It pleased

in South Carolina and Virginia toward the end, of the war. God to raise up for us a powerful ally in Europe; and when we consider the unwearied attempts of our enemies to raise dissensions by every topic that could be supposed inflammatory and popular, the harmony that has prevailed, not only between the allied powers, but the troops of different nations and languages, acting together, ought to be ascribed to the gracious influence of Divine Providence. Without mentioning many other instances, we only further put you in mind of the choice of the commander-in-chief of the armies of the United States, who is alike acceptable to the citizen and soldier, to the State in which he was born, and to every other on the continent; whose character and influence, after so long a service, are not only unimpaired, but augmented. Of what consequence this has been to the cause of America, every one may judge; or, if it needs any illustration, it receives it from the opposite situation of our enemies in this respect. On the whole, every pious person, on a review of the events of the war, will certainly be disposed to say, with the Psalmist, "The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad."

Suffer us to put you in mind of the duty you owe to God in return for this great national deliverance. You ought to testify your gratitude by living in his fear. This is the only way by which public prosperity can become a real mercy to you. It were to be wished, indeed, that, in our contests about the most important interests of a temporal nature, we could still remember not only that eternity is of greater moment than any thing that relates merely to the present life, but that all outward things, even civil liberty, ought to be considered as subordinate and subservient to everlasting happiness. It would not be an honor to us to be wholly unconcerned about the rights of ourselves and others, as men and as citizens; yet the great part of our duty, and we hope of our desires, is to watch for your souls as those that must give an account to God. We therefore earnestly beseech every one who is nominally of our communion, not to be satisfied with the form of godliness, denying the power thereof. The substance of religion is the same to all denominations; neither is there any preference due to one before another but in so far as it has superior advantages in leading men to the saving knowledge of the only living and true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent, whom "to know is life eternal."

There is no doubt that you look upon it as a happy circumstance in the late Revolution, that the rights of conscience are inalienably secured, and even interwoven with the very constitutions of the several States. The duty which you owe to the community at large for this inestimable blessing is to support civil authority, by being subject not only "for wrath, but also for conscience' sake," and by living" quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty." It is a truth of much moment, and particularly to be remembered at this time, not only that the virtue of the people in general is of more consequence to the stability of republics, or free states, than those of a different kind. In monarchies, a sense of honor, the subordination of rank in society, and the rigor of despotic authority, supply in some measure the place of virtue, in producing public order; but in free states, where the power is ultimately

lodged in the body of the people, if there is a general corruption of the mass, the government itself must speedily be dissolved.

You cannot but have observed that the war has occasioned great irregularity and relaxation as to the observance of the Sabbath and attendance on public ordinances. In some places congregations are broken up; in some places, for a considerable time, attendance was difficult, dangerous, or impossible. The public service, also, which made some things really necessary, was often made a pretence for irregularity when no necessity existed. It is, therefore, your duty, nov that peace and harmony have returned, to revive and restore the respect due to the Sabbath and the worship of God's sanctuary. The regular administration of divine ordinances is a blessing that cannot be too highly valued or purchased at too great a price. We hope, therefore, that you will in general exert yourselves and do every thing in your power that will serve to promote so noble a purpose.

Be cheerful and liberal in assisting to educate pious youth for the ministry. Let vacant congregations be active and diligent to supply themselves with fixed pastors, and let those who have fixed pastors strengthen their hands in their Master's work, not only by obedience in the Lord, but by making such provision for their comfortable subsistence as that their duty may be practicable. We make this demand clearly and explicitly, because it is founded upon the plainest reason,— upon the word of God,-upon general or common utility, and your own interest,—and make no doubt that wherever there is true religion it will be heard and complied with.

We look upon it as a very happy circumstance in the political revolution that has happened in America, that neither in its rise nor progress was it intermixed with or directed by religious controversy. No denomination of Christians among us have any reason to fear oppression or restraint, or any power to oppress others. We therefore recommend charity, forbearance, and mutual service. Let the great and only strife be, who shall love the Redeemer most, and who shall serve him with the greatest zeal. We recommend the strict exercise of discipline to the societies under our care. Let us not seek to increase our numbers by relaxation, but to justify the excellence of our principles by the inoffensive example and holy conversation of those who embrace them. The ultimate trial of religious truth is by its moral influence: therefore, as he is undoubtedly the best husbandman who raises the richest crops, so those are the best principles which make the best men. This is the great rule laid down by our Saviour,-" By their fruits ye shall know them." By order.

PHILADELPHIA, May, 1783.

JOHN MCCRERY, Moderator.

ADDRESS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES.

SIR:

To the President of the United States.

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America embrace the earliest opportunity in their power to

testify the lively and unfeigned pleasure which they, with the rest of their fellow-citizens, felt on your appointment to the first office in the nation.

We adore Almighty God, the author of every perfect gift, who hath endued you with such a rare and happy assemblage of talents as hath rendered you equally necessary to your country in war and in peace. Your military achievements insured safety and glory to America in the late arduous conflict for freedom, whilst your disinterested conduct and uniformly just discernment of the public interests gained you the entire confidence of the people; and, in the present interesting period of public affairs, the influence of your personal character moderates the divisions of political parties and promises a permanent establishment of the civil government. From a retirement more glorious to you than thrones and sceptres, you have been called to your present elevated station by the voice of a great and free people, and with an unanimity of suffrages that has few, if any, examples in history. A man more ambitious of fame, or less devoted to his country, would have refused an office in which his honors could not be augmented and where they might possibly be subject to a reverse.

We are happy that God hath inclined your heart to give yourself once more to the public; and we derive a favorable presage of the event from the zeal of all classes of the people and their confidence in your virtues, as well as from the knowledge and dignity with which the sacred councils are filled. But we derive a presage even more flattering from the piety of your character. Public virtue is the most certain mean of public felicity, and religion is the surest basis of virtue. We therefore esteem it a peculiar happiness to behold in our Chief Magistrate a steady, uniform, avowed friend of the Christian religion, who has commenced his administration in rational and exalted sentiments of piety, and who in his private conduct adorns the doctrines of the gospel of Christ, and on the most public and solemn occasions devoutly acknowledges the government of Divine Providence.

The example of distinguished characters will ever possess a powerful and extensive influence on the public mind; and when we see in such a conspicuous station the amiable example of piety to God, of benevolence to men, and of a pure and virtuous patriotism, we naturally hope it will diffuse its influence, and that eventually the most happy consequences will result from it. To the force of imitation we will endeavor to add the wholesome instructions of religion. We shall consider ourselves as doing an acceptable service to God in our profession when we contribute to render men sober, honest, and industrious citizens, and the obedient subjects of a lawful government. In these pious labors we hope to imitate the most worthy of our brethren of other Christian denominations, and to be imitated by them, assured that, if we can, by mutual and generous emulation, promote truth and virtue, we shall render essential service to the republic, we shall receive encouragement from every wise and good citizen, and, above all, meet the approbation of our Divine Master.

We pray Almighty God to have you always in his holy keeping. May he prolong your valuable life an ornament and a blessing to your coun

try, and at last bestow on you the glorious reward of a faithful servant.

By order of the General Assembly.

PHILADELPHIA, May 26, 1789.

ANSWER.

JOHN RODGERS, Moderator.

To the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States. GENTLEMEN:

I receive with great sensibility the testimonial given by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America of the lively and unfeigned pleasure experienced by them on my appointment to the first office of the nation.

Although it will be my endeavor to avoid being elated by the too favorable opinion which your kindness for me may have induced you to express of the importance of my former conduct and the effect of my future services, yet, conscious of the disinterestedness of my motives, it is not necessary for me to conceal the satisfaction I have felt upon finding that my compliance with the call of my country, and my dependence on the assistance of Heaven to support me in my arduous undertakings, have, so far as I can learn, met the universal approbation of my countrymen.

While I reiterate the professions of my dependence upon Heaven, as the source of all public and private blessings, I will observe that the general prevalence of piety, philanthropy, honesty, industry, and economy, seems, in the ordinary course of human affairs, particularly necessary for advancing and confirming the happiness of our country. While all men within our territories are protected in worshipping the Deity according to the dictates of their consciences, it is rational to be expected of them in return that they all will be emulous of evincing the sincerity of their professions by the innocence of their lives and the beneficence of their actions; for no man who is profligate in his morals, or a bad member of the civil commonwealth, can possibly be a true Christian or a credit to his own religious society.

I desire you to accept my acknowledgments for your laudable endeavors to render men sober, honest, and good citizens and the obedient subjects of a lawful government, as well as for your prayers to Almighty God for his blessing on our country and the humble instrument he has been pleased to make use of in the administration of its government. G. WASHINGTON.

ADDRESS OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERY EASTWARD, IN MASSACHUSETTS AND NEW HAMPSHIRE.

SIR:

To George Washington, President of the United States.

We, the ministers and ruling elders delegated to represent the churches in Massachusetts and New Hampshire which compose the First Presbytery Eastward, now holding a stated session in this town, beg leave to approach your presence with genuine feelings of the deepest veneration and highest esteem.

In union with rejoicing millions, we felicitate our country and ourselves on your unanimous election to the highest office a nation can bestow, and on your acceptance of the trust with every evidence which a citizen can give of being actuated thereto by the purest principles of patriotism, of piety, and of self-denial.

Great was the joy of our hearts to see the late tedious and destructive war at length terminated in a fair and honorable peace,-to see the liberty and independence of our country happily secured,—to see wise constitutions of civil government peaceably established in the several States, and especially to see a confederation of them all finally agreed on by the general voice.

But, amid all our joys, we ever contemplated with regret the want of efficiency in the Federal Government: we ardently wished for a form of NATIONAL UNION which should draw the cord of amity more closely around the several States,-which should concentrate their interests, and reduce the freemen of America to one great body, ruled by one head and animated by one soul.

And now we devoutly offer our humble tribute of praise and thanksgiving to the all-gracious FATHER OF LIGHTS, who has inspired our public councils with a wisdom and firmness which have effected that desirable purpose in so great measure by the National Constitution, and who has fixed the eyes of all America on you, as the worthiest of their citizens to be intrusted with the execution of it.

Whatever any have supposed wanting in the original plan, we are happy to see so wisely provided in its amendments; and it is with peculiar satisfaction that we behold how easily the entire confidence of the people in the man who sits at the helm of government has eradicated every remaining objection to its form.

Among these we never considered the want of a religious test, that grand engine of persecution in every tyrant's hand; but we should not have been alone in rejoicing to have seen some explicit acknowledgment of THE ONLY TRUE GOD, AND JESUS CHRIST whom he has sent, inserted somewhere in the Magna Charta of our country.

Under the nurturing hand of a RULER of such virtues, and one so deservedly revered by all ranks, we joyfully indulge the hope that virtue and religion will revive and flourish, that infidelity and the vices ever attendant in its train will be banished every polite circle, and that national piety will soon become fashionable there, and from thence be diffused among all ranks in the community.

The affectionate welcome which you are pleased to give me to the Eastern parts of the Union would leave me without excuse did I fail to acknowledge the sensibility which it awakens, and to express the most sincere returns that a grateful sense of your goodness can suggest.

To be approved by the praiseworthy, is a wish as becoming to the ambitious as its consequence is flattering to our self-love.