John Treadwell, the Hon. Roger Newberry, the Hon. Jonathan Brace, the Hon. Aaron Austin, Enoch Perkins, Esq. the Hon. Asher Miller, the Rev, Messrs. Nathan Perkins, D. D. Samuel Nott, Calvin Chapin, Samuel J. Mills, Moses C. Welch, and Andrew Yates.

Andrew Kingsbury, Esq. was chosen Treasurer of the Missionary Society of Connecticut, for the year ensuing.

The Rev. Abel Flint was chosen Auditor of the Missionary Society of Connecticut, for the year ensuing.

The Rev. Messrs. Henry A. Rowland, Cauncey Lee, and Zebulon Ely were appointed Delegates to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, in the United States, to convene at Philadelphia, on the third Thursday of May, 1810. The Rev. Messrs. Benoni Upson, Walter King, and Ebenezer Porter were chosen substitutes.

The Rev. Peter Starr was chosen delegate to the Convention of Congregational and Presbyterian Ministers in the State of Vermont, to convene at Rutland, on the first Tuesday of September next; and the Rev. Samuel Merwin was appointed his substitute.

The Rev. Messrs. Salmon Cone and Nehemiah Prudden were chosen delegates to the General Association of Massachusetts proper to convene in the year 1810, provided the proposed union between that body and the General Association of Connecticut shall take place. The Rev. Messrs. Moses C. Welch and Evan Johns were appointed their substitutes.

The Report of the delegate to the General Convention of Vermont was read and accepted.

The Rev. Zebulon Ely was appointed to preach the Concio ad Clerum, at New-Haven, on the evening of the next Commence

inent.

Voted, That Windham East Association be added to the list of Associations in this State.

Voted, That the next meeting of the General Association of Connecticut be holden on the third Tuesday of June. 1810, at 11 o'clock A. M. at the house of the Rev. Diodate Brockway in Ellington.

Voted, That we cordially approve the plan and design of the Connecticut Bible Society, instituted to circulate among the poor the common version of the holy scriptures, without note or comment; and that it shall be our care, both as individuals and as ministers of Christ, to afford that Society such countenance and assistance as we shall, in our several places, find ourselves enabled to bestow.

Voted, That we recommend to the several Associations in the State to transmit, by their delegates to the General Association, yearly, in writing, a statement of the situation of their Churches, the state of religion therein, and of the number of members added to their Churches, in the year next preceding the sitting of said Association.

Voted, That this body gratefully receive the Extracts from the

Minutes of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, and that they be distributed among the several district Associations.

Voted, That the Rev. Abel Flint be requested to make extracts for publication, from the minutes of the present session, that he cause the same to be printed and distributed, and that he defray the expense attending the publication from the Treasury.

The Committee appointed to prepare a report respecting the state of religion in our Churches and those connected with us, made a report which was accepted and is as follows:

"The General Association have heard, with emotions of ardent gratitude and lively joy, the communications which have been made to them respecting the state of religion in our Churches. The expectations which were excited, by the unusually favorable accounts to the General Association, at their last annual meeting, have been fully answered. The numerous and extensive revivals which then prevailed have, in most instances, continued to progress; and in many places new revivals have commenced. Though in some parts of the State we still find coldness among professing Christians, and great stupidity and boldness among sinners, yet vacant Churches have manifested an unusual zeal to enjoy the institutions and ordinances of the gospel; apparent converts have been greatly multiplied, and hundreds, nay even thousands, have been added to the Church of Christ. We rejoice and give thanks to God, that an unusual spirit of prayer has pervaded, warmed, and animated the hearts and souls of Christians; and this we consider as the chief means of the special sanctifying and saving blessings which have been poured down upon us. We congratulate each other, our respective Churches, and all the friends of Christianity, upon the animating prospect, which now opens to our view.”

"By the delegates from the Presbyterian Church, we learn that, in some places within their limits, the special work of God has been very great; though in others coldness and stupidity still prevail, and in a small district a spirit of disorder continues. On the whole, the Presbyterian Church appear to be encouraged and look forward to the renewal of their efforts with increased ardor and animation."

"By the delegate from the Convention of Vermont we learn that God has there, in some places, been gracious, in the abundant effusion of his holy spirit, and the conversion of sinners; though we are sorry to learn that in many places iniquity continues greatly to abound, and that several ministers have been dismissed from their pastoral charges, within the course of the past year."

"On the whole, upon a review of the Churches within the forementioned limits, we find that Christians have not prayed, nor ministers labored, in vain; that God has, indeed, proved himself to be a prayer-hearing God; that his spirit has descended

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Ordination.....Notice to Correspondents.... Donation. [JULY.

like rain upon the mown grass; and that the great shepherd and bishop of souls has been gathering sinners into his fold, from the East and from the West, from the North and from the South, and, as we humbly hope, preparing them to sit down with Abraham. Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of God."

A Sermon was preached by the Rev. Gershom Williams, from Psaim xlix. 8.

After a prayer by the Rev. G. C. Lyman, adjourned sine die.

ORDAINED, on Wednesday the 21st ult. in the 3d Society in Middletown, the Rev. JOSHUA L. WILLIAMS. The introductory prayer, by the Rev. Evans Johns, of Berlin; the Sermon by the Rev. Joshua Williams of Harwinton, (father of Mr. J. L. Wil liams;) the charge by the Rev. Mr. Upson, of Kensington; the ordaining prayer by Dr. Strong, of Chatham; the right hand of fellowship, by Mr. Chapin, of Rockyhill; and the concluding prayer by Mr. Brace, of Newington. The devotional exercises were fervent and evangelical-the Sermon affectionate-the charge simple and instructive-and the right hand of fellowship animated, impressive and excellent throughout. A large concourse of people were delighted with the unanimity and generosity of this parish, and were rejoiced, in the prospect of their future harmony and love.

Notice to Correspondents.

The History of a Religious Tract, will be in our next Number. The Editor thanks the writer of a criticism upon a certain composi tion of Music. While he acknowledges the justice of the remarks, he must inform that it is an established rule of this Magazine to admit no reviews. Neither the Editor nor Publishers think themselves competent for so difficult a business.

Donation to the Missionary Society of Connecticut. From a friend of Missions, 1600 Religious Tracts.

The people called Dissenters, in England, enumerated and Described.

UNI

[No. 9.

ground of disciplíne or doctrine. In respect to the first, their Societies are strictly independent; as they have no organized PresNDER the denomination byteries, and no persons, not beof dissenters, all persons, ing members, take notice of the Ostensibly attached to Christian-discipline of any particular ity, are included, who do not church, or any of its transacconform to the mode of worship tions; otherwise than by makestablished by law; but their re-ing remarks and giving their adligious views and habits are vice as neighbors and detached widely different; as will appear individuals. In reference to the by the names of classes into last, they have forsaken the doc which they are divided. These trine of their forefathers as deare Papists, Quakers, Presbyte- fined in the Assembly's Caterians, Independents, Baptists, and Methodists.

chism; excepting, perhaps, a very small remnant of individuOf the two first it is unnecessa- als found in some places. Ariry to give a particular account anism, combined with the tenets in this statement. The Writer of Sabellius, in the first place, of this article will, therefore, spread its baneful influence a After that Socinconfine his attention to the other mong them. four denominations of Chris-ianism prevailed to a great extians, agreeably to the order tent, though not universally; and, in many instances termiin which they are announced. We present the reader, in thenated in Deism or a species of first place, with a short history Scepticism equally pernicious. and character of the people call- The result of this departure ed Presbyterians in South Bri- from evangelical truth has been, tain. These have, in fact, no in respect to individuals, a glarclaim to the title by which they ing neglect of religious duties, are distinguished, either on the and conformity to the world

VOL. II. No. 8.

Rr

became a law, depriving, at a single blow, of their support and posts of usefulness, all those

enciously, and, therefore, would not, give a solemn declaration in writing of their belief, that, the book of common prayer contained nothing contrary to the

er part had no opportunity of seeing that compilation before they were compelled to decide. The number of Ministers who were thus ejected from the Church, if the recollection of the Writer be correct, exceeded

and, relatively, to Societies, a rapid decrease of numbers.Many families and individuals, especially those in opulent cir-Ministers, who could not conscicumstances, have attached themselves to Episcopalians, to avoid the stigma which the latter ever endeavor to fix on Dissenters. The truth is that, in England, when people have ceased to be at-word of God. By far the greattached to evangelical principles, the unanswerable arguments urged to justify and enforce Nonconformity are either forgotten or disregarded. Hence, many Societies, once respectable, have either ceased to exist, or exhibit a memorial of their former pros-two thousand. Of these some perity by a wretched remnant. had an income of five or six hunSo deleterious, indeed, has been dred pounds a year. Their disthe influence of Arians and So-tress was, afterwards, much incinians to the cause of Christian- creased by what was called the ity in South Britain as that, the five mile act, which forbad any Writer of this article conceives of them to reside within that himself fully justified in apply-distance of the place where they ing to them the language of the had labored. prophet Joel" the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness."

Thus, were they deprived of an opportunity to receive a plate of victuals from the tables of those opulent Christians who had been edified by Here it is natural for the think their preaching. Before the ing Reader to enquire how came ejection, Dissenters existed, but the portion of English Non- that event greatly increased conformists, under considera- their number and respectability; tion, to be distinguished by the for, thus, they received a vast name of Presbyterians, since accession of piety, learning and they reject the theological doc- talents. In circumstances of trines and do not maintain the persecution and distress, the discipline of the Presbyterian Presbyterian discipline, not beChurch? An easy answer is fur- ing practicable, gradually fell nished by a retrospect of their into utter neglect. But, neverhistory. At the time immedi-theless, the separate body of ately subsequent to the reforma- Christians, thus formed, contintion in England, many Minis- ued to be distinguished by the ters had embraced and set up same denomination. Long did the Presbyterian discipline and they remain eminently estimamode of worship. Hence Pres-ble for what is most valuable in byteries existed in many places, character; and might have rewhen, in the reign of Charles II. tained their pre-eminence, had the infamous act of uniformity they not renounced the doctrines