a very different affair from that of domestic missions.-If done at all, it must be by extensively combined exertion.-It must be regarded as the concern, not only of the few individuals on whom especially the burden of the work is devolved; but of every person who has a heart to love the Savior, to prize the Gospel, or to feel for the temporal and eternal welfare of his fellow beings:-and the union must be such in system and in spirit-in organic harmony and sympathy-that those who are charged with the direction may safely confide, that in junctures of emergence or of pressure, their call for help will be received with a cheering countenance, and answered with promptness, alacrity, and effectual effort.

An experiment is now in process. Hitherto it has been evidently marked with divine favor, and prospered beyond anticipation. Another, to be advanced thus far with better auspices is hardly to be expected. This experiment is approaching a crisis. If it fail, the raised hopes of many thousands will be dashed; and a darkness--scarcely less dismal in its aspect on our nation and its

churches, than on the poor heathen, thus abandoned to their doom-will settle upon the prospect.

It must not fail. If the friends of missions are true to the cause, it will not fail. The word of the everlasting God is sure, and his grace is sufficient. In the name of the Prudential Committee, and with most affectionate and grateful salutations. S. WORCESTER,

Boston, March, 1820.

Corres. Sec. of the A. B. C. F. M.

MISSIONARY LETTER FROM SWITZERLAND.

[It is peculiarly delightful to contemplate the holy union, which is now taking place throughout Christendom, among the enlightened friends of their Lord and of his Gospel, in the great work of diffusing its blessings universally. The following letter has been received lately by the Cor. Sec. of the A. B. C. F. M.]

REVEREND SIR,

Basil in Switzerland, Sept. 30, 1819.

IT is with the greatest satisfaction, that we have been informed, by the accounts of the British Missionary Register and the other Missionary Tracts, of the propagation of the missionary spirit in the Western Hemisphere, and of the formation of several Boards for foreign and domestic missions, and seminaries for the education of African and other youth, for the service of our living God and Savior among the benighted Heathen world. This heartily welcome joy and lively interest in the propagation of the kingdom of our God in your blessed quarter, let us avail ourselves of the opportunity furnished to us by the voyage of a young pious Swiss to your country, to express to you as the sincere feelings of our sympathizing hearts; and to transmit to you some account of a similar Missionary Seminary, which, since the year 1816, several warm hearted friends of the Missionary cause have established in our city, for the purpose of furnishing the different evangelical Missionary Societies with pious and educated German and Swiss youths, as ministers of the Gospel among the heathen.

The effects of this, in its first beginning, so small an essay of participating with our dear brethren in foreign countries, in this great work of our heavenly Father, were such as to surpass all our most sanguine expectations of it. A quarterly Missionary Magazine published by our Board in our vernacular German language, was the blessed instrument, in the hand of our God, to raise up, in the minds of our German and Swiss countrymen, a lively zeal for the promotion of evangelical Missions, and to establish a number of auxiliary societies in behalf of our Missionary College. The first class of our pious pupils, have already entered the services of the British and Dutch Missionary Societies, and 18 other youth, of a sincerely religious character and of talents, have been admitted into our Seminary for the same great purpose.

Permit me, reverend Sir, to stretch out our brotherly hands beyond the great ocean towards you, and to congratulate you, and all friends of Missionary exertions on the visible blessings, which the Father of all mercies has poured out by his Holy Spirit upon your holy work. Be therefore strong in the Lord, dear brethren, and in the power of his might. Let us take unto us the whole armor of God, that we may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. Praying always, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

We should be much obliged to you, and are heartily ready to offer you all our mutual services, if you would be so kind as to favor us with all the Missionary Papers, which are published among you, and by the other evangelical Missionary Societies in America, in order to be translated by us, and inserted in our Missionary Magazine. If it would please you, direct all such assignments under the address; Rev. Theophil Blamhard, Superintendent of the Missionary College at Basil in the Switzerland; to the care of Mr. Gilbert van der Snipen at Altona near Hamburg. By this pious gentleman we shall find facility of repaying all your friendly expenses. Jesus Christ be with you. In the bonds of regards and THEOPHIL BLAMHARD, Minister of the Gospel.

love.

LETTER TO THE CORRESPONDING SECRETARY.

[We trust that the hearts of many readers will respond to the sentiments of the following letter.]

Norway, N. Y. Feb. 15, 1820.

REVEREND AND DEAR SIR, In behalf of the Presbyterian church and congregation in Norway, Herkimer County, I transmit to you the small sum of fifteen dollars, which sum has been contributed at different times by those who have attended the Monthly Concert of prayer. The contributors of this have specified no particular object to which they wish it appropriated; this they choose to leave to the discretion of the Board. I have been laboring in the work of the Ministry among this people for a number of months, and I have the happiness to inform you, dear Sir, that there is no disposition manifested by those, who have formerly contributed at the Monthly Concert, to relinquish that practice. The pressure of the times is perhaps as severely felt in this place, as in many others, but there are some, who appear to feel and act, as though they believed, "they are not their own; but bought with a price." They appear to realize more sensibly, that "the silver and the gold are the Lord's;" and they have come to a determination to appropriate more of the property with which they are entrusted as stewards, to benevolent purposes, than they have formerly done. The numerous objects embraced by the Society of which you, Sir, are the Corresponding Secretary, must convince all, who become acquainted with them, that liberal contributions will be necessary to carry into effect, and extensively to promote those benevolent objects. And in reviewing the last Annual Report of the Board, and seriously reflecting on the importance of every object embraced by them, who is prepared to say that any of them must be relinquished? Shall any of the fields, which now afford such animating prospect of a glorious harvest, be abandoned? Shall the laborers who have already entered them be recalled. and either of those objects be given up through covetousness? Every real Christian, and every true philanthropist, must readily answer, no; rather than have one Missionary station abandoned, or one benevolent object relinquished, we will double our diligence to promote them. What heart-felt satisfaction would it afford the Board, of which you, Sir, are a member, if, through the increasing liberality of the Christian public, they should be enabled to extend their operations; and thus reduce the uncultivated heathen lands to narrower limits. The view given us in your last Annual Report, of the divine success, which has accompanied the exertions of the Board during the last year, and the flattering prospect afforded, that the Lord is about to accomplish a great work, through the instrumentality of that Society, ought to excite the friends of the Redeemer not only to continue, but to increase their pecuniary aid, and to pray earnestly that the Lord would continue to crown your pious exertions with success. The Missionary cause is the cause of Christ, and it must ultimately prevail. May those engaged in it never relax their exertions, until, by means of the universal spread of the Gospel, these exertions shall be rendered no longer necessary, until "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.' In great haste, yours in the bonds of the Gospel,!

Rev. Samuel Worcester, D. p. Cor. Sec. A. B. C. F. M.

ON EDUCATING, CHILDREN

SAMUEL SWEZEY.

WITH ASSIGNED NAMES, IN THE FAMILIES OF MISSIONARIES.

In the year 1816, the practice of providing for the education of children, in the families of missionaries supported by the A. B. C. F. M. had its beginning. It was occasioned solely by the moving appeal of the Rev. Gordon Hall, in behalf of perishing orphans, who, as he apprehended, might be selected in India, and receive a Christian education in the families of missionaries, at a small expense.

In the plan of providing for children, to be educated in this manner, the Board followed the example of the Church Missionary Society. Soon after the plan was known, and recommended to the public, a number of children, to be placed in the families of the missionaries at Bombay with assigned names, were taken under the patronage of societies and individuals; and a pledge was given that the required sum of thirty dollars should be paid annually.

Subsequently, a similar provision was made for children at Ceylon, where they could be supported at the smail expense of twelve dollars each. And more lately still, the same bounty has been extended to children to be selected in the Cherokee and Choctaw nations, and supported for thirty dollars a year.

It was found, however, on experiment, that the missionaries at Bombay could not obtain ildren, as they had supposed; and, after patient waiting, and a long trial, this part of the plan, so far as it relates to this place, is given up for the present. At Ceylon, the result has been altogether different. Children can be selected without any limitation, but the ability of the missionaries to take care of them. The circumstances of the case will enforce this limitation; and probably as many are provided for, as can be well superintended at present. A considerable number of children can be still admitted, on a provision of this kind, into the schools at Brainerd and Elliot.

Since the disappointment, in regard to children at Bombay, some of the patrons of that charity have transferred their future bounty to Ceylon, leaving what has been already paid to be expended in schools at Bombay. Others have transferred their bounty, in a similar manner, to the Cherokee and Choctaw schools; and others still have expressed a wish, that in future their donations may be applied to schools at Bombay.

It ought to be distinctly understood, that there is no limitation to the number of children who can be educated in schools at Bombay and in its neighborhood, at Ceylon, and among the aborigines of our country; no limitation, we mean, except such as is imposed by the want of funds. The Board are at this moment urgently pressed to afford means for the support of additional schools in all these places. At Bombay particularly, and on the neighboring continent, the field is large and most inviting. In providing for schools there, as little danger of disappointment is to be apprehended, as in any design of benevolence whatever.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES RELATIVE TO RELIGION AND MISSIONS.

A letter received by the Editor of the Panoplist, from the clergyman of Vernon, Ohic, dated Feb. 24, 1820, contains the following sentences:

"God has, in the midst of deserved wrath, remembered mercy. An awakening has lately commenced, in each of the three societies committed to my pastoral care; and is now very general and very powerful. We hope much fruit is already produced, which will be to the praise of God's grace. If the final result proves to be such as will be comforting and animating to God's children, I shall forward you a particular account."

A highly respected clergyman writes as follows, in a letter to the Treasurer. "It is delightful to contemplate the extending efforts of the Board. I hope they will not be straitened, in their expansive views, by the failure of resources. As the great and sure preventive of this, Zion's friends should most importunately pray for the effusion of the Holy Spirit."

ARRIVAL OF THE PALESTINE MISSION AT SMYRNA.

WE are happy to inform our readers, that Messrs. FISK and PARSONS arrived safely at Smyrna, in the fore part of January. They were greatly encouraged to proceed in their work. Though they touched at Malta, they were not permitted to land, unless they would stay 15 days at quarantine. They had an interesting interview with Mr. Jowett, who conversed with them from a boat, though he was not permitted to come on board. Further particulars may be expected in our next number,

THERE are some persons of so unhappy a cast, or rather, who have indulged such wrong propensities, that they are never satisfied, except when opposing the opinions of other men. To sit coolly down and agree with a fellow traveller affords them no pleasure. War is their element. They deem all the gratification of seeing others happy, and contributing to their happiness, a low and insipid sort of enjoyment, unworthy the ambition of noble souls. It matters not, in their estimation, how much they distort another's meaning, or injure his feelings, provided they can obtain a triumph. That such is the design of their disputations, no other evidence is needed than the fact, that they often show a perfect indifference to the side which they espouse, on all other occasions, and will change their ground, as easily as their coat, if by so doing they may expect a victory.

Of the evils arising from such a cavilling disposition, I notice the following:

1. In the minds of unthinking men, it tends to level all distinctions between truth and error. They who have no particular attachment to Christianity, and have never examined its evidences, on hearing many plausible objections brought against it, readily conclude, that it cannot be of any great value. It is a point established beyond all controversy, that the open enemies of God and man should never be encouraged in hearing their cause defended by the professed followers of Christ. They easily find objections enough to silence their own consciences, aud are ready at the low arts of sophistry. Whenever a believer in Christianity is so weak as to offer his assistance in helping them plead their cause, he sinks in the estimation of wise men, without rising in the good opinions of those whose cause he dehases himself to plead. But the loss of the esteem of others is the smallest of the evils incurred. He endangers bis own soul.

2. It diminishes the respect for goodness in one's own bosom, to allow himself in apologizing for vice. Even a solitary attempt to palliate the guilt of a crime leads the mind to contemplate that crime with less abhorrence. Repetition diminishes the odiousness of vice in his eyes, till he comes soon to regard it with complacency, and finally to embrace it. Let any one contend for the doctrines of error awhile, merely to exhibit his ingenuity, and insensibly he obtains a VOL. XVI.

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