THE

New-York Missionary Magazine,

AND

Repofitory of Religious Intelligence.

A Second Address from the Trustees of the Misionary Society of Connecticut, to the People of the State; and a Narrative on the Subject of Missions. To which is fubjoined a Statement of the Funds of the Society to the End of the Year 1800.

T

HE success with which the Great Head of tho Church has crowned the labours of Miffionaries who have been sent out, under the auspices of the Miffionary Society of Connecticut, the past year; the liberality with which many have contributed to their fupport; and the increasing profpect of effential utility to be derived from the institution, inspire the hearts of the Trustees of the Society with pleasing emotions; and it is with peculiar fatisfaction that they now address the minifters and people of the State on the important and interesting subject.

The Miffionaries to the new fettlements, named in the narrative published last year, as then in the service of the Society, and those who have been fince appointed by the Truftees and the Committee of Missions, are the Rev. Messrs. Aaron Kinne, Seth Willision, Jedidiah Bushnell, Salmon King, Mofes C. Welch, Marshfield Steele, William Storrs, David Huntington, and Jofeph Badger, and Mefirs. Amafa Jerome, Sylvester Dana, Robert Porter, and Josiah B. Andrews, candidates for the ministry. Concerning these Missionaries the Trustees have the following information to communicate.

About the 20th of October, 1799, the Rev. Aaron Kinne, accompanied by Mr. Sylvester Dana, a candidate for the ministry, entered on a mission to the new fettlements on the east end of Lake Ontario and the west side of Lake George and Lake Champlain. One or both of them visited the towns of Western, Cambden, Rotterdam, Mexico, Big Sandy Creek, Twelfth-town on Salmon river, and Bloomfield. These places are between the Lakes Oneida and Ontario and Black river. The settlements are in general very small. The unhealthiness of their situation, except Cambden and the Twelfthtown, has discouraged and driven away many of the fettlers, and others are going.

From these settlements Messrs. Kinne and Dana returned back to Western, and proceeded on their miffion to Shaler's patent, on Black river, which is a large and flourishing place. Several neighbouring small places were vifited by these missionaries, from which they went to the towns of Leyden, Steuben, Boon's, Holland, Crosby's and Floyd's patents, the Royal Grant, Norway, Manheim, Ukar's Bush, Palatine, Stone-Arabia, Amsterdam, Mayfield, Northampton, Providence, Greenfield, Fairfield and Thurman. The places last named are mostly on the creeks which empty into the Mohawk river, and on the head branches of the North river.

The places next visited by these Miffionaries were the towns on Lake George and Lake Champlain, viz. Bolton, Kingsbury, Skeensborough, Benfon in Vermont, Ticonderoga, Crown-Point, Pleafant-Valley, the Big Flats, Jay, Peru, Plattsburg, Champlain, Willsborough, Brookfield, and various other settlements, up to the boundary line of the United States. Mr. Kinne croffed Lake Champlain, and returned through Vermont, to Hartford, the 18th of February, 1800, after a mission of 18 weeks; in which time he rode more than 1300 miles, preached 98 ferinons, and baptized several children; befides performing other ministerial services.

At Johnftown Mr. Dana left Mr. Kinne, and profecuted his journey to Fort Edward on the North river.

He paffed through Fort Ann to Whitehall, at the south end of Lake Champlain; and continued his route on the east fide of the lake to Shoreham, where he croffed and proceeded northward till he rejoined Mr. Kinne at Peru. At Plattsburg he again left Mr. Kinne and crofsed the lake into Vermont, passed through the State of Vermont to Connecticut river, and returned that way to Hartford. He was in the service of the society 17 weeks, during which time he rode 1300 miles and preached 82 fermons.

From the accounts which these Missionaries give of the country, it appears, that the settlements on the eaft end of Lake Ontario are small, and the people but little disposed to obtain religious knowledge. Those on Black river, and the branches of the Mohawk and North river, are larger and more flourishing. They contain a mixture of Dutch and English. Many of the people are Baptifts, fome Methodists, and many indifferent to all religion. In these towns there are several Baptist and Methodist preachers, a few Prefbyterians and some Dutch Lutherans. In a few places there had been late revivals of religion, and the inhabitants were disposed to hear the word; in others they were inattentive to preaching, and expressed but little defire to be visited by Missionaries.

The settlements on Lake George and Lake Champlain are in a flourishing situation, and the inhabitants are more like the people of New-England than those last mentioned. In general they received the Missionaries with cordiality, expressed gratitude to the Miffionary Society and people of Connecticut, and folicited the continuance of their benevolent exertions in promoting their everlasting happiness.

In the months of February, March and April, 1800, the Rev. Marshfield Steele, than a candidate for the ministry, performed a miffion of about three months in the counties of Chittenden, Franklin, Orleans, Caledonia and Effex, in the State of Vermont. He preached 55 fermons, and attended other minifterial duties, proper for an unordained minifter to difcharge. In the towns

which he vifited, he found no special attention to religion; but there was, however, a general difpofition among the inhabitants to listen to religious inftruction. The fettlements in the northern part are fast increafing; and until the towns become so far fettled as to be able to fupport the regular and stated preaching of the gospel, it will be an object of importance to continue sending Miffionaries into that State.

In the beginning of June, 1800, the Rev. William Storrs entered on a miffion to Vermont, from which he returned the 30th of August. He went up the west side of the State, and crossed Lake Champlain, and vifited a number of settlements in the State of New-York. Returning into Vermont, he proceeded up to the Canada line; from this he returned fouth through feveral towns, and then crossed the State to Connecticut river. He visited the towns on the river up to the northern boundary, occasionally passing over the river and preaching in the State of New Hampshire; and returned home on the eastern fide of Vermont.

During his mission Mr. Storrs preached almost every day, befides attending conferences, visiting the fick, attending funerals, administering the Chriftian ordinances and performing other ministerial duties. Wherever he found an uncommon attention to religion, which was the cafe in several places, he laboured more abundantly, and, as he was led to hope, his labours were attended with a divine blessing.

From his journal he appears to have been indefatigable in performing the services to which he was appointed by the Trustees, and to have been faithful to his great Master. He closes with observing, " My journey was "made very agreeable and pleasing by the great attention "of the people, and their difpofition to affemble and "hear. In almost every place they were willing to be at "any trouble, to give information to the people, and, "generally, in a very short time would collect a confider"able assembly. Though there were some in every "place that cared not for these things, yet a goodly " number appeared to feel the importance of attend"ing to the one thing needful; and being so situated by *" Providence that they could not statedly enjoy the means " of grace, they appeared sensibly to feel the kindness of " their brethren in Connecticut, and were abundant in " their expreffions of gratitude and thankfulness."

Mr. Robert Porter, candidate for the ministry, in the months of August, September and October last, visited the western and northern towns of Vermont as a Miffionary. He spent nearly three months on his miffion, preaching from day to day, and attending conferences ás occasion required. Though in some places the people manifested but little disposition to hear the gofpel preached, and though fome appeared to be even displeased that Mifssionaries were sent among them, yet, in general, Mr. Porter was received with kindness, and the inhabitants expressed a wish for a repetition of the visits of Miffionaries. The baneful influence of errorists and false teachers has been greater in the north-western parts of Vermont than in the other New-England states. False principles are prevalent, and loose morals naturally flow from them. In many towns churches are already formed, and were it not for unhappy divisions among the people, minifters might foon be settled. Mr. Porter found several heretical and loose preachers who are attempting to caft an odium on the Miffionary Society of Connecticut, and who are doing great differvice to the cause of pure religion. This will account for the unfavourable reports which are circulated respecting the feelings of the people of that State towards Miffionaries, and towards the fupporters of the Miffionary Society.

Refpecting the general ftate of the inhabitants, Mr. Porter expreffes himself as follows: "The people of " Vermont whom I visited, almost universally treated me " with kindness and respect. They are generally civil " and industrious; many of them are very jealous left "the neighbouring states should confider them as infe"rior, and have an idea that they are very enlightened. "They take much pains in the education of their chil