The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-05-08
ANNIVERSARY WEEK IN new YORK.
The Proceedings Last Might,
&c. &c. &c.
Missionary Society OF the Methodist
Episcopal Church.

Episcopal Church.
Last evening was held the anniversary OF
this society at the Vestry street Methodist
Church. The attendance was not numerous.
The proceedings were opened with prayer by
the Rev. Mr.. Hedstrom, when Rev. DIR. Pit
man, the correspondence ecretary, read the
report of the society for the last year. 1t expressed
regret that, notwithstanding former complaints,
they were still lett without satisfactory information
in reference to great number of their missions.
With respect to Liberia there no intelligence,
except what was contained in two or three unlmpor
tant letters and it to be presumed that in religious
matters it in the state reported last year.
As to the Oregon mission dispatches had ,ived
which afforded satisfactory evidence that 1t rising
both in Importance and interest and that 1t promised
sufficient remuneration for all the labor bestowed upon
it. The aggregate statistics Of this mission 3l7
church members l6 local preachers, local deacon
Sunday schools, 10 officers and teachers lOs scholars
and 800 volumes in the library. In the South
American mission there was no remarkable change.
The statistics rs members and probationers.
Last year, only a. in all, reported The number
Il solars in the school 49, teachers, H. There
two libraries, containing 100 volumes. The mis-
sion in China proceeding slowly, but with steady
and gradual progress To California two missionaries
had been sent. Germany also field. and two
missionaries had been recently sent out there The
domestic missions including the German, Indian and
Swedish missions with those among native popu-
lation had greatly progressed during the last year
There were now including probationers $3.50 church
members in their German field; liz Sabbath schools
1859 officers and teachers; and 1920 scholars with
302 volumes in the libraries; W churches for German
worship Az parsonages and more in contemplation;
80 local preachers, with considerable number Of
horters SO regular mission circuits and stations The
raeled and had increased, in the last year. by 1000
members. With regard to the. Indian missions,
pal Church South, their field had been great great.
ly cireumscrbed: The Wisconsin, Michigan, Onei.
the Indian missions under the Of this society The
most of them within the limits of the Michigan
conference These missions had been generally visited
by their junior bishop who took deep interest in their
prosperity. He had in several instances purchased
cards which he had secured to the Missionary Society
for the benefit of the Indians. Great improvement
had been made in the character and conduct of these
Indians: The past year had been one of encouraging
prosperity. They had now 10 mission circuits and
stations in this field, II regular missionaries with
Indian membership of 902. There were schools and
900 scholars The sabbath schools were o. and l6O
scholars As to the Swedish mission though they had
heard Of two others, that in New York was the
only from which they had received any report 1t
was source of congratuation that they had the
Bethel ship for the Swedes and other foreigners In
conclusion the native population mission was rapidly
extending. They had now 275 circuits and stations,
296 missionaries. 29l24 MEMBERS making an increase
on the past year Of missions, 55 missionaries, 40
May Ist 1s4s was S22 i5O receipts past year. up to
May 1st 1849 $84 disbursements during the past
year, $lo2,sSo balance in treasury, May lst' l"is
The Rev. Mr.. NApAL, of the Baltimore Convention
then proceeded to address the meeting and said that
he was happy to have the privilege Of addressing it,
and the more especially they all engaged in
cause which was dear to the heart Of every Christian
the missionary enterprise was part of his holy
religion, and that followed from the very nature
Of that pure and holy religion that the Mission
ary Society proposed to check the sinful propensi-
ties, and curb the idoatrous vices Of the hea-
then world. It not to be expected that the
benighted would come and ask for the true religion
did not want it in their natural statehc was welded
Anlo tbo ha IN
him The missionary enterprise a subject of much
importance it not mere appendage to Christiani-
rend spcaker) would define the missionary enter
prise to be the churchs sense of the worlds
the churchs knowledge Of the fearful existing
amount of human depravity. Who could fathom the
depth oft 1t is to be read Of in both the divine book
and In the history of mankind; and the church be-
holds, with anxious solictude the living principle Of
power which threatens to burn mankind down to the
very lowest hell Yes the church looks upon the igno-
renee Of truth a miserable evil which menaces to
doom the human race to eternal destruction This
Of danger heightened when the church contem
plates the but too extensive prevalence of idolatry
throughout many portions of the globe, and still
wrath which have attended the violation Of the divine
commandment, "Thou shalt not make to myself
craven image or bow down before it," The anger Of
the offended Deity further exemplihed in
the punishments of Baal, of Ncbuchadnezzar who
erected idols the plain, and of Mooch, who sacri
feed, with profane rites, the blood Of infants.
In the classic philosophers CLOSED tic vicious
Of doaty with all the illusions of poetry but who
the African Fetish worship and Of the of the Jug
gernaut and OF the flaming piles on which the widows
these evils have wakened up the church to Of
the worlds danger, and this feeling is the more ia
creased by :he difficulty which the missionary feels in
his glorious endeavors to convert to truth these be-
nghted worshppers of Paganism. 1t is not unnatural
that the missionary should many obstacles in
the OF his abors the associations which de-
rived from the connection which exists between his
religion and the legendary histories Of the heroes Of his
country, its literature, &C., &cthe Pagan thus be-
mn tpnac IN his Ia
found breathing placea spot from which, looks out
upon the world through the medium Of the mis-
sonary enterprise it is the thread which is to convey
the heather world from out of their idolatrous maze
and it is the light which is to encourage them to hope
churchs faith in the worlds Saskatchewan of the
heather world Besides this faith is founded upon the
promises which God has given to mankind, and upon
which the churcha has taken strong hold The re-
verend gentleman then entered into an elaborate and
made to by the Omnipotence, and alluded to the
realization Of his promises of love and mercy by the
ensuring of mans salvation through the blood OF tne
that from his seed would spring the redemption OF
mankind The fruits of missionary abors are sensiby
experienced continued the reverend speake through
out the civilized world 1t is bat some hundreds Of
since the painted savage the Roman
ierions upon what the smiling plains of
England nor il long since the Of the Indian
padded In the bright waters Of the Hudson, whilst his
war-whoop sounded along its shores; and thronged
cities. and towns, and temples for the worship
of the Most High, now erected upon places which
desolate wilds, and frequentcd but by the
hunter What then equal the blessings Of mis-
sionary enterprise But above all, what need OF
merit is not due to the missionary who is ready and
willing give himself up to suffer on the altar OF sa-
crhce! he goes into the charne house, perhaps
comfort and preach the WORD 10 men
whose doom is inevitable. The reverend speaker then
narrated exceedingly interesting anecdoe, exempi-
flying the ferven zeal Of some Moravan missonareswno
for the purpose ofpropagating the gospel actually enter
ed into the lcper hospital in of the missions on the
coast Of Africa although they were informed by tho
king of the country that, once having gone in they
would never be allowed out again. The reverend gem
tleman resumed: The missionary enterprise Is the
church's grand scheme for the conversion of the
world. who the founder of it,-No philosopher
or statesman suggested IT. but 1t remained for
Jesus our divine master, to develop the great idea
mans regeneration. lie was the founder Of the mis-
sonary enterprise. The great plan Of this
tsrprise, in the Scrptural sense Is the taking
possession of mans Utmost soul, regenerating
him and drawing him from the grovcng
depths ignorance and idoatry TO tho contemplation
of truth with the expectation Of salvation. A power
accompanies that plant is the divinity which dwels
that and that alone. which makes IL