NEW-YORK. The Executive Committee of the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York, to the Public. recently been established among BAPTIST EDUCATION SOCIETY, them, both by our Baptist and Pedobaptist brethren, with the most encouraging prospects of success. We remember those far more numerous tribes in the immense tracts of country be. tween the United States and the Pacific, all of which are in suffering want of missionary labours. We recollect the many countries from Mexico to Cape Horn, which are conveniently situated for the introduction of Christian knowledge, from the United States. But then we reflect that the States, so far from being equal to these missionary enterprises, are unable to keep their ground good at home. Their population has outrun their religious institutions. Their want of pastors and missionaries among themselves is great. We will state a single, well authenticated fact. There are in the Baptist denomination in the United States, according to the Minutes of their Associations, 3520 churches, and 2485 ministers; leaving a balance of 1035 churches more than there are ministers. In order to meet this state of things, one minister often supplies several congregations; so that each congregation will perhaps have preaching only once a month. Now does not the Institution which our American brethren are establishing, and for which our aid is respectfully solicited, afford us an opportunity for effectually serving the cause of religion and humanity in this new world, that is rising in the west? Shall we ever have another so good opportunity? We are persuaded that whatever aid may be afforded to our brethren in this great work, will be repaid by them, and that with interest, even to our own Missions, if we desire it, and if not, to the cause of Christ at large. The increasing light of the gospel, which shines upon the path of the saints, awakens in them a zeal to accomplish for his glory, the work which the Lord hath appointed them. But a partial knowledge is yet obtained of that complete system of means which God has adopted, to accomplish the purposes of his grace, in the consummation of the Redeemer's kingdom. It is in this life we are more particularly called to be workers together with God, in making known his truth and his grace to those for whom his long suffering is waiting. The death of the Saviour and the work of the Holy Spirit, as well as the law of God, have taught the saints that they are not their own, but they owe themselves and their services to God. The obligation should be acknowledged in the performance of that labor of love, which is not merely in word and in tongue, but in deed and truth. The experience of ages, as well as the example of the Saviour in embodying his people in the world, dictate to them a combination of energies, to carry the triumphsof the cross through the earth. The ten thousand societies formed to propagate the Scriptures through the world, bid defiance. to all upposition, and furnish, under the blessing of God, a strong assurance to every nation, of the most plentiful provisions of the word of life. Charity schools for the assistance of indigent young men, who have the gift of God to preach the gospel, are rising in different parts of Zion, not as the result of Popish projects, but as the evident dictates of that wisdom which is from above. The Baptists in the State of New York, in connexion with those in the western part of Vermont, have imitated the laudable examples of their brethren in other States, in getting up a Charity school, which is consecrated to the rising ministry. The Society for this purpose was formed in September, 1817, and began to afford means of instruction the year following, to three or four young men, approved and licensed by the churches. It was incorporated in 1818, and in the opening of the spring of 1819, a Seminary was established, at which time the number of beneficiaries had increased to about ten or twelve. With reference to a liberal portion of country, and the tender of privileges to the neighbouring sections of the eastern States, the location of the Seminary is permanently established at Hamilton, in a healthy, flourish ing population, near the centre of Madison county, and nearly at an equal distance from the boundary of the State on the west, and Connecticut river on the east. There are rising of seven hundred Baptist churches scattered over this tract of country, in which God is raising up many young men, for the service of the sanctuary; thirty-five have been assisted by this Society since its formation, twenty-two of whom are now under its patronage. The expense of the Institution the last year, including board, tuition, clothing, books, &c. amounted to about $3000. As the school is enlarging, the expenses will undoubtedly be more the present year. It is expected young men who have property will defray their own expenses, as far as they have the means of doing it, beyond which the Society assume their wants. The board of the students, including lodging and washing, is obtained for a dollar a week. The people of Hamilton, to fulfil the conditions of the location, have erected a very elegant stone building for the Seminary, sixtyfour by thirty-six feet, three stories high, which is to be finished by the first of May next. About twenty thousand dollars have been subscribed to the funds of the institution, the most of which remain in the hands of the donors, subject to interest; and with few exceptions in small sums. Ex Several Scholarships have recently been endowed, with a thousand dollars each. The interest of each sum is to support a scholar; and the scholarship is to bear the donor's name forever. Scholarship No. I. was endowed by Deacon Jonathan Olmsted; No. II. by Honorable Squier Monroe, and No. III. by Deacon Joseph Moss. Several other gentlemen have given assurances that they will do likewise. amples of this kind from those conversant with the rise and progress of the institution, cannot fail to present the object in a commanding attitude, to the view of the benevolent, especially when they are preparing to relinquish their connexion with time, to go and give an account of their stewardship. Several honorable bequests have been made to the institution by a number of pious persons in their last will and testament, which we have no doubt are approved in heaven, and which they expect soon to ratify by their own death. A library is commenced on a liberal scale. But a little more than four hundred volumes, however, are yet obtained. It is presumed there are many valuable books which lie useless with the owners, which if placed in this school might do much good. The Institution stands pledged to the cause of our Divine Master, and to the public in general, to bestow its benefits exclusively on those who are approved and acknowledged in the judgment of the Churches, to be ministers of the New Testament. The suspicions of some, that this Seminary is designed to make ministers, are totally unfounded. None are admitted to its patronage without a license to preach; and a special call from God to the work, is sacredly regarded as an indispensable prerequisite. The Churches are requested in no instance to refer a doubtful case to the decision of this Committee, and to recommend none of whom they cannot most heartily approve. The time and course of instruction are varied to the circumstances of the students. A system of education is adopted, embracing the learned languages, and some of the principal classics, together with Christian Theology. Three years are required on all these subjects, while those who omit the languages are retained only two years. The students have an extensive field for the exercise of their public gifts, in destitute Churches in the vicinity, in which they are required to preach in rotation every Sabbath. We are happy to say, the practical results of this rising institution, are obviating prepossessions against it, through the Churches where its character is best understood, while the most unshaken conviction rests upon the minds of its patrons, that God designs it for a lasting blessing to the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are confident its claims upon the prayers and liberality of those whom the Saviour has bought with his blood, are but partially understood. The Divine presence has been with it, and his protecting providence has overshadowed it, and we trust it will happily survive the days of darkness, and its fruits be ac knowledged in the ages to come. We are confident it will the best speak for itself: its expenses are daily increasing, and are not to be sustained by the comparative few, who have consecrated to it, no ordinary portion of their first fruits. We ask nothing more than what God shall be pleased to dictate, as your duty to bestow. Let your prayers and the sum of your liberality for this object, be made before the throne, with reference to their being registered and presented in your final accounts, and may it be said to you at last, by our Lord and Master, "inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. By order of the Executive Committee of the Baptist Education Society of the State of NewYork. NATHANIEL KENDRICK, Sec'y. Hamilton, Sept. 3, 1822. [West. N. Y. Bap. Mag. BAPTIST MISSIONARY CONVENTION OF This Convention met, agreeable to adjournment, at Whitesborough, N. Y October 16, 1822. Delegates were present from five Associations and seven Churches. The Hon. S. Munroe presided. The nature and objects of this Convention may be learnt from the second, eleventh, and twelfth articles of their Constitution. Article II. This Convention shall consist of, 1st. Such Delegates as may be appointed annually by the different Associations, not exceeding one Delegate to five Churches, nor more than five from any one Association : 2nd, One Delegate from any Education or Missionary Society, which may contribute to its funds. Article XI. It shall be the duty EXTRACT OF A LETTER TO ONE OF of the Board to appoint Missionaries and Agents, determine their compensation, give them instructions, and dismiss them under such regulations as may from time to time be imposed by the Convention, at the Meetings of which they shall render a fair account of all their proceedings, recommend to the Convention such measures as they may think expedient to be adopted, and manage the concerns of the Convention during its recess. Article XII. It shall be the duty of the Delegates of each constituent Association and Missionary Society, to produce a brief account of the state of religion within its circle; also such other information as may be calculated to promote the designs of this Institution: the reading of which shall constitute one of the first items of business in the Convention. The following persons were Solomon Goodale, of Bristol; Joshua Bradley, of Middlebury; -Cook, Esq. of Galway. ib. THE EDITORS. Russelville, Franklin County, My dear Brother in the Lord, I have enclosed you in an envelope, three of our Minutes of the Association, merely for your satisfaction.— The churches composing this Asso'nessee river; in Franklin, Lawrence, ciation, lie on both sides of the TenMorgan and Lauderdale Counties. On the same river is Limestone, Madison, Jackson and Decatur counties, containing more Baptists than there are in our Association Their Association is called Flint River Association. In the middle of this State, is an Association, called the Cahawba Association, in which is 793 members. There is another Association in the eastern part of the State, called the Alabama Association: and another in the western part, called the Bigby Association. The number of members in these Associations I do not know, having never seen any of their Minutes. I have wondered why our Baptist brethren in the north have never established schools and mis- It There is much opposition to the missionary system by some; but, blessed be the Lord, there is a goodly number.who are in favour of it. must be consoling to the friends of Zion, to hear and see what the Lord is doing in this wilderness, which, but a little time back, witnessed nothing but the howl of the wolf, or the yell of the savage, now resounding with Zion's songs and the sound of the gosthat not only the Baptists, but other pel. But I am sorry to inform you denominations also, are at this time in a very cold and lifeless state as to spiritual things. The Baptists here are more numerous than any other denomination, but we are sadly destitute of preachers; and those we have are mostly unlearned men. Oh that we had some of your better informed ministers from the Atlantic States! There are some good preachers in Tennessee, who come and visit us sometimes, and then we are refreshed as with showers from above. The lower part of this State, also, has some good preachers. But we are deficient in schools. We have been much imposed upon by pretended teachers, who know little of what they attempt to teach This is generally the case through the country. The people are in general able, and wish to educate their children, if they could obtain good teachers. This is a very delightful country, and will in time be among the most desirable places in the United States. You may raise both southern and northern productions on one plantation. My dear brother, I hope you will pardon me for the trouble I shall give you in reading this letter, written from this insulated part of the Union. am aware your time is precious, and ought not to be occupied with trifles." I EXTRACT OF A LETTER TO ONE OF THE EDITORS. Woolwich, (Me.) Nov. 23, 1822. Dear Brother, Believing that all information relative to the advancement of the Redeemer's kingdom imparts peculiar pleasure to you, I avail myself of this medium, for the purpose of briefly stating to you some particulars, relative to the glorious display of divine mercy, towards the inhabitants of this town, within a few months past. would, however, briefly notice the ap pearance of things here, previously to the reformation having commenced. I In March, 1818, agreeably to the request of the Calvinistic Baptist church and society in this place, I came to reside with them, and from that to the present time, have endeavoured to preach unto them the word of life. At the time that I began to labour with them, the church, as a body, were very low in their minds, although there were a few individuals whose minds appeared to be alive to the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom, and we were also blessed with a good degree of union. It had been the practice of the church to hold weekly prayer-meetings, previously to my having engaged to preach with them. Soon after I came to this place, I commenced preaching lectures on Lord's-day evenings, and oc casionally on week days, in different parts of the town. My mind was many times unusually impressed with a sense of the worth of souls, and I was led, from the solemn aspect exhibited in our meetings, to conclude, that the Lord would soon appear by the power of his Spirit, and build up his church in this place. But I at length ob. served to my great disappointment and grief, that the people heard as though they heard not, and seemed to see as though they saw not-for as soon as our meetings were dismissed, the most of the people appeared to have lost all sense of eternal things, and it was manifest that the word preached had no place in their hearts. Thus it continued with them until last spring, when the Lord was pleased to work effectually by the power of his spirit, upon the minds of some, who usually assembled with those denominated Free-will Baptists, who resided in the easterly part of this town. In the month of March, it was stat ed to me by a friend, that a number of individuals who attached themselves to that religious denomination, gave evidence of a change of heart; and that the work was spreading in that part of the town, from house to house. At the time the above information was imparted to me, I did not attach that credit to the statement, that I have since believed it demanded. In order, however, to satisfy myself relative to its being a genuine work of the divine Spirit, I attended a prayer-meeting where a number of the young con. verts were assembled. Soon after the meeting was opened, several of those converts who had recently entertained a hope in the pardoning mercy of God, arose, and gave such scriptural evidence of their having passed from death to life, that I could no longer doubt of their having become the hap py recipients of the saving grace of God. In the course of the evening, while uniting with them in prayer, and listening to the exhortations which flowed from their lips, my soul caught the sacred flame, and I was led to give glory to God. From that time, I felt my soul enlarged for the pros. perity of Zion, and that sinners might be converted to the Lord. About this time, christians belonging to the dif ferent religious denominations in town |