great Work in Hand, which had foon met with a fatal Period by the lamented Deceafe of its Founder, had not the good Providence of God blefs'd us with an equal Succeffor to the important Affairs of Religion as well as State, our Gracious Queen ANNE, who, upon an Addrefs for Her Protection from the whole Body of the Corporation, was pleated in the most favourable manner, to exprefs Her Self thus;

I fhall be always ready to do my Part towards Promoting and Encouraging so good a Work.

The Society being thus Encouraged by the Affurances of Her Majefty's Royal Favour, who had beforehand declared Her Approbation of what they are now doing, by Her Princely Magnificence, when the Affair was in private Hands only; the Work has gone on ever fince, by God's Blefling, with greater Success than could reafonably be expected; Correfpondencies are begun Abroad, Deputations fettling at Home, many Subscriptions made, feveral Benefactions brought in, and divers prudential Ways and Means taken for the Converfion of Indians, and fettling the State of Religion in Her Majefty's Foreign Dominions; By fupplying with able and good Minifters, the Natives as well as English; appointing Catechifts and Schoolmasters for the Slaves, with other ignorant Perfons; and fending over felect Libraries for the Improvement of the Clergy, as well as practical Treatifes for the Edification of the Laity.

And at the fame time, it has pleafed God to raise up a Spirit of Zeal in many of the Plantations for Promoting this great and good Work.

1. That they might answer the main End of their Incorporation, they have actually Commiffion'd two Millionaries at a very great Expence, and are Soliciting Maintenance from the Crown for Four more, who are at least wanting for the Converfion of the Praying Indians of Canada, whofe Souls we must be accountable for, if we neglect longer to Inftruct them in the Faith of our Bleffed Redeemer, when God has fo wonderfully open'd their Eyes, their Hearts, and their very Tongues, fo as to call to us,

as

as thofe of Macedonea did to the Apostles of the Gen. —v. tiles, Come over and help us. To which purpofe, remarkable are the Words of one of their Sachems" or Kings, in the Name of the reft, in which they fenfibly expreft their Concern for fuch a Million to the Commitioners for the Indiah Affairs in Albany, June 28. 1700. as appears by an Original Extract of the Earl of Bellamont's Letter to the Lord's Commiffioners of Trade and Plantations, October 25. 1700.

And in a later Conference with the Lord Cornbury, thofe Five Sachems or Kings of the Iroquois, promifed him at Albany, Obedience to the Faith of Christ, told him, they were glad to hear the Sun foin'd in England, Since King William's Death; admired at firft that we fhould have a Squa Sachem, viz. a Woman King, but they hoped he would be a good Mother, and fend them, fome to Teach them Religion as well as Traffick; then fent fome of their Country Prefents to Her Majefty, Signed the Treaty, and made the Covenant So Sure, that Thunder and Lightning fhould not break it on their

Parts.

Nor has the Society turned their Thoughts only on the Indians in the Northern Parts of the English Dominions, but have fent also one Miffionary for the Service of the Yeomanfee Indians to the South of Carolina, who having been lately engaged in a War with the Spaniards, and every Day in Danger of an Invafion from them, were not in a condition to re, ceive Inftruction, nor was it thought fit by the Governours to trust him yet amongst them, but as foon as 'tis practicable to treat with them, there are Affurances he fhall leave the Neighbourhood, where he is inftructing many Souls as much neglected as the former, the Negroes of Goofcreek...

The Society has not only had a Regard to Infidels, but, as becometh Chriftians, has taken Care of its own Country-men, in fending Minifters with good Allowances to the feveral Parts along the Continent North America, where they were moft wanted, and the Harveft is Ripe for fuch Labourers, who will faithfully refift and oppose the Progress of Atheism Infidelity, Quakerism, Antinorianism, Ignorance and Immorality, which have hitherto fatally over-fpread thofe Infant Churches,

The Appendix.

They have made fuitable Provifion alfo for fome of the Islands, thofe too much neglected Parts of Her Majefty's Territories, by a Supply of Two Minifters, without any Charge to the People, and have otherwife fupported Eight more in the Islands, and on the Continent in fuch manner as has been requested.

That the Factories, mention'd in the Charter, might not be altogether infenfible of its Concern for them, there has been a Settlement compafs'd for a Congregation at Amfterdam, with the Confent of the Magiftrates of the Place; and fince Encouragement given to the promising Beginnings of a Church at Mofcow, of which the Czar himself has laid the Foundation by bestowing as much Ground as fhall be defired for that Ufe upon the English Merchants.

All this the Society hath done upon the bare Annual Fund of about 800 1. per Ann. with the Accelion of only 1700 1. occafionally Subfcribed: The Amounts of which together do hardly answer the Demands of the prefent Miffionaries and Minifters, &c. Abroad, with the incidential Charges of the Corporation at Home: Therefore,

What the Society has ftill before them to do in this important Bufinefs, calls for more than ordinary Benefactions from without, whilft the yearly Subfcrip. tions of the incorporated Members falls fhort of 1000l. per Ann. and that voluntary too. A flender Bottom, upon which to begin the Converfion of the Indians mention'd, to build them up in our most Holy Faith, and to provide Minifters, Catechifts, Schoolmafters, Libraries, Churches &c. for a Continent well Peopled under feveral Governments, 1200 Miles in length upon the Sea Coaft, as well as for the Islands of Newfoundland, Bermudas, Jamaica, the Bahama, and Caribbees; in fome of which there is yet no Provifion of Minifters, or of any Support for them, and in all the others much fewer than the Publick Service of God, and the Inftruction of the People doth ufually require: Which Profpect fhould it be enlarg'd by a View of the future Care, that is, to be had of the remaining Factories and Places to which we Trade in Afia, Africa, and Europe it felf, where they live as it were without God in the World, to the great Reproach of the Christian Reli

giọng

The Appendix.

gion, except at Hamborough, Lisbon, Smyrna, Aleppo, Conftantinople, Fort St. George, Surat, &c. which are well fupplied by our Worthy Merchants, that Trade or Live there. What an Invitation is hereby given to the Liberality of all well difpofed Chriftians, to whom God has given more than a Compentency, with the unspeakable Biefling of Hearts graciously difpofed to employ the Surplufage to his Honour and Glory?

Since then this great Work of maintaining the Chriftian Religion, and propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts, calls aloud for the utmoft Affiftance, and appears upon the View to be worth all our Pains and Coft, it is to be hoped, That the Society will meet with fuitable Aid and Encouragement to enable them to go through fo glorious a Work as is now be fore them, of reducing infinite Numbers both of Pagans, and nominal Chriftians from the Power of Satan unto God: And therefore, 1. As Her Sacred Majefty has been a fhining Example to Her Subjects in this Caufe of God, by extending Her Royal Bounty and Charity towards it: So it is heartily defired, 2. That all Her good Subjects, in their feveral Stations, will. be forward in their Proportions to promote God's Honour, and the good of Souls; that the Nobility, and Gentry, (as fome have already done to their Ho nour) would all of them add a peculiar Luftre to their Characters, by aflifting fo noble a Design with a Liberal Hand. That the Minifters of extraordinary Qualifications, Men of Temper, of Prudence, of Learning, Pious Converfation, Affection to the Eftablifh'd Government, and above all, of Apoftolical Zeal, would willingly offer themfelves to fo great a Harveft, where the Labourers are few.

That the Merchants, and rich Traders, who have reap'd their Temporal Things plentifully by the Labours and Pains of thofe poor ignorant or mifled Creatures, would be at laft prevail'd upon to fow to them Spiritual Things in as great abundance; That all People, in fhort, to whom this Notification fhall come, (without the Formality of a Brief or General Collection, as has been practifed in thefe Cafes with good Succefs in other Kingdoms) will give their helping Hand to fo laudable an Attempt which may do their own Souls, and the Nation fo much good. A a 4

It

It is not to be expected that many should rise up to the Example of an unknown Lady, who has cait in lately 1000l. into the Treasury of this Society: But he doth acceptably, who gives according to his Ability.

The Treafurers for the Year 1703 are,

Mr. John Trimmer, Merchant, living on College

Hill.

Mr. John Hodges, Merchant, living in Elbow-Lane near College Hill,

The Secretary to the Society is,

John Chamberlain, Efq; in Petty-France, Westminster.

At a Court held at St. Martin's Library, Feb. 4. 1703.

R Efolved, That the Thanks of this Society be given to the Reverend Mr. Stubs, for the great Care and Pains be bath taken in preparing the New Account of the Proceedings of the Society.

Refolved, That this Order be Printed at the foot of the Jaid Account.

Numb. II.

An Account of Sir Stafford Fairborne's Distress in

SIR.

the late Storm.

'HER Majefty's Ship Affociation, a fecond Rate of 96 Guns, commanded by Sir Stafford Fairborne, "Vice-Admiral of the Red, and under him Captain Richard Canning, failed from the Downs the 24th of November laft, in Company with feven other capital Ships, under the Command of the Honourable Sir "Cloudesley Shovell, Admiral of the White, in their return from Leghorn up the River. They anchored that Night off of the Long-Sand-head. The next Day

ftruck