Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1816-02-20
ARIST'IDEs.



Commissioners for foreign missions, made at their
sixth annual meeting at Salem Mass.) on the 2otL
Sept last.
After giving some account from Mr.. Newell and
Others, Missionaries at Bombay, sc. and of the SOL
emn ordination at Newburyport on the 2fst .Iule
last Of FIVE others, intended for the Island of Cey-
lon, viz. Messrs. Richards, Bardwell, Poor, War
rem, and Meigs, aud communicating other inlorma-
ton on the subjects, they observe that besides their
eight Missionaries, gone and going TO their scenes
of labour, there were FIVE who had offered them
selves, with very satisfactory testimonials, to be
employed by the board-and that :" the concerns
of the board are becoming from year to year more
and more weighty, and the care, the labour, and
the expence, are proportionably increasing"
" There are at present in the different parts of
our country more than thirty Auxiliary Societies,
whose annual contributions have amounted on an
average for four years past to about five thousand
dollars. Besides these, there about fifty female
associations, formed under different names for the
same purpose of supplying funds for this Board.
" The benefactons otherwise contributed during,
the last year amount to more than S. 600 and the
proceeds Of cur funds at interest to about $500
The legacy of thirty thousand dollars, bequeathed
by our benefactress of grateful memory, the late
Mrs. Mary Norris, and held so long under pcrplex-
in. litigation, has at length been adjudged to the
Trustees, and is now with the deduction Of the ex-
penses of the SUITS held by them subject to the d.
rection Of the Board. This, If well invested, will
constitute, together with our other stocks a per-
manent fund, whose annual proceeds will be con-
siderable. Wehave now, however, eight Missions
aries, instead of three dependent for support
Our expenditures therefore for the year to come
must be more then they have been in preceding
years, and must increase with every addition to
the number of our missionaries and to the extern
sion OF our operation" Having observed that
with this consideration highly important that
the friends Of missions be impressed, they say,
We are aware that there are other objects, be.
sides those which our institution directly centem-
plates, which demand and urgently demand, the
charitable attention of the Christian. Domestic
Missionary Societies, Bible Societies and Societies
for aiding the education Of young for the min
istry Tract Societies, and Moral Societies have
all of them objects of noaIeuiabls isnsortauce OBJ
jee.s, which we would BY ne ...aldes, bat by
all meanSPromote. These :. indesd. together
with ours, are all in their n harmonious and
closely allied. The Cause Is On aad By all who
are engaged in it, in whatever Department. il should
be sacredly regarded as one. There need be no
jealousy, no interference, no other strife than to
provoke one another unto love and good works.
There need be no fear that any one of these objects
will exhaust the liberalty ofndividuals or of the
community. We have noble example before us.
The several Societies. in Great Britain besides their
home missions, employ not less than two hundred
missionaries abroad in different parts of the world
The British and Foreign Bible Society issue annu-
ally more than two hundred thousand Bibles and
Testanents in various languages, and expends an
nuaily more than two hundred thousand dollars in
promoting its great object in the four quarters of
the globe" Having observed that besides, the
more magnificent institutions there are in that king
dom many Of similar spirit &c.--partcularly the
" Religious Tract Society" which circuates among
different nations and different languages more than
million of Tracts in year, and the Church
~'.'s''o'y cOSsS>y,I "HosS "ihuot ieS'pes III shc
last two years from $t2. O0O to about $50 600
they say 1t is estimated that the total annual ex-
pendtures of all the Missionary and Bible Societies
in England, do not amount to the annual expence
of supporting single ship of the line. What we
have most to fear, is that the principle uncsiona-
res Of the board will not be able, with their other
occupations, to bestow upon the continually accu-
mulating business, that attention which its aug
menting Importance will demand. In regard to
this subject, however well as in regard TO every
other concern, pertaining to this Institution, the
wisdom of the Board will be exercised under the
direction of Him in whom all fnlness dwelis.n -
This Report the Committee beg leave to submit in
the full confidence that the Board will perceive in
it many reasons of devout thanktuness to God, and
many inducements to pursue our great object with
unremtting zeal.
| Hitherto the Lord hath helped us. The work IS
in his hands, and it depends for its upon his
blessing.
This Years Expense. Or tie Standing Army.
Mr.. Dallas lately informed the House of Repre-
sentatives that, of the 1tceHty uons estimated as
the current expense OF the year, nearly Fourteen