In the three preceding years there were issued,

Bibles and Testaments,

55,122

467-55,589

Epistles of St. John, in Delaware, Making a total of ninety-seven thousand one hundred and two Bibles and Testaments, and parts of the latter, issued from the Depository of the National Bible Society from its establishment.

Of the above Bibles, there were, German, 281-French, 227-Gaelic, 71-Welsh, 1.

Of the above Testaments, 563 were Spanish. Of these, there were gratuitously sent to Valparaiso, 248-to New Orleans, 187 to Trinidad, 6-and to St. Croix, 50.

The remaining 72 copies have been sent to Societies, or disposed of to individuals.

Third Report of the Peace Society in London.-No new Tract has been added to its publications since last year. A new edition of Tract No. 3, consisting of 10,000 copies, one of No. 5, consisting of 5,000 copies, and 10,000 copies of the Second Report, have been printed since last year, making a grand total of 153,000 Tracts, Reports, &c. printed since the formation of the Society. The circulation of Tracts has been continued, and about 30,000 have been distributed and disposed of. An edition of 5000 copies of the Solemn Review has been printed at Pyrmont, in Germany; and these have been circulated through the hands of the booksellers in the principal towns in Germany and Switzerland, from the grand fair at Leipzig. Inquiries have been made for the other Tracts, but your Committee having taken some preliminary measures with a view to publishing in French and Dutch, have not yet thought it prudent to add to the number of Tracts in German.

The amount of Subscriptions and Donations ending June 14, 1819, is 4947. 11s. 8d. making the total receipts of the society 1073l. 16s. 1d. Between two and three hundred new Subscribers are reported since last year. Additional Auxiliary Societies have been established within the year at Worcester, Frome, and Dundee; and a Ladies' Association at Lymington, Hants. The progress of the Societies previously established, which have reported to your Committee, is encouraging; and some of them have been actively engaged in pursuing the objects of the Society. A Society in communication with your Committee has been established at Glasgow, from whose zealous and active cooperation your Committee anticipate the greatest assistance in this work. This Society has circulated some thousands of your publications, besides several editions of Tracts of their own

selection, and an excellent Address adapted for general circulation.

The accounts from America continue to give a favourable statement of the progress of Peace Societies, upwards of twenty being now formed on that continent. The Massachusetts Society in the year 1818 had distributed upwards of 8000 Tracts, and had received an accession of 246 new Members. The Society at New York had also circulated some thousands of Tracts, and is reported to be in a state of progressive increase. Besides these efforts, different individuals have exerted themselves with activity in the distribution of pamphlets. One individual, a mechanic in the State of New York, has published at his own expense 14,000 copies of the Friend of Peace, and 2,500 copies of the Solemn Review of the Custom of War.

New York Peace Society.-The operations of the Society dur ing the past year, though not very extensive, have, your Committee believe, contributed in no small degree to the furtherance of their object. The exertions of the Committee have been chiefly occupied in the circulation of the best publications, tending to show that war is inconsistent with the Christian religion, and the real interests of mankind. Besides a large edition of the Report of last year, of" Tract No. III, The Question of War reviewed," a considerable number of the Tracts previously published by the Society, Letters to Governor Strong, and some minor publications, the Committee have distributed about 1500 of different numbers of" The Friend of Peace," and some hundreds of Tracts and Addresses, received from the London, Glasgow, and other Peace Societies. One hundred copies of the Report read at our last Anniversary, and one entire set and 25 copies of No. XIV. of the Friend of Peace, have been sent to the London Peace Society; 50 copies of the Report, and a few copies of the other publications, to the Glasgow Peace Society; 50 copies of the Report to the Massachusetts, and 50 to the Rhode Island, Peace Societies; 300 copies of the Report, 100 each of Nos. XIV, XV, and XVI, of the Friend of Peace, 6 Reports of the London Society, and 6 each of their Tracts I. to IV, and 24 Addresses of the Glasgow Society, were forwarded to Yale Col lege, in New Haven, for distribution at the Commencement.

Rhode Island Peace Society.-There have been printed and purchased the past year, in behalf of the Society, 8736 Tracts, of which 8000 copies of the "Address of the Glasgow Peace Society" were attached to the Rhode Island Almanack. This mode of circulating information upon the subject of war we find

highly useful, and are happy to state that it meets the approbation of the friends of peace, both in Europe and America, who propose following the example. There have been distributed among the members of this Society 236 copies of the Friend of Peace, and 500 copies of the Second Annual Report. These Tracts have been favorably received, and several within our knowledge have been convinced by reading them, of the impropriety of shedding the blood of their fellow creatures, and have adopted different views upon the subject of war.

There have been added to this Society the past year 20 members, which make our present number 114. Although our additions have not been great, yet we have reason to believe that the number of the friends of peace in this State is constantly augmenting.

A Marine Bible Society, has lately been established in Boston.

Methodist Episcopal Church.-The following is a table of the number of coloured and white communicants in the Methodist Episcopal Church of the United States, in July, 1819.

Total in 1818, 229,627-Increase in 1819, 17,297.-There' are 812 travelling, and more than 1000 local preachers in the eleven conferences.

Christianity in the South Seas.-The progress of the gospel in Otaheite and the neighbouring islands continues to be very encouraging. The missionaries give the following account of the publication and distribution of the scriptures." The impression of St. Luke's gospel, in the Taheitean language, is now completed, viz. 3000 copies; and although we demand, as formerly men

tioned, a quantity of cocoa-nut oil, as the price of each copy, to help in defraying the expense of printing more, yet the people manifest the utmost eagerness to obtain them. It is matter of much concern to us, that great numbers must go without any for the present. Many of the inhabitants of the Palliser's and other islands, to the eastward of Otaheite, have also demolished their idols, and become professed worshippers of the true God; and 320 of them have lately come to these islands in order to obtain books. Some elementary ones have been given to them, but it grieves us that we cannot let them have more."

"We wish to carry on the printing with spirit. An edition of 10,000 copies of Luke, as many of Matthew, and of the Acts (which are in a course of preparation, and will be ready by the time we obtain paper) will not be too many for the urgent calls of the natives."

The Society for promoting Theological Education at Harvard College, held their annual meeting in Boston, on Tuesday, August 29, when they chose their officers and transacted the usual business of the society. The annual discourse was delivered on Sunday evening, August 27, at the church in Federal street, by the Rev. Dr. HARRIS, from Matthew xiii. 51, 52. "Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe instructed unto the kingdom of Heaven, is like unto a man that is an householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.”

Ordination.-In Dublin, N. H. Wednesday, Sept. 6, was ordained, Rev. LEVI W. LEONARD, over, the Church and congregation in that place. Sermon, by Rev. Dr. Ware, of Cambridge. The names of the other officiating ministers we have not learned.

TO READERS AND CORRESPONDENTS.

We have received from MICKROS the information we requested, and upon mature consideration find it necessary, for the reasons we before suggested, to decline the publication of his papers.

We hope our readers will think themselves compensated for the twenty days' delay in the publication of this number-for which we are unable to offer any adequate apology-by the sixteen pages extra which it contains. We will endeavour to take care that the same occasion of delay shall not occur in time to come.

END OF NO. 4.-VOL. II.

THE

CHRISTIAN DISCIPLE.

NEW SERIES-No. 11.

For September and October, 1820.

THOUGHTS ON TRUE AND FALSE RELIGION.

CONSIDERED merely in relation to this world, there is no subject, on which it is more important for us to hold correct opinions, than the subject of religion. There are no questions of such interest to us, as those which it proposes to answer. There is no department of knowledge, in which ignorance and error so essentially affect the character and condition of individuals and of society. Determine the relative degrees of virtue and happipess, in different communities; and you will have determined the relative degrees, in which the influence of correct religious principle is felt; and, on the other hand, false notions of religion, ignorance and superstition will be found in nearly the same proportions as vice and misery.

There is abundant proof of the fact just stated. We find evidence of it in the condition of the most polished heathen nations, the Greeks and Romans. There is indeed a deceptive glare cast around them by the vivid splendors of art and genius; and we are liable to be deluded likewise by a vulgar, school-boy admira tion of virtues, which never existed but in fancy; and of which scarce any other show of evidence is to be found, but in some high-sounding epithets, used by such writers as Livy in compliment to their countrymen ; and interpreted at the present day in conformity to our own notions of moral excellence, and not those. of a heathen. But putting aside these causes of error, if we examine into the real condition of those ancient nations, we shall find melancholy and decisive evidence of the fact maintained. It will gather round us from every side. Their religion, erroneous, imbecile and corrupting as it was, will be found a true index of New Series-vol. II. 43