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THE SEAMAN'S FRIEND.

O, thou whose wisdom gives a path
To man upon the trackless sea,
Whose power controls the ocean's wrath,
We raise our fervent prayers to thee:-
To thee whom once in human form
A bark of Galilee conveyed;
Whose voice assuaged the raging storm
When sinking seamen sought thine aid.

Oh, when the Seaman leaves the home
A wife or mother's love hath bless'd,
And spreads his sail thro' climes to roam
Where storms draw life from ocean's breast;
Be near his bark in danger's hour,
To hear the prayer that shall ascend:
And guard him from the tempest's power;
And be, as erst, the SEAMAN'S FRIEND.

But more, when passion's gust would harm,
Or Pleasnre's smooth deceitful flood,
Be near to break the Syren's charm;
And be the tempted Sailor's God.

Teach him to steer by Bethlehem's Star:
That brightest Star of Heaven's host,

That shines and guides from danger far
Though every other light be lost.

. . . . . ...

Philadelphia Female Seamen's Friend Society in uccount with Eliza C. Allen, Treasurer.

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"18 To cash paid for Secre
tary's and Treasurer's
books,

28 To cash advanced to
Treasurer of Philada.
Seamen's Friend So-
ciety, towards paying
rent of the Girard
House, as per order,

May 1 To cash paid for printing
letter from a Seaman
boarding at the Sail-
ors' Home.

July15 To cash placed in the
hands of a Committee,
to be expended in the
purchase of materials
for making clothing
for sale, as per order,

Dec.17 To cash paid sundry bills
during the year, as per
order of the board, for
various articles for the
Sailors' Home, inclu-
ding bed-steads, bed-
ding, furniture, crock-
ery, kitchen utensils,
&C.,

450

100 00

197 95

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1834 By collectieu at the
Sept. 3
Central Presbyterian
Church, at a public
meeting addressed by
Hon. T. S. Grimke in
behalf of the Society

$64/98

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127/75

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ADDRESSED TO THEM ON THE SUBJECT OF THEIR RESO-
LUTION RELATIVE TO MASONIC MINISTERS, AND
MASONIC CANDIDATES FOR THE MINISTRY.

ROCHESTER, N. Y.-PRINTED.

PHILADELPHIA:

RE-PRINTED AT No. 7, FRANKLIN PLACE.

1830.

[PRICE 12 CENTS.]

31

Preliminary Notice.

It may be proper to state, that at the meeting of the Genessee Consociation in June last, at Mendon, the following Resolution was adopted among their proceedings.

Resolved, that the Consociation will neither license, ordain, or install those who sustain any connexion with the Institution of MASONRY, or who will not disapprove and renounce it; nor will we give letters of recommendation in favour of such persons to preach in any of the Churches in our connection."

In consequence of this Resolution, the Rev. Joseph Emer. son addressed a letter of twenty pages to the members of the Consociation, in which he seriously remonstrates against the resolution above quoted. To this letter the following pages. furnish the Reply of the Consociation as adopted by them.

A Reply, &c.

REV. & DEAR SIR,

We cannot but regret to learn that you are a Mason—and still more seriously regret to find, that under all the circumstances of the case, at the present time, you are willing to come before the christian public and the world at large, as the advocate of Masonry. Had this been done three years ago, it would have excited no surprise; but the times have since changed. And had you been aware of the posture of things in this part of our state, respecting the amount of light which has issued from the interior of the Masonic Temple, disclosing all that it contains; and had you known the popular feeling in relation to these disclosures, it is not probable, in our judgment, that you would have hazarded such a public expression as that of your letter.

As to the temper and spirit of the letter, so far from having any complaint to make on this ground, we are, on the other hand, disposed to say, that it is a considerable recommendation in favour of its author. We should be happy indeed, could we express the same feelings of cordiality towards the sentiments of the letter. In what manner and to what extent we dissent from the opinions which it expresses, will be collected from our reply.

In the first place, we have a few remarks to make on your misconstruction of our resolution. Almost the whole of what you have written, is founded on an incorrect assumption. We sincerely regret that you was not aware of this fact, for it would have saved you from many painful sensations, and also from this public expression of them. We could have relieved you by a few words of explanation; for it has not been our desire to disturb the repose of the innocent, nor to bring down the gray hairs of any with sorrow to the grave.

In reference to the resolution, you say, "I consider myself excluded from your pulpits and cut off from your ministerial fellowship," &c. We say that this is a misapprehension of our meaning. Your inference is not correct: nor do we see any statement in our resolution which implies this. And such a construction published abroad to the world is calculated to do us an injury-and it is this which, more than any other consideration, induces us to give this public answer. We say therefore that your inference is by no means according to our original intention-nor is it according to fact for the fact is, we still exchange with masonic ministers, and masonic communicants are still unmolested in our churches. Were you to visit us, we should certainly invite you to preach in our pulpits; but were you ask for letters, for the purpose of going into the regularly authorized service of our churches, with your present views on the subject in question, we should not give them. Or, were any young man to avow the same opinions, and then apply to us for license or ordination, we

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