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8. Rev. Aaron Cleaveland,

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1808.

No. 3.

Disbursements by order of the Trustees.

To Missionaries, viz.

January 1. To Rev. Joseph Vaill, Missionary to Black River, § 72

Vermont,

40

Otsego and Del. 40
Vermont,

New York,

16

40

N. York& Penn. 87

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14.

Mr. Ebenezer I. Leavenworth,

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Other Expenses in the Course of the year, viz.
Expenses attending sending books to new settlements, viz.

For Magazines 1077 Dolls. 50 Cents. which was paid
back to the Treasurer, and appropriated to permanent
fund, as avails of the Magazine,

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To Andrew Kingsbury, Esq. his Salary as Treasurer,
To Solomon Smith, Esq. for assisting the Treasurer,

VOL. II. NO. 2.

1427 53 24 100

2.50

II

For a Receipt Book for the Treasurer,

To Rev. Abel Flint, his Salary as Auditor and Secretary,

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for stationary and postage,

expenses for entertaining the Trustees,

375 100

25 66

8

$3433 44

Dr.

No. 4.

Treasurer's Account Current.

The Missionary Society of Connecticut, in Account Currrent
with Andrew Kingsbury, as their Treasurer.

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A. KINGSBURY, Treasurer to the M. S. of Con.

ABEL FLINT, Auditor.

Hartford, December 31, 1808.

A particular List of the Contributions received in the new settlements, contained in the general statement, No. 2.

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To Rev. Calvin Ingals, in the State | To Mr. Mark Mead, at sundry pla

of New-York,

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ces in the counties of Otsego and Delaware, 650

2 07 To Rev. David Harrower, at sundry 5 28 places in N. York & Penn.

Bolton,

Chester,

Of Benjamin Raymond,

1

Amos Brownson,

At Stockholm,

075

4 20

17 23

8.50

Donations of Books.

From a riend of Missions, 50 Connecticut Evangelical Magazine, and Religious Inteligencer, for 1808.

From Do. 1000 Pamphlets on Marriage.

From Nathaniel Lambert, Esq. 12 Testaments.

A List of Books sent to the new settlements in the course of the year

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Officers of the Missionary Society of Connecticut.

TRUSTEES.- -His Honor John Treadwell, The Honorable Roger Newberry, The Hon. Aaron Austin, The Hon. Jonathan Brace, The Hon. John Davenport, Enoch Perkins, Esq. The Rev. Messrs. Nathan Perkins D. D. Elijah Parsons,* Samuel Nott, Calvin Chapin, Samuel J. Mills, and Moses C. Welch.

Andrew Kingsbury, Esq. Treasurer. Rev. Abel Flint, Auditor. His Honor John Treadwell, Chairman, and the Rev. Abel Flint, Secretary of the Board of Trustees.

Committee of Missions. Hon. Jona. Brace, Enoch Perkins, Esq. Rev. Messrs. Nathan Perkins, D.D. M. C. Welch, Samuel Nott, and Abel Flint. Committee of Accounts. Hon. Jonathan Brace, Enoch Perkins, Esq: and the Rev. Abel Flint.

Fund Committee. His honor John Treadwell, Hon. Roger Newberry, Hon. Jonathan Brace, Enoch Perkins, Esq. and Andrew Kingsbury, Esq. Book Committee. Hon. Jonathan Brace, Enoch Perkins, Esq. Rev. Messrs. Nathan Perkins, D. D. and Abel Flint.

* Mr. Parsons has resigned his trusteeship.

On the unsearchable existence of guided zeal, applied to the most

W

God.

incomprehensible of all subjects. The nature of Deity, and perHEN supreme Godhead haps the influence of this in evis the subject of enqui- ery instance, is not yet wholly ry, our minds ought to be rev-wiped away from the common erent. Rash assertion in treat- manner of Christian description. ing any sacred subject is crimi-Human certainty, concerning nal; in a description of original the nature and attributes of exDeity, by whose will all things istence when left to our own exist, it increases the great guilt, powers of discovery, never goes and is attended with evil conse- farther than experience, much quences to mankind, for whichthe observation, and divine revelabest intentions will never make an tion: All beyond these limits is adequate atonement. The pa- conjectural! Arguing from analtriarch Jacob awaking from sleep ogy or a supposed likeness bein which he had a vision of God, tween finite natures, we may said, "How dreadful is this form many probable opinions of place!" A similar solemnity be- creatures distinct beyond accomes us while we meditate on quaintance and observation : But the deep things of his nature, determining in this manner of and search the character drawn the supreme being is altogether in his inspired word. In many unwarrantable.-Between an inthings, human curiosity rises finite and finite nature, between above our powers of compre-infinite and finite powers or qualhension, and needs a pious check. To discern the limits of human understanding, and neither affirm or deny beyond our powers of knowledge, is perhaps the most difficult of all scientific attainments, and is a subject, when well understood, which furnishes the best guide to judicious and safe opinions. If the labor bestowed on sub-gard to our powers of apprejects wholly too great for men, hending. It is from the weakhad been directed within the ness of our own intellects, that sphere of our comprehension, the godhead is so much hid from and to mark the boundaries of our knowledge, and there are useful and possible knowledge, moral reasons to suppose, that it would have prevented many whatever can be known, whatunintelligible opinions, which, ever can in description be brought being mingled with plainer truth, down to our capacity is contained give a shade of obscurity to the in his word. This character as whole. Such were many of the it stands revealed is incomprescholastic definitions, in past hensible. When displayed to ages, formed by the arbitrary our understanding in the best rules of logical demonstration, manner, we see a propriety that and thro' presumption or mis- so glorious a being should be the

ities there is so great a dissimilarity, that arguing from one to the other must ever be uncertain and often absurd. Our opinions of the Supreme efficient must therefore be taken from such accounts as he hath been pleased to communicate of himself, and in making such communications his wisdom hath doubtless rc

author and supreme governor of of men, and if it were not, Jehothe world; we see the necessity vah would not be God. Every of such power to control the human reasoning, either upon the scene; we see effects worthy an simplicity or composition of an infinite cause; but still what it is infinite nature which contains all to be self-existent-what to have possible energy and goodness, is knowledge, presence and power only aguing from the character beyond all limits, no being but of creatures, to the existence of Deity understands. Men do not a God. Attending to the holy comprehend any thing of them- oracles, we find that human lanselves greater than the sphere of guage even in direction of the their own existence and action. inspiring Spirit, labors under the Finite qualities both natural and great effort of bringing down so moral are clear in our concep-high a subject to be within the tion. Knowledge, presence, pow-reach of men's conceptions; to er, truth and love, as they exist go beyond this is darkening in men are known by every mind, counsel by words without knowand the way in which we form our ledge. best apprehensions of godhead, is by conceiving those qualities in their greatest purity, and then denying all limits to their force and extension, so that by the utmost exertion of human intelligence we only form a negative idea of the supreme immensity; and to be positive further than is revealed either of divine energies or operations betrays ignorance of the venerable subject which is considered.

When Moses from the burning bush, received commission to address Pharaoh, and lead his oppressed brethren out of Egypt, the most high called himself the God of their fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Sensible that human curiosity would require a farther description of the being by whom he was authorized; the prophet desired to be taught what he should answer when the name and nature of his God was demanded. To this inquiry he was answered, I am that I am, and thou shalt tell this people I am hath sent thee. This name is generally rendered Jehovah, and signifies self-existence, a peculiar attribute of godhead.

If in the most glorious existence there be powers and operations which bear no kind of affinity to any finite quality or power in creatures, they must be wholly inconceivable by the human mind. That manner of existence which admits ineffable In this description of himself, attributes, which receives the supreme wisdom did not attempt ascriptions peculiar to godhead to unfold his essential nature, or must be wonderful and greater the manner in which he exists than all imagination. The holy and acts; but as the best acscriptures assert the supreme ex- count which could be given to a istence, agency and will, but ne- finite mind, as the best claim to ver in a single instance attempt, their confidence and reverence, to teach us how his adorable na- as the highest mark of distincture exists. As heaven is high tion between himself and the above the earth, so is this sub-character men had given to their ject above the idea and reasoning idol Gods, described a being self

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