Brought forward 126 3$ Donation by a member 5 00 Amount of annual subscriptions paid in, 140 00-271 33 (Ver.) for do. 24 From Mrs. Mary Beattie, a pious woman, communicated on her death-bed, by the Rev. Dr. Spring, From the Female Cent Society in Worcester, by the Rev. Dr. Austin, From Mrs. Mary Green, by the Rev. Paul Litchfield, of Carlisle, From five children in S. Reading, for the tra slations, From individuals in Hopkinton, by the Rev. Nathaniel Howe, 25. From a pious young woman, communicated on her death-bed, by Mr. Artemas Woodward, From females in Sandwich, half to missions and half to translations, by the Rev. Jonathan Burr, From Mrs. Eunice Kingsbury, of Framingham, by Mr. N. Willis, From a female friend, by the Rev. John Cleaveland, for the translations, 2.00 From Mrs. Prudence Clark, of do. for do. 1.00 From two young ladies in Franklin, $5 each, for the translations, by the Rev. Dr. Emmons, 10 00 26. From the following sources, by Mr. P. W. Gallaudet; viz. Friends of missions in Middlesex parish, Stam ford (Con.) by the Rev. William Fisher, 8 50 From a sincere friend to the heathen, by the Rev. Eli Smith, 27. From the Auxiliary Foreign Mission Society of Franklin County, by Jerom Ripley, Esq. the Treasurer, From Mr. Solomon Goodell, of Jamaica, (Ver.) by the Rev. Dr. Lyman, to the permanent fund, to be applied to the diffusion of a knowledge of the Holy Scriptures in the East, From the Rev. Eliphalet Lyman, of Woodstock, (Con.) by the Rev. Dr. Lyman towards the permanent fund, 40 00 10 00 50 00 43 44 1.00 ·6.00 5. 84 100-51 00 200 00 Esq. 198 90 Carried forward $40 008766 01 7. From the Female Religious Society in Braintree, by the Rev. R. S. Storrs. From individuals in Braintree, by the Rev. R. S. Storrs, 18. From the Foreign Mission Society of Bath and the Vicinity by Mr. Jonathan Hyde, the Treas urer, 22. From a female friend of missions, by Mr. N. Lord, 5.00 92 00 5.00 18 90 10 00 94 00 1.00 Carried forward $1241 26 5 00 Brought forward $1241 26 27. From a female friend of missions, by Mrs. Hardy, From the Foreign Mission Society of North Yarmouth and the Vicinity, by the Hon. Ammi R. Mitchell, Esq. the Treasurer, From the Aiding Foreign Mission Society in Plympton, by the Rev. Elijah Dexter, the Treas 3 00 had in it, in trust, to the Rev. Dr. Morse, and Jeremiah Evarts, Esq. for the advantage of the Foreign Mission from America; leaving it entirely to their discretion, whether he ought to receive any thing in addition or not. They decided, that a certain additional sum ought to be given, which would increase his compensation to one hundred dollars in the whole. The Compiler has no pecuniary interest in the work, and never expects any profit from 60 00 it, except what is stated above. 5.00 16 97 950 $1,340 73 N. B. The following letter was omitted last month. "Dear Sir, "FApril, 1814. I TRANSMIT you the trifling sum of five dollars, in support of the Gospel of Christ, among the poor heathen of India. I would leave it at the discretion of the Society, whether to devote it to the purpose of translating the Holy Scriptures, or of supporting faithful missionaries in the ends of the earth. "This is the first donation I have ever made for the promotion of the religion of Jesus, our dear Redeemer; but, with his blessing, I shall strive to bestow as much every quarter; confident that in the times of revolution and peril, this is the only fund, where the stock of the Christian can be safely lodged. CHRISTOPHILOS. The Treasurer of the Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions." MEMOIRS OF MRS. NEWELL. TO THE PUBLIC. As there have been some mistaken reports, respecting the profits arising from the sale of Mrs. Newell's Memoirs, it may not be improper to make the following statement of facts. For the labor of preparing the Memoirs for the press, the Compiler received, as the avails of the first edition, nearly fifty dollars, beside what was sufficient to pay several small sums to several persons, who had assisted him as transcribers. Early in May, the Compiler committod the work and whatever interest he. OBITUARY. DIED, in France, of his wounds, Gen. FOR- In England, Maj. Gen. Sir Joan DOUG- Also, Capt. JoaN STOCKHAM, who commanded the Thunderer, 74, in the battle of Trafalgar. In the state of New York, Lieut. WEL LER, of U. S. army, shot by a recruit, whom he was attempting to compel to do his duty. At Portsmouth, N. H. the Hon. JoxaTHAN WARNER, aged 88, and his sister, Mrs. Sherburne, relict of Henry Sher burne, Esq. aged 95. At Burlington, Mass. Mrs. ABIGAIL JONES, relict of the Rev. Thomas Jones, formerly minister of that place, aged 94. At Boston, on the 13th ult. the Hon. ROBERT TREAT PAINE, Esq. aged 84. He was one of the signers of the Declar ation of Independence, had been a Judge of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, and sustained many other important offices. At Courtlandt, (N. Y.) the Hon. PIERRE VAN COURTLANDT, aged 94. He had been a member of Congress, and Lieut. Governor of the state of New York. In London, the Rev. WILLIAM PETERS, a member of the Royal Academy and a celebrated painter. TO CORRESPONDENTS. WE have on our files many articles, which are necessarily deferred. Were gret this necessity, particularly in regard to several obituary notices, and an account of the Benevolent Society in Yale College. The remaining part of the Report of the Trustees of the Massachusetts Mission ry Society will appear next month. We are compelled to divide this valuable document much against our inclination. The pecuniary accounts of the Society wi also be found in our next number. LXII. Review of the Dorchester Controversy. (Concluded from p. 281. ) In the course of this review, the reader has been brought to the decision of the first council, We think every reflecting per. son will see, in the progress and result of that council, and in the subsequent continuance of the parish controversy, that mutual councils are most inadequate tribunals. Whenever the par ties to a parish controversy differ on points of real importance, the probability is very great, that they can find ministers, who differ with each other in the same manner, and who will be disposed to support the parties with which they respectively agree. In many cases, such a difference is compatible with fairness and candor, and ought to bring no reproach on those, who adhere to either side of the question. In other cases, prejudice and party views may overpower the voice of reason, and clamorously demand their victim. In both these classes of supposable Cases, the ends of justice will be utterly frustrated by relying on a mutual council, chosen equally by both parties: for whether VOL X. VOL. X. the parties are moderate or vio. lent, candid or prejudiced, honest or dishonest, they will naturally and almost inevitably select such ministers, as are known to agree with them, respectively, in opinion. How is such a council to come to any decision? If there should unexpectedly be a decision by a single vote, how is such a decision to command the respect and cheerful submission of the party against whom it is made? What would be thought of a political arrangement, which should refer all important legal questions to a court composed of members, half of whom should be selected by one party and half by the other; especially if the dispute hinged on some great question, such as the constitutionality of a law, on which there was a diversity of opinion, and men of intelligence had taken opposite sides? What would be thought of making arbitration the only method of deciding questions of property, liberty, and life? Arbitrations are sometimes useful; but it is a notorious fact, thet they are sometimes the sources of monstrous injustice, either from ignorance, a silly attempt to please both parties, or a timid yielding to popular clamor. Though the regular courts of 37 these suppositions, they ought to possess no remedial authority. So far as the charges against Mr. Codman's moral and ministerial character were concerned, the decisions of the first council were highly beneficial; as these charges have not since made any impression upon a single person, so far as we have been able to ascertain. justice are not absolutely free from exposure to these evils, they are much less exposed to them, than any tribunals could be, which were selected by the parties, with a particular view to each controversy. We hesitate not to say, that the political condition of this country would be intolerable, if questions affecting character, property, and life, were to be decided only by arbitrations, in the preparation for which the creditor and debtor, the person injured in his reputation and the slanderer, the pub-cates of that motion, to introduce lic and the criminal, should have an equal influence. The same reasoning applies, in a considerable degree at least, to ecclesiastical disputes. If differences of opinion will arise, concerning which the interests of the church require a decision to be made by others beside the parties, it is certainly wise to have some tribunal agreed upon, previous to the origin of the differences, in order to avoid end less bickering in the attempt to constitute a tribunal, after the roots of bitterness have struck deep, and extensive parties have been formed. But if, on the other hand, there is no such thing as ecclesiastical authority sanctioned by the Scriptures; or if each church is perfectly competent to settle within itself all questions and disputes which can exist; or if no church has a right to settle any question, or give any opinion, but every pro. fessor of religion must be left by his brethren to do what seemeth good in his own eyes;-on any of these suppositions, mutual councils are much worse than useless. They aggravate parish contests, while, on either of Had the motion prevailed, which censured Mr. Codman in regard to exchanges, it was the avowed intention of the advo another motion to the following purport: That the council advise to a dissolution of the connexion between Mr. C. and his people, unless he will engage to ex. change ministerial labors with the members of the Boston As sociationg enerally. No person, however, undertook to show the consistency of this motion with the admission, that Mr. C.'s first refusal to pledge himself to exchange with any man or any body of men whatever was a correct reservation of his rights. After the decision of the first council, there was a good op. portunity for Mr. C.'s opposers to lay aside their hostility. They still professed no dislike to his preaching; they still professed to think favorably of his talents and ministerial character. The charges of a moral nature, which, as was evidently the case, they had thrown into the scale, as makeweights merely, they pro fessed themselves willing to take out with their own hands, if Mr. C. would pledge himself to exchange with their favorites. The council was unable to decide the question of exchanges Mr. C. was not censured on this ac count. Why did not these lovers of peace sit down quietly, and leave their minister in possession of those rights, which all Christian ministers have enjoy. ed from time immemorial? The fact undoubtedly was, that the question of exchanges was a mere handle, as it was forcibly termed by a member of the council, in the course of the debate. The opposers of Mr. C., and their friends out of the parish, wanted to drive from this region a faithful minister, who was obnoxious to them. It was taken for granted, that he had made up his mind on the subject of exchanges, and that, sooner than yield to any compulsory measures, he would leave his people. Shall we be called uncharitable in saying, with the member of the council, that the question of exchanges was mere ly a handle? Let the reader call to mind, that charges of intentional deception were solemnly made against Mr. C., and persisted in to the last. Yet those, who made these charges in one breath, offered in the next to withdraw them, if the question of exchanges could be settled. Is it uncharitable to suppose, that men who who would use such makeweights as these, would use such a handle as the question of exchanges? We now proceed with the history. About the time of the first council, twelve inhabitants of Dorchester and Roxbury applied to join Mr. C.'s parish, under the act of the legislature, which had recently passed, This application was refused a hearing by Mr. C's opposers, who were now able to carry any vote which they felt disposed to carry. The decision of the first council was made, as we have stated, on the 7th of November, 1811. On the 28th of the same month, a parish mecting was held, for the purpose of calling another council. Accordingly, a committee was chosen for that purpose. The parish instructed this committee to unite with Mr. C. in choosing a mutual council. In case he should refuse to unite with them, the committee was instructed to call an ex parte council. Two questions were to be submitted, 1. Whether Mr. C. had not given just cause of complaint in regard to exchanges? 2. Whether a dissolution of the connex. ion between Mr. C. and his people should not take place, on account of the divided and unhappy state of the parish? The makeweights were not again thrown into the scale. Previously to this arrange. ment, Mr. C. had exchanged, for the first time, with a certain member of the Boston Associa tion. Many persons, both among the friends and the enemies of Mr. C. put a misconstruction upon this act. They considered it as a dereliction of the principles, for which he had all along contended. Some among his friends deeply lamented it. His opposers were greatly enraged by it. They seriously feared, that they should lose their only plausible pretext of opposition. So anxious were they, on this account, that they held a meeting for consultation the very evening of the day, on which the exchange took place; and, in eleven days afterwards, they warned and held a parish, |