Fraternal love from ev'ry breast was driv'n, Bought with his blood, the seal of love divine. And turn our arms against the common foe; And jointly lab'ring on with zealous strife, Flew through the wat'ry world, and reach'd the shore. Urg'd to pursue the work by thee begun, But lo! the snare is broke, the captive's freed, PHILADELPHIA CHARITY SCHOOLS. Annual Report of the Board of Managers of the Philadelphia Society for the establishment and support of Charity Schools. The Board of Managers in presenting their Annual Report, congratulate the Society on its growing prosperity, and extended usefulness. From an income of less than twenty dollars per annum, it has increased its revenue sufficiently to maintain two schools, in which more than three thousand poor children have received the rudiments of an English education. From the number of nine or ten members at its foundation, it has witnessed an increase to four hun、 dred; and a disposition manifested by the benevolent, to fill up the places of those whose labours have ceased. Within the last year a measure long contemplated by the Society, has been accomplished. The liberal donation of the executors of Robert Montgomery, deceased, mentioned in our last report, has enabled the Board, with the assistance derived from scholars paid for by the county commissioners, to open two schools, one for boys and one for girls, on the Lancasterian System, in the District of Southwark. In these schools are three hundred and fourteen children, of whom two hundred and thirty-four are paid for by the County Commissioners, and the remaining eighty educated out of the funds of the Society. The annual expense of educating the children of the poor, returned by the assessors to the County Commissioners, had become so enormous as to awaken the attention of the Board as well as that of very many of our fellow-citizens. It was believed that these children could be educated at about half the sum then paid; and the Commissioners, anxious to lighten the public burthens, agreed with the Board, to pay six dollars per annum for every child sent by their order to the Southwark Schools, to a number not exceeding three hundred. The prices heretofore paid by the Commissioners, to all the teachers employed by them, have in consequence of this arrangement been much reduced. All the Schools under our care are now conducted on the Lancasterian plan; and the Board on this occasion, renewedly approve of this system, and testify to its beneficial effects, as well as to its superiority over every other system hitherto known for the education of the poor. Pursuant to a resolution of the Society, the Manual of the Lancasterian System published by the British and Foreign School Society, has been republished, with a concise history of our own Society prefixed, and also the Lancasterian Lessons, very much amended and adapted to the Schools of this country; both of which are now offered for sale. From the re-publication of this book, highly beneficial results will be likely to ensue. The details of the Manual are such as to enable a person of moderate capacity to establish the system in places where a regularly instructed Lancasterian teacher could not be procured, and it is hoped from the general concern manifested by the friends of education and sound morals, that ere long every village in our country will contain a well arranged Lancasterian School. The Board have the pleasure to state, that in the Walnut-street schools, there are 268 boys, and 182 girls, and in the Southwark schools, 194 boys, and 120 girls, making the total number of scholars at present under the care of the Society, 764. The teachers in the schools in Walnut-street, are Thomas Walter and Elizabeth Wilson-those in Southwark, are Samuel F. Watson and Sarah Morton. The Board have now closed their seventeenth Annual Report. They rejoice to see the views of the founders of the Society accomplished. A general attention seems to be excited in the public mind on the subject of the education of the poor. Charity schools, on enlarged and liberal principles, have within a few years past, been established in various parts of our country, and the benevolent mind looks forward to the period not far distant, when education and knowledge will be diffused through all the ranks of the community. To a Beneficent Providence who has crowned our labours with his blessing, we desire to render unfeigned thanks, and evince our gratitude by renewed exertions in the path of duty. Signed by order of a meeting of the Board of Managers, held 12th month (Dec.) 31st, 1817. PHILLIP GARRETT, Chairman. SYNOD OF GENEVA, N. Y. From the Palmyra (N. Y.) Register. The Synod of Geneva convened at Rochester February 18th, 1818, and report: The Synod of Geneva has six Presbyteries, viz. Onondaga 19 Ministers and 27 Churches; Cayuga, 15 do. and 26 do.; Geneva 14 do. and 21 do.; Bath 6 do. and 10 do.; Ontario 19 do. and 16 do.; Niagara 9 do. and 16 do. Some of the ministers belonging to the Synod have the pastoral charge of churches not yet connected with any Presbytery; and some have no pastoral charge. Twenty ministers and 1791 communicants have been added to the Synod the last year. STATE OF RELIGION. From a free conversation had on the state of religion within our bounds, it appears, that in all our Presbyteries there is an increasing attention to religious concerns. Most of the congregations belonging to the Presbytery of Cayuga have been graciously visited; many sinners have been convinced, and hopefully made penitent and humble, and the professed friends of Christ have generally been revived and made to rejoice in the God of their salvation. In the congregation at Auburn the work of divine grace has been extensive and glorious; 210 have already united themselves to the church, and are rejoicing in the love and service of their Redeemer. The congregation at Ithaca has shared largely in Divine quickening. The two congregations in Geneva have also been graciously visited, and God's children refreshed. In the Presbytery of Onondaga the riches of Divine grace have also been displayed during the last year. In the town of Camillus the Holy Spirit has been gloriously shed down, and a church constituted, consisting of about 100 members. The congregation in Otisco has also experienced a plentiful effusion of the Spirit. At Salt Point, and in the villages of Orville and Liverpool, the riches of redeeming love have been experienced. The congregations in Richmond and Genesee, in Ontario Presbytery, and the congregation in Buffalo, in Niagara Presbytery, have been graciously visited, and the number of communicants very considerably enlarged. During the last year, Sabbath Schools and Bible Classes haveTM been instituted in many of our congregations, and have been produc tive of much good. Monthly concerts for prayer, and weekly conferences have generally been observed. These, with the stated female prayer-meetings, observed in many of our congregations, with an increased disposition to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, and to attend on the stated and occasional preaching of the word, have gladdened the hearts and excited the exertions of the friends of Zion. In view of these rich blessings of our God and King, the Synod take courage, and call upon themselves and brethren to make exertions to advance the interest of the Redeemer's kingdom, in full confidence that the time has come for the Most High to have mercy on his Zion. The Synod are not insensible that "there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed." The name and Sabbaths of the Lord are, by many within our bounds, greatly profaned; which, with the intemperate degrading use of ardent spirits, are abominations which call for deep repentance, speedy reformation, and the joint counteraction of all the friends of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Synod thankfully recognize the good hand of God upon the congregations within their bounds, and supplicate a continuation of the smiles of the Great Head of the Church, to render all his friends more faithful, to bring his enemies to bow to his authority, and to fill the world with the knowledge, love, and praise of his name. REVIVAL IN POULTNEY, VT. Extracts from a communication of the Rev. CLARK KENDRICK, to one of the Editors of the American Baptist Magazine, Nov. 1817. The uncommonly gloomy season we witnessed last year, seemed to fall with more weight on the minds of the public than any one judgment of God I ever witnessed before. It evidently produced a solemnity on the minds of many people; but there was no general acknowledgment of special conviction until September, when there began to appear something of a work of grace in one corner of the town. For some time we were held in a state of suspense between hope and fear as to the issue, whether it would continue and extend its balmy influences, or take its flight, and leave the people in their sins. About this time there was an occurrence perhaps worth noticing. In the centre of the town where nothing of the work had discovered itself, one evening towards twilight, a number of young girls, from about 11 to 14 years of age, were very merrily at play on the broad steps of the Baptist Meeting House, and of a sudden, without any visible cause, they were struck with solemn awe, and retired with sighs and sobs to a house, where they spent the evening in reading the Bible and other good books. Some of these children (one of whom was my eldest daughter) eventually obtained a comfortable hope, and were baptized. This circumstance led me to hope that the Holy Spirit was mercifully hovering over us. |