pany of active Christians in Basle had determined to print an edition of the New Testament, for the benefit of the Grison Mountaineers, who have a peculiar dialect; with an intention that it should be gratuitously distrib. uted, or sold at a very cheap rate. This work will be peculiary acceptable to the Grisons; as the former editions of the New Testament have become so scarce among them, that a copy of it is rarely to be procured, and only at a very exorbitant price: Secondly, That they had supplied the Protestants in different parts of the interior of France with a considerable number of French Bibles at reduced prices; and that the returns of such sale had enabled the Basle Society to undertake a new edition of the New Testament in French. It was their wish to have printed the whole Bible, but their exertions to procure funds for this purpose had hitherto proved unsuccessful. Your Committee, however, hope, that the supply of a set of stereotype plates, now preparing by their directions, and intended for the use of the soci ety at Basle, will materially assist the accomplishment of so desirable an object.

The progress which had been made in printing the Bohemian Bible at Berlin, was noticed in the last Report of your Committee. They are now authorized to announce the completion of it, in a mode which has obtained the decided approbation of very competent judges. It will be no less satisfactory to the Society to be informed, that the rapid circulation of this work has greatly exceeded the expectations of the Bible Society at Berlin. It was finished only at Michaelmas, 1807; and, although the Protestant Congregations using that language, in Boliemia and Silesia, do not exceed fifty, the whole edition of 3000 copies (92 only excepted) had been sold, or gratuitously distributed, within a period of fifteen months; and the Berlin Society express great regret, that the edition was not more extensive.

The notification of the completion of the Bohemian Bible by the Committee of the Society at Berlin was accompanied with an expression of

their earnest wishes to be enabled to print the Scriptures in the Polish dialect. They lamented, at the same time, the absolute insufficiency of their funds for this undertaking; and the very scanty supplies received during the preceding twelve months, precluded all hope of any considerable addition to them, in a country labouring under general and severe distress.

Your Committee, equally con vinced of the utility of an edition of the Polish Bible, and of the impossibility of its being undertaken without the assistance of the British and Foreign Bible Society, have cheer. fully supplied a fund for this purpose, by three successive Donations, amounting in the whole to 800%. Of this sum 6007. bave already been received by the Society at Berlin; who, encouraged by this liberal grant, determined to increase their impression from 5,000 to 8,000 copies of the Polish Bible entire, and 2,000 extra New Testaments; and had entered into engagements with a printer to complete it by Midsummer 1810. The estimated expense of this work amounts to nearly 1,4007. sterling.

Your committee have next the satisfaction to report the establishment of a new Association at Stockholm, under the sanction of the King and Privy Council, with the designation of the "Evangelical Society." The object of this Institution is two-fold --the circulation of the Scriptures, and the distribution of Religious Tracts; but, by a fundamental rule of the Institution, each object will have its separate fund, and a distinct account of its income and expendi. ture, which will be submitted annually to the public. The correspondence of your Committee will consequently be confined to that part of its object which assimilates itself to their own.

From recent inquiries it appeared, that the poorer classes in various parts of Sweden, were in great want of Bibles: and the Society at Stockholm had in consequence proposed to print an edition of the Scriptures in the Swedish language; but the limitation of their means obliged them to confine their intended operations, in the first instance, to the New Tes

tament. Some donations had indeed been received by them; and more were expected: but, as from the pressure of the times, and the impoverished state of the country, they could not entertain the smallest expectation of procuring, for some years, the types requisite for this limited undertaking; your Commit tee have been induced to authorize the Committee of the Evangelical Soeiety at Stockholm to draw for the sum of 300/., in aid of their fund, for the express purpose of printing the Swedish Bible on standing types.

Intelligence has been very recently received from Sarepta, by which it appears, that the Ministers of the United Brethren, encouraged by the grant of 600 rubles, and a promise of further assistance from this Society, had actually proceeded, in compliance with the recommendation of your Committee, to commence the Translation of St. Matthew's Gospel into the Kalmuc language and your Committee entertain a confident expectation, that these pious laborers will not desist from their work, till they have completed the translation of the New Testament.

Nothing more strongly marks the general approbation of the principle of our Society, and the beneficial inquence of its example, than the establishment of similar Societies in distant parts of the globe. It is with much satisfaction, therefore, your Committee report that, in addition to the Associations already produced, both in Europe and Asia, a Bible Society has been formed in Philadelphia, for the immediate purpose of distributing the Scriptures in Pennsylvania, and in "those por tions of the States of Jersey and Delaware which are contiguous to Pennsylvania ;" but with an ulterior view of producing similar establishments throughout the several States in the American Union. To promote this undertaking, the assistance of the British and Foreign Bible Society (to whose example and efforts the Managers expressly attribute its origin) was urgently solicited; and your Committee did not hesitate to grant it, by a donation of 2004.; accompanied with an intimation, that VOL. II. New Serieis.

their aid would be further enlarged, in proportion as the Philadelphia Society extended the sphere of its operations.

By late intelligence from Philadelphia, it appears, that the Society considered itself sufficiently advanced to be enabled to order a supply of Bibles and Testaments for distribution. For this purpose, copies were required in Welsh, Gaelic, French, and German; and, as these could not be procured within the United States, your Committee have directed them to be furnished at the cost prices.

Your Committee are now enabled to state the result of their communications with Bengal. The intelligence of the supplies granted by the British and Foreign Bible Society, for the purpose of aiding translations and publications of the Scriptures in the various dialects of the East, arrived most opportunely, and animated the hopes and endeavours of all concerned in this desirable undertaking. It was intended to appropriate the amount of these supplies to the expense of preparing and printing editions of the Gospels in Malayalim, Chinese, Persian, Hindostanee, Bengalee, Mahratta, and Sanscrit. Of these versions, some had previously issued from the Missionary press at Serampore, independently of the aid of this Society; others are printing; and all are in a state of preparation. Of the Gospel in the Chinese character, a specimen has been received by your Committee; and the execution of it appears to be much superior to any that, under present circumstances, could be made in this country.

It was not to be expected that works of such magnitude (not to mention the expectation of a further extension of them) could be undertaken without a very considerable and increasing expense. Your Committee, on receiving the above intelli. gence, immediately resolved to appropriate, for three successive years, an annual sum of 1,000/.; and they have taken steps to obtain from their Correspondents in India, such further information on this very interesting subject, as will, they trust, enable them, in their next Report, to afford

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full satisfaction to every friend of the Institution.

Under this head it remains only further to notice, that the supply of 500 English Bibles and 1,000 English Testaments, consigned by your Committee to India, had proved most seasonable and acceptable; as seyeral of the Chaplains on the estab lishment in Bengal had expended large sums in providing Bibles and Testaments for the use of the British soldiery and other Europeans there. Your Committee, impressed with this consideration resolved to grant a further supply of English Bibles and Testaments to the same amount as before.

It has been the invariable object of your Committee not only to supply the want of the Scriptures whenever it has been stated actually to exist, but to provide new editions for circulation whenever they could foresee the probability of doing it to advan tage, as far as a prudent management of the funds of the Society would admit. Under the influence of these considerations, editions of the New Testament in Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian, have been published. Other editions in Dutch, Danish, and modern Greek, are now in the press.

The Members of the Society will recollect the remarkable instances noticed in the Third and Fourth Reports, of the ready disposition evinced by the Spaniards to receive copies of the New Testament. The accidental arrival of a Spanish frigate, during the course of last year, afford. ed a proof, no less gratifying, of the same disposition. The earnestness with which the men of the ship solicited copies, the joy expressed by their countenances and actions in re ceiving them, and their immediate application to the perusal of them, afforded unequivocal demonstration of the high value which they set upon the gift. Several of the officers of the ship, and about 300 of the men, were present at the distribution; and the Priest of the frigate himself sanctioned it,byaccepting wo copies of the New Testament for his own use, and by recommending the perusal of it to the men.

On this subject your Committee

have further to add, that 775 Spanish Testaments were distributed to the prisoners of that nation, at Portsmouth, previous to their return to Spain, and most gratefully receiv. ed.

With respect to the Italian New Testament, your Committee have most satisfactory assurances of the practicability of beneficially distributing it, in Malta, Sicily, and Italy, in all which places an anxious desire to possess it has manifested itself: and 500copies have been already consigned to the care of a respectable Correspondent at Malta, on whose zealous services every reliance may be placed.

The object of your Committee, in printing Dutch and Danish editions of the New Testament, was, to supply the prisoners of war of these countries, and the Danish and Dutch colonies in the East and West Indies, now under the British government. For the immediate supply of the Dutch prisoners, your Committee deemed it expedient to direct the purchase of a considerable number of Bibles and Testaments already printed.

The number of Portuguese at Portsmouth and other parts of this country, together with the facilities now afforded for communication with Portugal and the Portuguese Islands and Colonies, suggested the determination to print an edition of the New Testament in their language for their use.

With respect to the edition of the New Testament in Modern Greek, the prospect of an extensive circulation of it is very encouraging, particularly among the Greeks dispersed throughout the Turkish empire, and a large population of the same people at Smyrna, amounting to fifty or sixty thousand families, amongst whom scarcely a single copy of the New Testament was to be found. This work will have the advantage of a correspondent original Text in parallel columns.

Your committee have also taken measures for printing, in the North of Sweden, 5,000 copies of the New Testament in the Lapland language; and 2501. appropriated to this object will be remitted, if the prospect of

its completion should be such as to warrant this application of the funds of the Society.

The preceding details comprehend the result of the more important Foreign transactions of your Committee; and what further remains connected with this subject may be more briefly mentioned.

The Society will recollect the in. structions given to Dr. Knapp, and stated in the last Report, to send a number of Bibles and Testaments for the use of the German Colonies on the Wolga. It now remains to report the arrival and distribution of them. A Correspondent of your Committee, who undertook a laborious journey for the purpose of conveying them to the place of their des tination, and who himself distributed a considerable number of copies, speaks of the joy and gratitude with which they were received.

The

most judicious precautions were adopted by him, that they should be given free of all expense, and to those only among the poor who could read. In each copy distributed by the Correspondent alluded to, the following inscription was inserted by him: This Bible is the pre. cious Gift of the English Bible Society; never to be sold, but to be made a good use of."

After the preceding detail, the Members of the Society will be much gratified in learning that a further supply of Bibles and Testaments has been required for the use of the German Colonies on the Wolga. Your Committee have accordingly directed 250 copies of each to be sent from Halle.

The types and paper presented by the Society to the Missionaries at Karass, for an edition of the Scriptures in Turkish, have escaped the casualties to which they were so pe culiarly exposed, and have also reached the place of their destination.

Copies of the Scriptures, either in whole or in part, granted by your Committee for the accommodation of their countrymen in distant lands, or of foreigners, have been very numerous. They have been sent for sale, or gratuitous distribution, as might be expedient, to the East In

dies; the coast of the Mediterrá nean; to Quebec, Halifax, and Prince Edward's Island, in North America; to the West Indies and Spanish Main; to Gibraltar; to the Cape of Good Hope; to Madeira; and to Stockholm. Your Committee will not detain the Society by a specification of the number of copies sent to each particular place, as it will appear in the Appendix to their Report.

Your Committee, having been informed that there were many refugees from Finland at Stockholm, who had no means of procuring the New Testament in their own peculiar dialect, directed a number to be purchased for their use; and have now the satisfaction to report, in the words of their correspondent, that they were received by them with indescribable joy.

It may also be proper to notice the safe arrival of the Bibles and Testaments sent by your Committee to Steniack in Nova Scotia, for sale or distribution, as connected with the intelligence, that the recommendation of your Committee to form a Bible Society in that province has been adopted; and that measures are now taking for carrying it into complete execution.

(To be concluded in our next.)

Ar a meeting of The Bible Society of Massachusetts, July 13, 1809, the following officers were elected, viz. William Phillips, Esq. President; Mr. Samuel H. Walley, Treasurer; Rev. Joseph S Buckminster, Corresponding Secretary; Rev. John Pierce, Recording Secretary; and Rev. John Lathrop, D.D. Rev. Joseph Eckley, D.D. Rev. James Freeman, Rev. Eliphalet Porter, D. D. Rev. Abiel Holmes, D. D. Rev. Thomas Baidwin, D. D. Samuel Salisbury, Esq. Hon. William Brown, Francis Wright, Esq. Hon. Isaac Parker, Hon, Peter C. Brooks, John Tucker, Esq. Joseph Hurd, Esq. Dr. Redford Webster, Samuel Parkman, Esq. Joseph May, Esq. Mr. Joseph Sewall, and Henry Hill, Esq. as Trustees.

INSTALLED over the Congregational Church and Society of the North Parish in Thomastown, the