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The Missionary, S ^ Ïe TWENTY-FIRST W H a v e ^ ^ ° ANNUAL REPORT OP ,\iP* THE MISSIONARY, S^ÏET^ O F T H E METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. NEW-YORK : PRINTED AT THE CONFERENCE OFFICE. J. Collord, Printer. 1840. The following is a list of Officers and Managers. R e v . BISHOP ROBERTS, President. BISHOP SOULE, 1st Vice President. BISHOP HEDDING, 2d do. BISHOP ANDREW, 3d do. BISHOP WAUGH, 4th do. BISHOP MORRIS, 5th do. NATHAN BANGS, D. D. WILLIAM CAPERS, D. D. inS EDWARD R. AMES. THOMAS MASON, Treasurer. JOHN F. WRIGHT, Assistant do. Mr. FRANCIS HALL, Rec.Sec. MANAGERS. J o s e p h S m i t h , D r . J a m e s L . P h e l p s , S t e p h e n D a n d o , D r . D a v i d M . R e e s e , H e n r y W o r r a l l , D r . A l f r e d S . P u r d y , G e o r g e S u c k l e y , D r . S . T hrockmorton , P e t e r B a d e a u , W m .B . S k i d m o r e , J o h n C u l v e r , J . B. O a k l e y , M. H o u s e w o r t h , I r a P e r i g o , S t e r l i n g A r m s t r o n g , L o u is K i n g , L . S . B u r l i n g , B . F . H o w e , J. P . A i m e s , I. D . D i s o s w a y , J o h n V a l e n t i n e , J a m e s B e a t t y , W m . G a l e , G . P . D i s o s w a y , P . A . C o o n , B e n j a m i n D is b r o w , J o h n W . H o w e , R a l p h M e a d , H e n r y M o o r e , J o t h a m S . F o u n t a i n , S a m u e l M a r t i n . T h o m a s B r o w n , TWENTY-FIRST ANNIVERSARY o r T U B Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. T h e r e were several circumstances which conspired to render the late anniversary of the Missionary Society one of peculiar interest. It happened at a time when an unusual number o f our brethren from abroad, particularly the delegates to the General Conference, were called to the city; but it need not be concealed that the expected presence of that excellent minister and untiring friend to missions, our distinguished guest, the Rev. Robert Newton, was the great point of attraction. As might be expected, the large church in Greene-street was overflowing with the friends of missions at an early hour. After the conclusion of the reports by the corresponding secretary and the treasurer, the Rev. Mr. Stinson, superintendent of the Indian missions in Upper Canada, was introduced to the audience, and pre­ sented the following resolution :— Resolved, That the Report, an abstract of which has just been read, be adopted, and printed under the direction of the Board of Managers. In speaking to this resolution, Mr. Stinson assumed the ground that all present felt a deep interest in the cause of Christ. He was aware, too, that many who do not profess Christianity were to be ranked among the sincere friends of Christian missions. The philo« sopher knew how much they tended to the elevation and advance­ ment of the human mind; the statesman could not but rejoice in them as highly subservient to the progress of civilization ; the tra- veler and general scholar could appreciate their tendency to pro­ mote science and the arts. But admitting all this and more, we must feel that, for the success of our appeals in behalf of the mission­ ary enterprise, we must look chiefly to evangelical Christians. As he was to be followed by Mr. Newton, “ whom all were anxious to hear,” Mr. S. said he would content himself with a few remarks relative to one or two missionary fields which had been the scene of his own labors several years past. The first was Spain : and some details of the Wesleyan missions here could not fail to be interest­ ing to the friends of those South American missions mentioned in the report which had just been read. The same systems of error, the same prejudices and superstitions prevailed in both of these fields. It would be encouraging, therefore, to learn that the signs pf the times were prophetic of the triumph of the truth in Old Spain. While every publication in that unhappy country had to undergo an 1 2 ANNIVERSARY OF THE MISSIONARY SOCIETY. inquisitorial examination, and a man could not take a Bible to his house but at the hazard of his life ; Providence had been so over­ ruling her civil and political distractions, that great good appears to be the necessary result. Of the many individuals and families com- pelled to flee their native land, some found their way to Protestant countries,' where they have been employed in translating into Spa- nish, for the Religious Tract Society, various excellent evangelical works—such as Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Doddridge’s Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul, Wilberforce’s Practical View, «fee., &c. In the distribution of Bibles the missionaries had been very successful. Several hundreds of copies Mr. S. had himself distri­ buted, and many a touching anecdote illustrated the blessing which had attended the word of life. Thus imparted, “ what a blessed word is this !” exclaimed some natives of the interior the first time they heard the Bible read : “ what a blessed word is this—read a little more—we cannot sleep to-night for hearing these blessed words.” Remarking upon the aboriginal missions, to the superintendence of which Mr. S. had been more recently appointed, he paid a high com­ pliment to the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, which was the first mover in this truly Christian enterprise. He drew a sad and touching picture of the unevangelized Indian, and presented several facts which could not but excite the strongest sympathy in every Christian heart. The deplorable condition of the Indian female is but too clearly revealed in the reply of the mother who, when detected in the murder of her own offspring, and demanded the reason, answered, in agonizing tones, “ I kill my female child to spare her the degradation and misery which I, in common with all my sex, am compelled to endure.” Upon the conclusion of Mr. Stinson’s address, the Rev. Professor Holdich read very interesting extracts of letters lately received from Mr. and Mrs. Seys, of the Liberia mission. The effect upon the audience was electrical, and their sympathies with these truly de­ voted servants of God and the church were not moved in vain. One gentleman, when the opportunity presented, constituted the four surviving children of brother Seys members of the parent society, and it was very obvious that the claims of Africa were brought home more intimately than ever to all hearts. The presiding officer, in some pertinent and feeling remarks, next introduced to the audience our welcome and venerated friend, the Rev. Robert Newton. Few names among the living are more familiar or dear to every American Methodist than his. For a long series of years he has been known as one of the most devoted, elo­ quent, and efficient ministers of the gospel of Christ, and as a star of the first order in the great Wesleyan body. Since the days of Mr. Wesley himself, perhaps, no preacher has enjoyed a more en­ viable or long continued popularity than Mr. Newton. He haspro- bably traveled more miles, preached more dedicatory, missionary, and other charity sermons, than any other man living. For twenty- five years he has been the untiring and very efficient pleader of the missionary cause, traveling hundreds of thousands of miles, through England, Ireland, and Scotland, where overflowing congregations ANNIVERSARY OF THE MISSIONARY SOCIETY. 3 have ever waited upon his ministrations with unabated and even in- creasing delight. It may well be supposed, then, that his visit to this continent was looked for with no common interest, and that his arrival at this port only the day previous to the anniversary we are noticing was regarded as quite providential. The marked respect, rather the enthusiastic welcome, with which Mr. Newton was greeted, was creditable alike to him and to all concerned. When he rose to commence his address, all the mem- bers of that immense audience simultaneously, it would seem, rose to their feet— “ a high and unusual token of regard,” remarks our friend of the Commercial Advertiser, whose report of Mr. N.’s speech we quote, “ which evidently affected the reverend gentleman, who took occasion to say that in all his public labors he never felt him­ self more greatly honored, nor more deeply sensible of his own un­ worthiness than at that moment.” “ ‘ I rise, Mr. Chairman,’ said the speaker, ‘ at your bidding.
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