of Brother Carapeit, as hereafter men tioned, afforded a most favourable opportunity of distributing the Gospel of St. Matthew, already printed, in four of these languages. "Although the printing of the Serampore translations has been in some degree retarded by the printing of several elementary works for the Bengalee schools, as well as of the Roman Malay and Armenian Bibles, for the Calcutta Auxiliary Bible Society, (a cause not much to 'be regretted), you will be pleased to hear that they were never proceeding with more rapidity than at present. The office now furnishes our venerable editor, Dr. Carey, independently of the Chinese proofs it forwards to Dr. Marshman, with twelve proofs per week on an average. "You will be gratified to hear that our opportunities of distributing the Scriptures, when printed, are becoming more extensive. Our much esteemed Brother C. C. Aratoon, being desirous to return to Surat, to fetch his family, left us in November last, intending to proceed up the river as far as Agra (four months journey), to supply the different stations in his way with Scriptures and tracts, and then to cross the country to his late station. The last letter we received from him was dated Benares; and he had then in his journey distributed himself, or left for distribution, at the different stations through which he passed (includ ing Cutwas, Berhampore, Moorshedabad, Monghir, Patna, Digah, and Benares) no less than 10,250 books or - pamphlets, of which a large proportion were volumes of the Scriptures in Bengalee, Persian, Hindee, Sungskrit, Kashmere, Mahratta, Arabic, Sikh, Bulochee, Bruj Bhassa, and Chinese. The brethren wish him to proceed overland to Surat, distributing in his way the Gospels they have printed in the Juypore, Ooduypore, Bikaneer, and Murwar languages. The countries in which these are spoken could not be traversed by an European with safety; though we hope that our brother, being an Armenian, may pass through them without much difficulty, the universal engagement of his countrymen in commerce being his passport. We are chiefly deficient in means of circulating the Ooriya, Kurnata, Telinga, and Mahratta Scriptures, and anxiously desire that you could send out one or two brethren to occupy a station near Balasore or Cuttack, by means of whose labours the Scriptures in these languages, now printing or printed, may obtain an extensive cireslation. "With respect to the distribution of the Chinese, we have lately sent a box of Scriptures to Java: and hope that we may be able to distribute with advantage many more than we have yet dune on that island, as Brother Robinson camplains that our supply has been hitherto too scanty. The late unsettled state of Amboyna has prevented our supplying Jabez Carey with any very lately; bat as tranquillity is now nearly restored, we shall not neglect that quarter. We expect likewise every day two American missionaries proceeding to Rangoon, to assist our brethren there. By them we shall likewise send a supply of Chinese, as we hope that, independent of the Chinese who visit Rangoon and its neighbourhood, one of our brethren may be stationed in one of the Chinese previnces of the Burman empire, in which case a regular supply will be indispensably necessary. "At Benares, Brother Smith is snecessful. He has baptized a Brahman, and hopes very shortly to baptize three more inquirers. At Cutwa, this year, Brother W. Carey ha sbaptized four, and in Bheerboom, where Mr. Hart is now stationed to superintend schools, three more. The Bengalee school prosper :-no less than 7,000 children were under instruction at the close of the year, in schools superintended by the Brethren, and 5,000 more in schools smp. ported by Government and the Church Missionary Society. Much machinery is in operation to destroy the outward obstacles to the spread of the Gospel; but we want, too, those influences of the Spirit of God which shall effectually convince the world of sin,' and incline them heartily to embrace the Saviour, as the only hope set before them.'" REFORMED CHURCHES IN FRANCE. In our No. for Sept. p. G16, we referred to the just expectations of the French Protestants, that the government would protect them against any encroachment, however apparently trivial, upon their religious liberties; in allusion partienlarly to the ceremony of the fenture, which required them to spread carpets before their houses on Corpus Christi day. We, therefore, feel much gratified in announcing, that the Court of Casstion has given the following judgmest In the affair of the Sieur Roman, a Protestant, of the department of Vaucluse, charged with not complying with this Roman Catholic ceremony. 5. Religious discipline. Upon these principles, the Royal Rescript of October 10, declares the union of the Protestant Confessions in the circle of the Rhine to be accomplished. OF VICE. "The law of the 18th of November, 1914, settled the duties of all citizens with respect to the celebration of the SOCIETY FOR THE SUPPRESSION Sabbath, and of festival days: among these duties, so settled, no mention is made of hanging the exterior of houses for any feast or religious ceremony. "The order of the mayor of the commune of Tourmarin, dated the 22d of May last, commanding the inhabitants of that commune to hang out carpets for the procession of Corpus Christi, imposed an obligation not authorised by law, and the tribunals had no power to take cognizance of the infractions of this order. The Society have just published an "Occasional Report" (No. VIII), not less conclusive as to the necessity for such an establishment, and the benefits already conferred by it upon the com. munity, than the most convincing of iss former appeals. The Society very justly lament that they should so constantly be placed in an attitude of defence, while conscious that both their object and their conduct deserve a very different reception. They doubly regret that the opposition should even arise from re, spectable quarters, and this while the very offenders, who have been detected by their vigilance, have been amongst UNION OF LUTHERAN AND RE- the first to acknowledge the clemency FORMED CHURCHES. The Act of Union of the Lutheran and Reformed Confessions, in the Bavarian circle of the Rhine, was confirmed on the 10th of October. The chief contents of this document relate to the following points: "Therefore the Court of Cassation now annul the judgment of the Correc. tional Tribunal of Gap." General Regulations.-The two Confessions are eternally united, under the uame of the Protestant Evangelical Christian Church. It has no other basis of faith than the holy Scriptures. Religious Doctrine.--It declares the holy sacrament of the Lord's Supper to be a festival of remembrance of Jesus Christ, and of the most blessed union with him, Confession is stated to be a self-examination before partaking of the Lord's Supper it is therefore no longer called Confession, but Preparation. With respect to Predestination and Elective Grace, this church expresses its conviction, that God has destined all men for salvation, and does not with hold from them the means of attaining it. It recognises no necessary baptism. These are the few main fundamental principles from which all the other rules for the practice of Divine worship are deduced, namely: 1. Rites and Liturgy. 2. Religious scholastic instruction. 8. Property of the church, its union, administration, and application. 4. Constitution of the church. of their proceedings. By a reference to the evidence of the secretary (Mr. Prichard), given last year before the House of Commons' Committee for inquiring into the Police of the Metropolis, it will appear, that the utmost care was then taken, as on every other occasion, to lay open the nature of the Society's operations. In the last Report a communication was stated to have been received from a member of the Society, as to the prevalence of an abominable custom at race-courses, of circulating obscene papers, called Sporting Lists. From the specimens supplied to the Committee, it appeared, that these lists consisted not only of the most indecent ribaldry, but of wooden cuts, representing scenes of the most disgusting depravity. It being ascertained, on further inquiry, that every race-course throughout the kingdom was more or less infested with the dealers in these articles, which were issued in quantities that almost exceeded belief, and distributed among young persons of both sexes assembled from all parts of the country, the Com. mittee became deeply impressed with the necessity and importance of attempting to put a stop to an evil so destructive to the public morals and the best interests of society. "From the facts elicited by the Society's agents," remarks the Report," it was indubitably ascertained, that a custom had prevailed, almost beyond memory, with "The Court and the public cannot but feel itself obliged to such persons as cause measures to be taken for suppressing such offences. Taking, however, into consideration the contrition you have expressed for your offence, that you have suffered judgment to go by default, and the ill state of your health, as set forth in the affidavits which have been given in, the Court is disposed to allow them their due weight, and not to endanger your life by such an imprisonment as the offence merits, and which it might otherwise be disposed to inflict." out any known check, of circulating in all probability, been propagated these pernicious lists indiscriminately among the young and inexperience d among the male and female company who you must feel, if you are at all capable periodically frequent this species of of feeling, that the heaviest responsiamusement. These papers, mostly in the bility lies at your door. form of common ballads, had generally at the top of them two prints, the uppermost concealing a print under. neath of the most disgusting description; by which means they would often entrap females to purchase them without being aware of the nature of their contents. It was a common custom with these miscreants, if they observed a carriage filled with ladies and no gentleman accompanying them, to throw their horrid productions among them. The first printer detected by the Society declared, that his honse had been in the habit of printing them for two hundred years, and the custom had become so familiar, from time and impunity, that he executed such orders almost unconsciously and without reflection. The numbers circulated on these occasions may be inferred from the fact, that one single individual had disposed of a hundred in the space of a few hours," The zealous and laudable exertions of the Society appear to have greatly crippled this infamous traffic. Fresh occasion has lately arisen for the vigilance of the institution, against the venders of indecent books, prints, snuff-boxes, &c. Three tobacconists have been convicted. We shall quote a few remarks of Judge Bailey in passing sentence upon two of those offend. ers, as indicative of the sentiments of the Court of King's Bench relative to such practices. "It must be known, that this is ą serious offence, and that in every instance in which a party exhibits any thing of an obscene tendency,calculated to inflame the passions of the young, he commits an offence for which he is liable to be punished, and the offence is of importance and magnitude, because it is sapping the morals of those persons who are not upon their guard against things of this description." "You are brought up to receive the judgment of the Court on an indictment for exposing to sale, and for selling, spuff-boxes with most scandalous de vices on the lids thereof. It is difficult to conceive an offence which can be more injurious in its effects upon so ciety, than that for which you stand convicted; and, when it is considered to what an incalculable extent the evil has, The sentence accordingly pronounced in this case was 501. fine, with adequate securities for future good conduct. Information having reached the Com. mittee of a woman residing in a court in the Strand, who was in the habit of exposing a portfolio of indecent prints for hire; the stock, amounting to some hundreds of prints, was seized by the magistrates, and handed over to the Society to be burnt.—In January, 1817, the Society discovered the principal magazine from which this and other persons were supplied. (Vide Christ. Observ. for 1817, p. 616). The Society add, that, since the foregoing prosecn tions, and up to the date of the present Report, information has been received of similar dealers, and many attempts have been made to detect them; but such has been the effect produced by the prosecutions detailed in the present Report, that all the persons to whom applications have been made bave invariably refused to sell them, thongh no doubt existed of their having been formerly addicted to such practices.-These circumstances reasonably give rise to the consoling reflection, that this trade has continued to diminish under the influence of the Society, until at length it has been reduced to a state of comparative insignificance. To prevent an unlawful breach of the Sabbath, the Society's agents have, at different times, since the last Report, inspected fifty-two districts in the metropolis. Twenty of the worst offenders in this respect have been convicted in fines and costs. The Committee have also had a very extensive correspondence, which will probably lead to the establishment of similar measures in various parts of the kingdom. The Committee advert with peculiar pleasure to the prospects of such establishments at Guildford, Gloucester, Bath, and Carlisle, and mention with due praise the Proclamation Society at Carmarthen, under the auspices of the venerable and indefatigable Bishop of St. David's, which has lately been bu manely and actively employed in preventing the plundering of wrecks along the line of coast from Swansea to Aberystwith. The Society for suppressing vice justly consider their institution as strictly analogous to the ancient" Proclamation Society," which has been sanctioned by the very first authorities of church and state. The objection has been often urged against the Society, that it suffers higher delinquents to pass unnoticed, whilst the lower only are attacked; and that gaming.houses, public or private, of great resort, with other known recepta cles of profficacy and vice, still open their doors to the licentious or unwary, This objection is fully met by the con sideration, that no effective co-operation has beeu offered to the Society from those quarters which alone could place it in a capacity for proceeding. The delinquencies in question often elude the letter of the law, and still oftener bid defiance to the utmost efforts even of the most powerful and vigilant police. The gaming-houses in high life are hired by subscription, and none but the members themselves, or their immediate friends, are admitted: the house, there fore, has all the privileges and sanctity of a private dwelling, and not only the outer doors but the lobby and ante chamber are strictly watched and guarded. "Let, then, those gentlemen," observes the Report," who are disposed to condemn the Society, on the score of indoence or partiality, inform the Committee how these obstacles are to be removed, how the legal information necessary to be laid before a magistrate is to be obtained, and the ground of their complaints shall immediately cease, In the present state of things, the Society is perfectly aware, that if, in its endea yours to suppress public vices, it infringed on the liberty and privileges of a single individual, it would excite much more clamour and incur a much larger -portion of public odium than has ever yet been cast on it, on account of its supposed supineness and want of exertion. Let the requisite legal means and assistance be tendered to the Society, and they will shrink from no duty on mere private grounds of feeling or partiality. In the mean time, they have done what they could consistently with their avowedly small means and paucity of agents under difficulties at present almost insurmountable. The field of action, which they already occupy, it must be acknowledged, is still open for larger contributions and a more extensive support to their funds, which they bumbly, though earnestly, solicit of the public; or for more extended operations by other hands, who would not perhaps incur the charge of temerity, more than once unjustly cast upon the Society for the Suppression of Vice. Its present claims on the public notice and support, it presumes to state, as consisting in thirty-two public prosecutions, not one, of which has failed, for the maintenance of the most salutary laws, together with a far greater number of private admonitions, or judicious compromises, which there is every reason to believe were to the full as operative in their beneficial effects as actual prosecutions; the thanks and the gratitude of a large proportion of those whom it has been the means of restraining within the limits of the laws, and the acknowledginent, almost universal, of its clemency, wherever room was left by a British judicature, inherently merciful, for its exercise;-in fine, the speaking fact that its fuuds, far inferior to those of any known public charity in the metropolis, have been made available, under careful and thrifty management, for the almost total suppression, at present, of a once open and flagitious traffic in all parts of the metropolis and country; for the restoration of good order and decent quiet to the streets and markets of the metropolis, and by the means of advice, freely offered, to many country towns and villages, far and pear, ou the Lord's day; for the suppression of many disorderly houses, for the placing many more in a state of terror and restraint; and for a general impression now produced on the minds of all ranks, that there are those who value the wise and moral regulations of a British legislature, and who will not suffer the more open and shameless violation of them to pass without remonstrance, and without redress, or merited condemnation," BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. From the Seventh Report of the Liverpool Auxiliary Bible Society, and the Ladies' Association connected with it. the supply of those things which minister to present comfort, and for the promotion of those moral habits which a sense of independence tends to awaken. The institution of a Bible Society," says a valuable writer, brings up the economy of the poor to a higher pitch; and the objections made against it, on the ground of sympathy, are easily an they give. You take beyond their abili ty. Of this, they are the best judges. You abridge their comforts. No: there is a comfort in the act of lending a hand to a noble enterprise: there is a comfort in the exercise of charity; there is a comfort in rendering a service to a friend; and when that friend is the Saviour, and that service the circulation of the message he left behind him, it is a comfort which many of the poor are ambitions to share in. Leave them to judge of their comfort; and if, in point of fact, they do give their penny a week to a Bible Society, it just speaks them to have more comfort in this way of spending it than in any other which oc curs to them."" "Events have occurred, since the publication of the last Report, which promise opportunities of usefulness where it is our first duty to seek them-swered. You take from the poor. No; among the poor of our own immediate neighbourhood, who may have been hitherto unblest with the possession of the holy Scriptares. A distribution of the sacred volume has now commenced among them, so extensively undertaken, and so earnestly pursued, that it seems no longer too bold an anticipation to look onwards toward that period, when few individuals, in the extensive popu lation of this town, shall remain in the darkness of ignorance, or the maze of error. The last Report announced the formation of a Ladies' Society, for the express purpose of distributing the Scriptures in Liverpool and its neigh bourhood." “During the first nine months from the formation of the Ladies' Society, their zealous exertions had produced the sum of 3947. 10s., and enabled them to distribute a corresponding number of Bibles and Testaments, chiefly among the families of the poor, at reduced prices." "At the close of the last year, the Ladies' Society was re-modelled and extended, by the kind assistance of Charles Stokes Dudley, Esq. Ten Associations were formed for Liverpool and the neighbourhood; the town was divided into small districts, and a minute inquiry instituted into the alleged want of the Scriptures among the poor. The result was mournful beyond anticipation, with respect to the general dearth of the word of God; but the visitors were cheered and animated by the enger desire expressed by the poor to obtain the Bible; a desire which may, eventually, make it the hallowed source of their best comforts on earth, and the cause of their unceasing gratulations in heaven. The success which has already attended the efforts of Female Associa tions to interest the poor in the value of the Scriptures, is truly gratifying: and it is a feature of no small importance, that the plan of providing them with the Bible, in return for small weekly contributions, may be, eventually, expected to produce a disposition to lay mp in store a part of their earnings, for The distribution of copies of the sacred volume, from March, 1817, to the close of the year, was 1185 Bibles, 1490 Testaments; together, 2675. The total number issued since the formation of the Society is 21,165. Some measures have been taken to supply seamen with copies of the holy Scriptures. A public meeting of merchants, owners, masters, and mates of vessels, was held at the Marine School, on Tuesday evening, the 13th of January last, to consider upon the best means of furthering this very important measure. Four depositories of Bibles were established, and a considerable number of copies of the holy Scriptures have been already sold to seamen. The Committee hope that these proceedings will be found introductory to others more decisive and important. From the Reverend Professor Van Ess. "Marburg, June 16, 1818. "The resolution of the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society has made me happy beyond the power of expression. Now I shall be able to carry on the great work of God, to which his unmerited grace has called me, a weak instrament, with means more Dr. Chalmers," On the Influence of Bible Societies on the Temporal Neces sities of the Poor.". |