for the sermon which, by their appointment, be delivered this morning.

The Rev. John Robinson was appointed to preach the next annual sermon; and the Rev. Mr. Goodrich his alternate.

The following persons were then elected officers for the ensuing year. Hon. Henry Potter, President. Rev. J. Robinson, 1st Vice President. J. Caldwell, D. D. 2d Vice President. C. M'Iver, 3d Vice President.

Wm. M'Pheeters, D. D. Treasurer. S. F. Graham, Secretary. Western Executive Committee.-Rev. J. Robinson, Chairman, Cabarrus Co.-Rev. R. H. Morrison, Secretary, Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co.-Rev. Jas. Stafford, Rowan Co.-Rev. R. H. Chapman, D. D. do.-Rev. J. M. Wilson.

Eastern Executive Committee.-Hon. Henry Potter, Chairman, Fayetteville.Rev. Colin M'Iver, Recording Secretary, Fayetteville.-Rev. Jos. Labaree, Granville Co.-S. S. Dawney, Esq Treasurer, Granville Co.-Rev. S. L. Graham, Corresponding Secretary and General Agent.

Those wishing employment as Missionaries, west of the Yadkin river, may make application to the Rev. R. H. Morrison, Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N. C. Those wishing employment in any part of the state, east of the Yadkin, may make application to the Rev. Samuel L. Graham, Oxford, Granville Co. N. Carolina.

The Executive Committee, for the eastern part of the state, are convinced that a number of Missionaries could be immediately employed by them, if suitable ones could be obtained.

The following is an extract from a letter to our Corresponding Secretary, by the Rev. Samuel L. Graham, above named;

dated

"Brownsville, Granville County,

"N. Carolina, Dec. 11th, 1828. "Sir,-You are probably aware that, for a number of years, the Presbyterian Missionary Society of North Carolina, has been auxiliary to the 'General Assembly's Board of Missions.' No correspondence, however, has taken place between our Society and your Board for several years, if ever. Is it not time that this relation should be something more than nominal? "Perhaps it may be gratifying to you to learn something of our Missionary Society, and its operations. It embraces the whole state of North Carolina, and ought to receive the united contributions and prayers of about seven thousand commu. nicants, and sixty ministers, although, as yet, it has enjoyed the zealous co-operation of but a small portion of our Presbyterian population. It has a permanent

fund of about 3000 dollars, and is somewhat in debt for Missionary services already performed. The Eastern Execu. tive Committee have two Missionaries now employed, and would gladly send out more, if they had the means, or could ascertain where they were to be had. We have a most destitute population to supply with the means of grace. In this county alone, as enlightened and as religious as most others, it is very well as

certained, that there are at least ten thousand adult persons, who are living and dying without the hope of salvation. And this is considered a very fair specimen of the whole state; at least as favourable as the fact would prove to be if the like pains were taken in other counties, to ascertain the spiritual condition of the people. There are thirty counties in the state without a single Presbyterian minister or congregation. Judging from the past, I have no hesitation in saying, that in all these places, and in many others, where there is scarcely any preaching of any kind, good congregations might soon be built up, if we had the ministers of the zeal, self-denial, and faith, suited to such situations.

"Now, Sir, after the foregoing brief and hasty sketch of the desolations of our state, will it be necessary for me to say to you that, if you can send us any Missionaries they will be most cordially and thankfully received. And any counsel and assistance which the Executive Committee, of which I am a member, can give, shall be most cheerfully afforded. At all events, we should be glad to hear from you on the subject.

"There was no regular report laid before our society at its present meeting, Within the last seven years, it has assisted in the building up of ten or twelve congregations, the most of which now support their ministers without aid from the society: at least the minister is supported, either altogether by his congrega tion, or in a way that does not make it necessary that he should receive a portion of his support from us.”›

By a letter from the Rev. Wm. Torrey, at Buenos Ayres, dated Sept. 15th, 1828, the Executive Committee are happy to learn, that the articles of clothing, and of church furniture, forwarded to him by Capt. Denton, had arrived in safety; and that in all probability, since the return of peace, Protestant Missionaries to that country would soon be able to meet their own expenses.

After having failed in several efforts, the committee are now happy to state, that they have succeeded in procuring a Missionary, who has arrived in Morgantown, Virginia; and that in Stroudsburg,

new churches; and in former years, with very little aid from any other body than the Connecticut Missionary Society, may be said, under the smiles of Heaven, to have founded, as nearly as I have been able to ascertain numbers, 350 Presbyterian congregations in the state of New York; 60 in Pennsylvania; 6 in Michigan; 200 in Ohio; 45 in Indiana and Illinois; 21 in Mississippi and Louisiana; 41 in Alabama; and 177 in Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida; amounting to 900. The labours of the Connecticut Missionary Society have been most effective in the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York; and to this society the Presbyterian Church ought to acknowledge its everlasting debt of gratitude. The labours of the American Home Missionary Society have just commenced within our bounds; that association having, about two years and a half ago, succeeded to the Young Men's Missionary Society of New York; and the last year they more or less aided in the support of the gospel in 200 Presbyterian Churches. We feel thankful for their co-operation; but it is mere justice to our Board to say, that these 200 churches were gathered principally through the exertions of the General Assembly, before, as fellow la. bourers, their service amongst us commenced.

Since the meeting of the last General Assembly, the Board of Missions have employed sixty-eight missionaries; whose time of service allotted to them equals 366 and a half months; or the labours of one minister for thirty years and six months and a half. Thirty-seven of these missionaries are enabled through our assistance to continue pastors or stated supplies in their respective charges for a year, twenty-five spend a less time than a year in regularly preaching in several contiguous feeble congregations; and no more than six of our labourers can be considered as exploring missionary agents. Since May last, we have expended for missionary purposes $4982.31; and have derived, from a variety of sources, $3742.46; exclusive of interest accruing on the funds held for missionary purposes by the treasurer of the trustees of the General Assembly. The excess of our expenses over our collections has been $1239.85; which amount has been paid by funds in the treasury prior to May last. The disposable monies still on hand do not much exceed $1200, and we shall need, in addition to this sum, $4662, to meet our present engagements, which amount to $5862. This summary, we trust, will convince the friends of the Board that they have not been idle, and

that it is necessary for those who wish us success in earnest, to be diligent in pro. curing and forwarding pecuniary aid.

The general agent has officially visited thirty-seven different Presbyterian congregations, and has travelled in the service of the Board 1650 miles.

Of our missionaries, seven have been

appointed to labour in the state of New York; twenty in Pennsylvania; eight in Ohio; five in Indiana; three in Missouri; one in the Arkansas territory; three in Louisiana; two in Florida; four in North Kentucky; one in Tennessee; three in Carolina; four in Maryland; two in Delaware; one in New Jersey; one in the territory of Michigan; and three in other places.

There are probably fifteen baptized members, who are pew-holders, supporters of, and attendants on, publick worship in our Presbyterian Churches, for every communicant in our connexion; and if so, then our body in the United States contains 2,194,620 persons. If our denomi nation should be kept from disunion, and the blessing of God should be continued, as it has been for the last twenty years, in 1848 there will be at least 5,000,000 of persons under the care of the General Assembly; for we have more than doubled in numbers in the last twenty years. At that time, to give every thousand people in our connexion one pastor, we shall Of our present need 5000 ministers. preachers, 600 will probably decease before that time, leaving of the 1479 no

more than 879. To these add the 1528

which may be gained in twenty years at the rate of our increase during the last ten years, and it will give us 2407; and will leave a deficiency of 2593 to make up the 5000; so that 2,593,000 of our people, or more than our present whole number, will then be without one man in a thousand to show unto them their transgressions-if our increase of preachers shall not exceed that of any former period, in the proportion of about three to one. How wide is the field which is opening before us! Truly our portion of the harvest is great, and the labourers are few. If we consider the relative strength of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, every candid mind will be satisfied that we ought to perform more service in the building up of Zion than any other two

denominations of Christians in our country; for of those to whom much is given much will be required.

Two-thirds of all the colleges, Theological seminaries, and other academic institutions in this country, are under the instruction and control of Presbyterians. The Congregational Churches of New

England, and the Presbyterian Church together, have the charge of more than three-fourths of all these fountains of literary influence.

The Baptist and Methodist Churches, in the United States, contain, not far from 2,500,000 people in each; but they are comparatively poor, and include a larger proportion of slaves than other denominations.

Our ministers, in the state of New York alone, are 448; and all the Protestant Episcopal ministers of all grades in the United States, do not exceed, according to their own estimation, 567. In one synod, that of Albany, we have 206 ministers; and in the state of New York, 25 presbyteries. In Pennsylvania we have 317 churches and 194 ministers. Four out of our sixteen synods contain 532 ministers.

The Congregational ministers, exclusive of about 100 Arian, or Socinian, or fence-riding teachers, are estimated at 720, and their churches at 960. The Methodist ministers, exclusive of their local exhorters, who correspond very much to our ruling elders, are 1465; and

their members of classes 381,997. The Baptist Church in the United States is estimated at 3723 congregations, 2577 ministers, and 238,654 baptized persons, which are of course, all communicants. The proportion of non-communicating members in these two last named societies, is far less than in the Presbyterian

Church.

Let our ministers and churches then consider how much is expected from them by our blessed Lord, and act accordingly. Particularly let them decide whether every communicant ought not to form and express a purpose of contributing fifty cents, or a less sum annually, to the missionary operations of the General Assembly. The aid of others we solicit; but that of the communicants the Presbyterian Church has a right to claim.

The Board of Missions earnestly entreats all who possess a ready mind to this work, to give their names to their pastors, their elders, or some of the agents of the Board, that the same may be enrolled under the following

Form of Subscription. "The persons whose names are under written, belonging to the Presbyterian Church at under the pastoral care of the Rev. -, have expressed their purpose, so long as God shall enable them, to pay to the session of said church, on or before the 25th day of December, in each

year, the sums respectively annexed to their names; that the amount of this subscription may be paid to the Board of Missions of the General Assembly, as the annual contribution of this congregation." E. S. ELY, Cor. Sec. & Gen. Agent of the Board of Missions. Philadelphia, Jan. 5th, 1829. (To be continued.)

NOTICE.

The Rev. Dr. Ely has been succeeded in the office of Corresponding Secretary and General Agent of the Assembly's Board of Missions, by the Rev. Joshua T. Russell, late of Newark, N. J. We think it proper to state, that Dr. Ely consented to accept the office in question, only as a matter of experiment; expressing his doubts from the beginning, whether he should find it practicable to unite its duties with those to which he was already pledged: He was able, however, during the summer and autumn, to travel pretty extensively, and has rendered many and very important services to the cause of missions. But more than three months since, he stated to the Board, that the resignation of this office was indispensable. Since that time, the Board have been anxiously inquiring for a suitable successor, and have at length engaged the reverend gentleman whose name we have announced, and whose experience and known qualifications for this office, afford the best assurance to the Board and to the publick, that its duties will be ably and faithfully performed; especially as his whole time, and attention, and efforts, will be devoted to this single object. To him all communications relative to the concerns of the General Assembly's Board of Missions should now be directed.Address, The Rev. Joshua T. Russell, Philadelphia.