THE

New-York Miffionary Magazine,

AND

Repository of Religious Intelligence.

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

TH

HE fuccefs with which the Great Head of the Church has crowned the labours of Miffionaries who have been sent out, under the aufpices of the Miffionary Society of Connecticut, the paft year; the liberality with which many have contributed to their fupport; and the increafing profpect of effential utility to be derived from the inftitution, infpire the hearts of the Trustees of the Society with pleafing emotions; and it is with peculiar fatisfaction that they now address the minifters and people of the State on the important and interefting fubject.

The Miffionaries to the new fettlements, named in the narrative publifhed laft year, as then in the fervice of the Society, and those who have been fince appointed by the Trustees and the Committee of Miffions, are the Rev. Meffrs. Aaron Kinne, Seth Williston, Jedidiah Bufhnell, Salmon King, Mofes C. Welch, Marshfield Steele, William Storrs, David Huntington, and Jofeph Badger, and Meffrs. Amafa Jerome, Sylvefter Dana, Robert Porter, and Jofiah B. Andrews, candidates for the miniftry. Concerning these Miffionaries the Trustees have the following information to communicate.

VOL. II. No. 5.

A

About the 20th of October, 1799, the Rev. Aaron Kinne, accompanied by Mr. Sylvefter Dana, a candidate for the ministry, entered on a miffion to the new fettlements on the east end of Lake Ontario and the weft fide of Lake George and Lake Champlain. One or both of them vifited 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 fettlements are in general very small. The unhealthiness of their fituation, except Cambden and the Twelfthtown, has difcouraged and driven away many of the fettlers, and others are going.

From these fettlements Meffrs. 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 fmall places were vifited by these miffionaries, 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 Bufh, Palatine, Stone-Arabia, Amfterdam, Mayfield, Northampton, Providence, Greenfield, Fairfield and Thurman. The places laft named are mostly on the creeks which empty into the Mohawk river, and on the head branches of the North river.

The places next vifited 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 fettlements, 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 miffion of 18 weeks; in which time he rode more than 1300 miles, preached 98 ferinons, and baptized feveral children; befides performing other minifterial fervices.

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 crof fed the lake into Vermont, paffed through the State of Vermont to Connecticut river, and returned that way to Hartford. He was in the fervice of the fociety 17 weeks, during which time he rode 1300 miles and preached 82 fermons.

From the accounts which thefe Miffionaries give of the country, it appears, that the fettlements on the caft end of Lake Ontario are fmall, and the people but little difpofed to obtain religious knowledge. Thofe 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 feveral Baptist and Methodist preachers, a few Prefbyterians and fome Dutch Lutherans. In a few places there had been late revivals of religion, and the inhabitants were difpofed to hear the word; in others they were inattentive to preaching, and expreffed but little defire to be vifited by Miffionaries.

The fettlements on Lake George and Lake Champlain are in a flourishing fituation, and the inhabitants are more like the people of New-England than those last mentioned. In general they received the Miffionaries with cordiality, expreffed 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 miniftry, 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 fpecial attention to religion; but there was, however, a general difpofition among the inhabitants to liften to religious inftruction.

The fettlements in the northern part are faft increafing; and until the towns become fo far fettled as to be able to support the regular and stated preaching of the gospel, it will be an object of importance to continue fending 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 Auguft. He went up the weft fide of the State, and croffed Lake Champlain, and visited a number of fettlements 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 croffed the State to Connecticut river. He vifited the towns on the river up to the northern boundary, occafionally paffing over the river and preaching in the State of New-Hampshire; and returned home on the eastern fide of Vermont.

During his miffion Mr. Storrs preached almoft every day, befides attending conferences, vifiting the fick, attending funerals, adminiftering the Chriftian ordinances and performing other minifterial duties. Wherever he found an uncommon attention to religion, which was the cafe in feveral places, he laboured more abundantly, and, as he was led to hope, his labours were attended with a divine bleffing.

From his journal he appears to have been indefatigable in performing the fervices to which he was appointed by the Trustees, and to have been faithful to his great Mafter. He clofes with obferving, "My journey was "made very agreeable and pleafing by the great attention "of the people, and their difpofition to affemble and "hear. In almoft every place they were willing to be at any trouble, to give information to the people, and, generally, in a very fhort time would collect a confider"able affembly. Though there were fome in every "place that cared not for these things, yet a goodly

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number appeared to feel the importance of attending to the one thing needful; and being fo fituated by * Providence that they could not statedly enjoy the means "of grace, they appeared fenfibly 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 miniftry, in the months of Auguft, September and October laft, vifited the western and northern towns of Vermont as a Miffionary. He (pent nearly three months on his miffion, preaching from day to day, and attending conferences as occafion required. Though in fome places the people manifefted but little difpofition to hear the gofpel preached, and though fome appeared to be even displeased that Miffionaries were fent among them, yet, in general, Mr. Porter was received with kindness, and the inhabitants expreffed a wifh for a repetition of the vifits of Miffionaries. The baneful influence of errorifts and falfe teachers has been greater in the north-western parts of Vermont than in the other New-England ftates. Falle principles are prevalent, and loose morals naturally flow from them. In many towns churches are already formed, and were it not for unhappy divifions among the people, minifters might foon be fettled. Mr. Porter found feveral heretical and loofe preachers who are attempting to caft an odium on the Miffionary Society of Connecticut, and who are doing, great differvice to the caufe of pure religion. This will account for the unfavourable reports which are circulated refpecting 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 vifited, almoft univerfally treated me "with kindness and refpect., They are generally civil "and induftrious; many of them are very jealous left the neighbouring ftates fhould confider them as infe"rior, and have an idea that they are very enlightened. They take much pains in the education of their chil