Had Abbadona almost 'scap'd th' allures
Of the arch-enemy; but when roll'd by,
In triumph to transport them, Satan's car;
And the loud cry to arms, in warlike guise,
Rung o'er them; and each god from slavery
Boasted his liberation; 'twas too much

For Abbadona; and his courage fail'd him.
'Twas then, with looks of love, the angel strove
To call him back; but vain: for drunk with charms
Of 'luring future, heard he not his friend.
Triumphant, sought he Satan. 'Twas on this,
With anguish and in self enwrapp'd, be thought;
Too, pictur'd he that lovely morning, back,
Of young creation; when th' Eternal shap'd
At once the happy pair, and they bespoke
With joys unfeign'd each other. What are we,
And whence? they said. O! seraph saw'st thou first
The light etherial, and me? How long

Art thou in being? Live we truly, then?

Come, therefore, clasp me heavenly friend, and say
On what thy thoughts are bent. And, then, came forth,
From out that bright'ning distance, the sure sign
Of God, and bless'd them; and they view'd around
Beings unnumber'd, while soft silvery clouds
Bore them to th' Highest, and they nam'd him God.
Thus Abbadona thought. His eye stream'd forth
Tears, like the blood of innocence, which gush'd
Adown the hills of Bethlehem, With fear
And shudderings had he heard the speech of hell.
He could not bear it, and he rose, Three times
To speak did he essay. Three times, a sigh
Stopp'd his sad voice. As, when in fields of blood
Brothers have stabb'd, nor known each other, till
Death spreads her shades around them both, and then
From forth their quiv'ring breasts, they can but sigh.
So Abbadona. Though, for ever, shall,
He said at last, this fear'd assembly rise,
Furious against me as I speak, 'tis nought!
I heed it not; and speak, lest o'er me come
The sentence of the Highest, as o'er thee
E'er hated Satan! Yes! I hate thee, wretch!
O! would thy Judge demand me from thine hell;
Me, whom, immortal, thou hast forc'd away
From my Creator! O! may endless wo
Burst on thy rebel army; 'mid the night
Of this thy curst abyss, may those, that thou,
Remorseless, hast entic'd, be pil'd above thee;
And with the notes of thunder crush thee down
Thine own death's ocean! God's opposer, know

I take no part, amid thy horrid wish

To kill the meek Messias. Fiend, of whom,

Of whom speak'st thou? Is't not 'gainst him, whose arm,
Whose thunders thou hast known; and though thou striv'st,
In specious guise, thy fearful thoughts to veil;

Yet, are they mark'd enough upon that front,
Ambitious! Knows not heaven to guard itself
Against our weak attempts? Shall we, who led
The first of men to death, (all wo is me
I did it also,) shall we rise against
Our Lord, to butcher him, and kill the Son,
The offspring of the Thunderer. Perhaps
The Saviour; or, at least, the pitying power
Who shall assuage our evils? Him shall we,
For ever, from such crowd of former sons
Of heaven's joys, shut out? O Satan, think,
Believe me, as I say, that true as now
We writhe amid our harrowing agonies;

True, as, with monarch voice, this place thou call'st
Of gloomiest horrours thine immortal realm;

So true, wilt thou but crown'd with shame depart,
Stead of proud triumph from thine injur'd God!
(TO BE CONTINUED.)

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

GENERAL CONVENTION, 1823.

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 168.)

THE Committee on the Theological Seminary made the following report; which was read and unanimously accepted.

The committee of the house of clerical and lay deputies, to whom was referred all matters relating to the Theological Seminary, having had under consideration the report of the trustees, and other papers referred to them by the house, respectfully report,

That they have directed their attention to the mode of education pursued in the seminary, the state of its finances, the number of trustees which it will be proper for this convention to appoint, the impediments which retard its progress, and the means rendering it more extensively useful to the Church.

With respect to the mode of education pursued in the seminary, your committee refer the house, with great satisfaction, to the able and luminous report of the faculty, embodied in the report of the trustees to the convention. The course pursued is, in the opinion of your committee, expanded and liberal in its character, well fitted to render the students able ministers of the New Testament, and to train them up in religious habits, as well as in sound learning.

25

GOSPEL ADVOCATE, VOL. IV.

Had Abbadona almost 'scap'd th' allures
Of the arch-enemy; but when roll'd by,
In triumph to transport them, Satan's car;
And the loud cry to arms, in warlike guise,
Rung o'er them; and each god from slavery
Boasted his liberation; 'twas too much

For Abbadona; and his courage fail'd him.
'Twas then, with looks of love, the angel strove

ed,

ises

otice

ed not.

nteract

To call him back; but vain: for drunk with chaves a further
Of 'luring future, heard he not his friend.
Committee being
Triumphant, sought he Satan. 'Twas on this, actually paid,
With anguish and in self enwrapp'd, he though does not appear
Too, pictur'd he that lovely morning, back, excepting from the
young creation; when th' Eternal shap'd and South Carolina.
At once the happy pair, and they bespoke sylvania, and South
With joys unfeign'd each other. What are outed in money; that
And whence they said. O! seraph saw'se and condition of
The light etherial, and me? How long it seems proper to
Art thou in being? Live we truly, then? difficulty: These are,
Come, therefore, clasp me heavenly frient connected with other
On what thy thoughts are bent. And, th
From out that bright'ning distance, the

eans for supporting indi

n on the part of the more students of the sem nary w"? of future labour, under the e vicinity of the semmary. If ir committee are persuaded that stroy the illusion. There are no pported; and the love of country, will gradually create, throughout There is no more reason to appreeducated at the General Theolog cal ir respective dioceses, than that stecolleges should thereby be alienated y danger, it is more to be apprehended country, than in the southern. It may, rded against, by making the students canrespective dioceses, by greater exertions to a will diminish inducements to emigration, eady existing regulations, which require deaTrection of the bishops who ordain them. not but contemplate, with pleasure, the delightga general seminary, whither, like the temple bes of the Lord will go up to testify un'o Israe!: , with full confidence, that happy period when the ‚ will give up, and the east and the west will not this account, as well as for other reasons, hereafter to our committee notice with pleasure the indication, in e trustees, of a disposition to abolish the branch school nd they beg leave to recommend an expression of the house, approving of that measure.

nd cause which has hitherto prevented the increase of the will best be considered by adverting to the means to be of rendering it more extensively useful to the Church. on this head, your committee are decidedly of opinion, that n should be made, as soon as possible, for placing the students tuation more retired from the noise, and business, and corruptleasures of the world; that the expenses of the institution should minished by the most prudent and undeviating economy; that fice of librarian should be given to some indigent student, a prowhich may also perhaps be extended, so as to embrace the of Janitor; that means be taken for the establishment of com, and for furnishing the apartments of the students, which may ɔne at a small expense, by donations of furniture by the pious ritable members of our Church; and that it be earnestly reded to the several dioceses to form more scholarships. The ty of our Church depends much, under the Divine blessing, he support given to this institution. Without it, our missionaety, it will evidently be seen, must be inefficient; and a fact

Your committee regret that they cannot speak with equal approbation of the report respecting the finances. They have not been able, in all cases, to determine whether the sums, mentioned as subscribed, have been paid; and they have reason to believe that the expenses of the institution exceed its income. They wish to invite the notice of the convention to this alarming fact, which, they surely need not add, must produce the ruin of the seminary, if measures to counteract the evil be not speedily adopted.

The want of precision in the financial report, involves a further difficulty with respect to the choice of trustees; your committee being unable to determine the exact amount which has been actually paid, or secured to be paid, by the several dioceses. It does not appear that any moneys have been actually received, excepting from the states of Massachusetts, New York, Pensylvania, and South Carolina. The amount received from Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, is defined, because it has been contributed in money; that from New York is not equally so, from the nature and condition of the property. There are two questions which it seems proper to meet at the outset, in order to prevent future difficulty: These are, whether all property given by individuals, not connected with other dioceses, is to be considered as belonging to that in which the seminary is established; and whether, in case an individual removes from one diocese to another, the amount contributed by him is also to be transferred. Your committee are of opinion that the sums subscribed and paid in each diocese, ought not to be affected by the removal of the individual donor, but should be considered for ever as a portion of the property contributed by that diocese. And in order to prevent any present or future difficulties, in the choice of trustees, your committee beg leave to recommend, that the nominations transmitted to this convention by the several state conventions, be now received without discussion; but that a canon be formed, requiring the several state conventions, in future, to send a proper certificate, exhibiting an exact inventory of the number of clergy, and of the amount of property paid, or secured to be paid, in each diocese ; and that, in default of such certificate, any nomination of such diocese shall not be confirmed by the General Convention.

While on this subject, it is proper to add, that your committee have been informed that the diocese of North Carolina, with a zeal which deserves the praise and imitation of our whole Church, have subscribed a large sum towards the foundation of a professorship, of which no notice appears to have been given to the trustees.

The committee were induced to consider the impediments, which retard the progress of the seminary, in consequence of noticing the fact, reported to this house by the committee on the state of the Church, that there are sixty candidates for the ministry in the Atlantick states alone, of which number there are but eighteen at present in the seminary. Why this vast disparity? Your committee are unable to assign more than two causes; some feelings yet remaining