Religious and Literary Entelligence. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. THE eleventh Annual Meeting of this Society was held at Freemason's Hall, on Wednesday, the 3d of May. At twelve o'clock, Lord TEIGNMOUTH, the president, took the chair; and with the occasional assistance of the Rev. WILLIAM DEALTRY, read to the Meeting the principal parts of the Report, it being found necessary, from the great extension of the Society's exertions during the year, to reserve many of the details for the press. His Lordship stated, that during the last year a Mr. Pinkerton had been sent by the Society to the Continent, and that his intelligence was of the most satisfactory nature. Beginning with the Low Countries, he had found a leading Bible Society in Amsterdam, the Bible greatly spread, and many copies of it purchased by the Catholics. At Rotterdam a Bible Society had been established in July. In the duchy of Berg, at Elbersfield, a place remarkable for the variety of its sects, a Bible Society was formed. In Hanover one had been also formed, and it was felt and acknowledged as among its happiest effects, that it brought together, in works of beneficence, pastors and men of different opinions, Lutherans and Calvinists, who had before no opportunity of intercourse. A most distinguished Catholic Priest had in one instance expressed his rejoicing at the coming of the Bible, and accepted the office of Director of the Society. The Duke of Cambridge had permitted himself to be nominated Patron. At Berlin, the Prussian Bible Society had been formed under an eminent nobleman, tutor to the Crown Prince; and at Dresden a Saxon Bible Society, under the Minister of State who superintended religious affairs. In consideration of their efforts and difficulties, grants were made by the Bible Society here of £500 each to the Amsterdam, Hanoverian, Prussian, and Saxon Societies, of £300 to Berg, and £100 more each to Saxony and Prussia. At St. Petersburg the Russian Bible Society was formed under the patronage of the Emperor, and means were already taken for printing the Bible in seven languages, 5000 Bibles and 5000 Testaments were already printed in the Sclavonian language, one, in which only 60,000 copies had been printed in the course of 200 years; 50,000. Georgian Bibles were also about to be printed. A copy of the Bible in Persian, under the superintendance of Sir Gore Ousely, was also printing there. The intelligence from VOL. I. the Crimea made it probable that the Tartar translation of the Bible would be favourably received there, and a Mufti had already subscribed 50 rubles a year to the printing. The Royal Family of Georgia were subscribers to the Georgian Bible. In Mingrelia, Georgia, and Circassia there were half a million of men professing Christianity, with two thousand churches, and among them not more than 260 Bibles. The zeal of the foreign priesthood was astonishing; at the meeting of the St. Petersburg Bible Society in last January, there were present five Metropolitans, and the Armenian and Catholic Primates came in their full robes of dignity. A Moscow Bible Society had been formed in conjunction with that of St. Petersburg; eight more were forming; they were spreading through all parts of the empire, and the zeal of the Russians to possess a copy of the Bible was beyond all belief. The Committee voted £1000 in aid of the St. Petersburg Society Turning to Sweden, a Society had been formed in Stockholm, which had already printed 33,000 Bibles. Three Auxiliary Societies had been formed. The King had given his approbation to the Society on the 2d of February last; the Crown Prince desiring to be considered as first Honorary Member. £500 had been voted to this Society. In Norway, a Bible Society had been formed. A Society was also formed in Copenhagen, with the Bishop of Zealand, a most distinguished and learned person, for its President, and sanctioned by the King's rescript. In the course of the summer Zealand had been visited by order of the Committee; and the visitors were received with the kindest welcome by clergy and laity; they found much Christian feeling, but a great want of the Scriptures universally felt and expressed throughout their difficult and dangerous journey. Returning to the north of Germany, there were a Bible Society at Lubec-a Hamburgh and Altona, a Bremen, a Dantzic, and an Erfurth; and in Switzerland, a Lausanne, a Pays de Vaud, and a Geneva Bible Society, all lately formed. In looking to the West, in America, zeal was active. In March, 1814, there were 38 Bible Societies; in March, 1815, there were 70. A vessel carrying Bibles to the Cape of Good Hope had been taken by an American privateer, they were at once purchased by the Bible Society of Massachusets, and an intimation conveyed here that they were at the disposal of the British So2 A The Society had to lament the deaths of three most distinguished Members since their last meeting. The Rev. Mr. Charles of Bala, Mr. Thornton, and Dr. Claudius Buchanan, who was translating the New Testament into Syriac, and had gone as far as the Acts of the Apostles. ciety. They were returned again as the|ciety had already put nearly 200,000 property of the American Society, with Bibles in reach of purchase by the comdue acknowledgments. In Nova Scotia mon people. A translation of the entire there was a Bible Society which had sent in Irish was arranging. 8001. home. In Antigua a Bible Society was founded on the 9th of last February. In Jamaica there was also a Society. With the South of Africa, the connexion of the Bible Society was extending. The Scriptures were beginning to be much read by the Hottentot Christians. On a late visit to the king of Bulam, the Missionaries found him reading the Bible, with two Mussulmen, who promised to extend its knowledge on their return to their own country. It appeared from the Report, that the issue of copies of the Scriptures, from March 31, 1814, to March 31, 1815, has been 126,156 Bibles, 123,776 Testaments, making a total issued from the commencement of the Institution to that period, of 516,479 Bibles, 718,779 Testaments, in all 1,235,257 copies; exclusive of a very con 6 9 11 Annual Subscriptions. . £3,272 10 2,429 He should now look to the East. In the Mission of Serampore, they were translating the Bible into twenty-five languages, of which, twenty-one were al-siderable number circulated at the charge ready in the press. The grants of the of the Society abroad. Committee to the Corresponding Society in Bengal, now amounted to £13,000. The Calcutta Bible Society had already printed 10,000 copies of the Bible, and had received a donation of 1000 dollars from an American Bible Society. Mr. Carey's report was, that though they had ten presses constantly at work, they had not a copy on their hands these six months, and that each was carried off eagerly the moment it came from the press. The sum contributed by the Committee to this ope- Sale of Reports, &c., ration, was £8000. In Madras, the Scriptures had excited the attention of the people, and in one instance, three Bramins had applied for Bibles, and offered to translate them on condition of their being given. In Java, a Batavian Bible Society had been formed, July 14, 1814. In China, there had been already distributions of the New Testament and Genesis in Chinese, and there had been a particular supply given to the schools. Contributions from Aux- 1,406 7 8 1,312 18 0 1,703 10 0 61,848 11 9 27,560 6 5 361 1 3 Total £99,894 15 6 The Expenditure for the Year.. Obligations of the Society £81,021 12 5 His Lordship read apologies from the Bishops of Salisbury and Cloyne, for ab sence; the first having been prevented by indispensible business-the second being ill and confined to his bed. He closed the whole by a most affecting speech, recommending it to the Society to persevere. It was not given to men to know the times of God, but we had our duty to do, and that was to obey the great command which bade the Scriptures be preached to every living creature. It might happen that this distribution was preparatory to some mighty influx of knowledge, but the divine will be done. He prayed the blessing of God on the labours of the Society, and that they might be found among the glorious and the redeemed at the day that judged all men. In the United Kingdom, the Society had advanced. In June, the Committee had waited on the Emperor of Russia and King of Prussia, and were permitted to give them a copy of the last Report. Notwithstanding the number of Societies already flourishing, twenty-six new ones were formed since 1814. The Report concluded by recommending the principle of forming Auxiliary Societies; not merely as sources of contribution, but as from their locality better acquainted with the immediate wants of the people. By urging the value of the smaller, but regular subscriptions, they interested the lower orders in the distribution of the Bible? this again raised their veneration for the Bible itself; and the very act of thus providing for the greatest of all necessities generated a spirit of mutual kind-printing of the Report, under the direcness among the people. The Bible Society of Glasgow had thus obtained £904. In Ireland, the exertion was increasing Auxiliary Societies had been formed in the counties of Kildare, Kerry, Galway, and Longford. The Hibernian Bible So | The Dean of WELLS rose to move the tion of the Committee. That Report was a most striking and important document. What did it tell? Of successes and labours, the most extensive, the most rapid, the most triumphant. The first success was that in Europe. In the Netherlands, a great work had been performed. From that country came, about a century since, our deliverer from civil and religious thraldom;-it was a proud gratitude to now return to it, the only greater liberty -the liberty of the soul. In looking across the Atlantic, another glorious view was given. He was rejoiced to see peace with America; and he had now almost a pledge that we should see war no more with her. Even those who were to be influenced by nothing beyond those political views, might now be inclined to acknowledge the good of the Bible Society. From America, with her 70 Bible Associations, already swelling and spreading into strength and zeal, we might hope for permanent peace. From France, where our efforts had been impeded, and the Bible almost prohibited, we were yet to learn what peace she would keep, but might God grant that even she would yet be taught, and rejoice to receive instruction.-But if the prosspect was more gloomy now than it had been, it was still to be remembered that the Bible Society rose and grew strong in a time of national struggle, and it might still go on from strength to strength. The Society had published more than a million of Bibles and Testaments. The world was computed to contain a thousand millions of people, let the Society go on with the powerful step with which it had moved for the last ten years, and perhaps some of those then around him might, before they went down to the grave, see but little left to be done to shed the gospel light through the nations of the earth. The Duke of KENT moved "The thanks of the Meeting to Lord Teignmouth, for his indefatigable zeal and services to the Society." His Royal Highness would only say a few words; but, he felt it incumbent on him to express his full and entire concurrence in all the objects of the Bible Society. He should leave the peculiar praise of the Institution to those whose profession led them more immediately to estimate its value; but he must say it in the feeling of a man who had the good fortune to be a soldier of the state, and he thought it no derogation to the high and gallant spirit of soldiership to say so, that the Bible was the surest support even of military courage. In all the services it was the same. Would not the sailor expose himself, if not with a more desperate fearlessness, at least with a more unfailing intrepidity, when he felt that exposure was not ruin, that to die in battle was not to perish, that in yielding up life, he only entered into final and unchangeable glory! The Bible spoke the same language to the soldier, and he could find no better study of his profession than that book which taught him first, reverence to his God, and next, obedience to his king. Sir Thomas ACKLAND, President of the Devon Bible Society, seconded the motion. He was deeply interested in the cause. He could conceive none more acceptable to God, the Father of all, than that cause which contemplated all mankind in the spirit of paternal care. This Society knew no distinction, it lavished upon all the benefits which Providence had entrusted to it for its most glorious purpose. It knew no distinction of nation or name, or cast or colour, Christian or Pagan; it gave freely to all what it had freely received, and in it gave the greatest blessing that man could communicate to man. Mr. Robert INGLIS moved thanks to the Vice-Presidents, and noticed in a brief and elegant panegyric, the late Treasurer, Mr. Thornton, a model of purity and honour, solid intelligence and unwearied zeal. To take up his task, another of the same family had been found, like the poet's tree, Uno avulso non deficit alter. It Dr. COLLYER seconded the motion. No Society ever required high patronage less; no Society ever received more. was difficult in speaking of great services to avoid the appearance of flattery, but that was not the spirit of the meeting nor He might indeed say to those of himself. distinguished individuals who had come forward in the cause of the Society, that they did not give but receive honour. He was glad to be permitted to second this motion, if it were nothing but to declare the conspiracy combined against the estaWas there ever a conspiracy blishment. like this? one in which the bishops of Norwich, Durham, St. David's, Salisbury, and many other distinguished prelates, were conspirators; one at the head of which stood the Dukes of York, Kent, Cambridge, Cumberland, and Sussex; one to which the liberator of Africa, one to which the pacificator of America, had given their most cordial and zealous assistance? Why did not the pastors of the establishment come to watch over their proceedings? Yes, they did come; he found them in those venerable Bishops who sat before him, thinking that they did their most undoubted service in taking a lead in that Society. But wherever might be the danger of the establishment, he could point out its security. It was in its spirit of union, it was in its toleration. He could see the time approaching, when as in the apostle's vision, the new Jerusalem was to be built glorious with precious stones of different colours. The earth might give no reward to the men who led the way in these things, it might have no reward. But if they would not have it in the praise of man, they would have it in the testimony of conscience, and in the peace of God. The Bishop of NORWICH moved thanks to their Royal Highnesses, the Dukes of York, Cambridge, Cumberland, Kent, Sussex, and Gloucester, for their patronage, and to the Dukes of Kent and and Sussex, in particular, for their marked attention to the interests of the Society. The Duke of KENT returned thanks for his illustrious relatives and himself. To have received the praise of his venerable friend, (the Bishop of Norwich,) he must have in some measure deserved it, and to have deserved it, might well excite the spirit of any man. But little as he was inclined to speak or think of himself, he could not but indulge the pleasure of that unexpected praise which he had just received. He had not seen that gen tleman for an interval of fourteen years; he had seen him only in the accidental circumstances of the service, he should not have even known him in his present dress; but he might be freely allowed to express his feelings at hearing this casual and most unprepared vindication of his His Lordship expressed himself glad to have been appointed to pay this tribute to their Royal Highnesses. To the Duke of Kent he found himself inclined to acknowledge great satisfaction in what he had heard from him that day, the clear good sense, the princely dignity, the fine and affecting mixture of military ardour and christian zeal. He must congratulate the meeting on this, the eleventh anniversary of their incomparable institution. If we did not know that prejudice had neither eyes nor ears, it would be almost incredible that any one could be found in a christian country hostile to the purposes of that institution. But prejudice had started up under the pretence of detecting danger to the establishment, and had even been embodied in a work lately pub-conduct, this sudden refutation of calumlished. That work, grounded upon false facts, was sustained by inconclusive reasoning, and must speedily be forgotten, but if while it still lived, there were those who desired to see it treated as it deserved, he had the gratification to state, that a learned friend of his (Dr. Dealtry) had within these few days given it an answer, which, if it could not convert, must at least put to silence for ever ignorance and malevolence. Captain HAWTREY was glad to have the honour of seconding the motion. He felt, as they all must feel, the importance to the institution of the support which it received from the higher ranks of the country. But he must be pardoned for saying that he felt a peculiar gratitude to the Royal Duke who this day attended the meeting. In the course of his military life, he happened to have been under his Royal Highness's command, and to that eircumstance he had to attribute, besides many personal comforts, the great one of being made acquainted with those truths which now formed so large a share of his convictions. He believed that many others had to thank their Royal Commander for kindnesses not less considerate, if the effect was not so continued; but he could not restrain himself from saying that he looked back to those condescensions with the deepest gratitude, and nothing but that gratitude now could have prompted him to speak of them. He had relinquished a soldier's life, and he was glad of that change even now, as among its other reasons, it gave him the privilege to speak of very noble and princely benevolence, with the fairness and the force of unsuspected impartiality. The Rev. GERARD NOEL begged leave to mention that when objections had arisen in Nova Scotia to the Bible Socfety, and it was said that the mind of the Royal Family was decidedly against it, the Duke of Kent had, without hesitation, written to express his own attachment to the institution, and the Halifax Bible Society feel to this hour the benefits of that interference, nies which had been so painfully urged, which had taken such deep root, which he would not deny had for so many years hung heavy on his heart, and had at last the effect of making him withdraw from the active services of a profession in which no man ever embarked with more ardent zeal. This was even enhanced by the purity of its source, by its coming from a quarter where no suspicion of humbler motives could lie, the vindication of a soldier from a man who had now retired from the hopes and objects of a soldier's career. But now to talk of the admirable institution in whose cause they were all equally engaged. He rejoiced in its success, in its noble ambition of doing good, in its unwearied zeal, in its irresistable advance; and he hoped the time was not far off when another object might be numbered among the multitude which they embraced. There still was ignorance at home, and he wished to see the children of this country instructed; if they were to have the Bible sent among them, let them have the faculty to read it sent among them also. He wanted no dogmas, no forms of opinion, he wanted the simple power to spell, and the simple study, the Bible. He desired to see the wish of his Royal Father, that wish so worthy of an English king, realized, that every child in the Empire should be able to read his Bible, and have his Bible to read. Mr. ROBERT GRANT moved the thanks to the Committee of last year, and other individuals subsequently named. He traced in a very forcible manner the importance which the objects of the Society derived from a comparison with the fleeting and changing scenes of the world, and paid an eloquent tribute to the memory of departed friends of the Society; of Professor Jowett-of the Rev. Thomas Charles-of the Rev. Dr. Buchanan of the Rev. Dr. Brunmark-of the Rev. David Brown-of the Rev. Henry Martyn-“and as the march of a victorious army," said he, "may be traced by the graves of its heroes, so may the swift SOCIETY. progress of the Bible Society be marked NAVAL AND MILITARY BIBLE by the tombs of these its friends, which rise in the far distant regions of the earth, and which connect this Institution with the remotest regions." THIS valuable Institution held its Anniversary Meeting, at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, on Tuesday, May 9th. The Duke of GLOUCESTER having taken the Chair, briefly stated the purposes for which they were assembled; the Report of the Committee was read by one of the Se The Rev. Mr. THORPE, Secretary of the Hibernian Society, seconded the motion. At that late hour of the day he should confine himself to the mere mention of some matters relative to Ireland.cretaries. It contained much interesting The Hibernian Bible Society was an In- information relative to the objects of this stitution of late growth; its existence was Society, which are certainly highly praiseowing to the great Society here. A few worthy. To make any serious impresyears since the Bible was to be found only sion on the minds of our SEAMEN and in a few of the larger Towns in Ireland, SOLDIERS, to make them in any degreeand in those at a price decidedly beyond partakers of the mind and habits which the means of the lower orders. Now result from an acquaintance with the Bibles were for sale in more than 100 Bible, is to render them a service with towns, and the greatest desire was mani- which none other can stand in compefested to receive a copy. The Catholics tition. This has in part been effected; exhibited a zeal not less striking than and there is reason to hope that this great that said to exist among them on the Con- public and private good will continue to tinent. Of a large number of Bibles be extended from day to day.-The Relately sent to one of the counties, one port was adopted with universal marks of half of the entire had been already sold, approbation. Various Resolutions were and of those every copy had been the passed, among which the most important actual purchase of a Catholic. In many was-that the Duke of WELLINGTON be instances the Bible was not only pur- requested to accept one of the high ofchased, but its consolations felt. One fices of the Society. This Resolution which lately occurred, he would submit was moved by WILLIAM WILBERFORCE, to the Assembly:-In a mountainous dis- Esq. M. P.-with that vehement elotrict of the county of Roscommon, a fa-quence which no less distinguishes his admily had been visited with sickness. In their solitude there was as little help from the world, as intercourse with it. The father died--the mother was soon on her death bed. As she felt the hand of death upon her, her agony was for her five children, almost infants, that must be left to famine; her eldest girl brought the Bible, which she had been taught to read, -pointed out the promise of God to be a father to the fatherless, and soothed the last hours of her parent. She was found thus engaged by a charitable person who traversed that dsstrict, and provision was made for her necessities. (Applause.) In a Blind Asylum in Dublin, five Catholic boys got a person to read the Bible to them. They in some time after refused to go to Chapel. The Romish Priest applied to the Committee; the boys said they would not go till they found something of his Reverence and the mass in the Bible. At the meeting of the Committee, composed of Catholics and Protestants, a Protestant Governor wishing to spare the feelings of his Catholic friends, turned to one of them with the words, " Let these boys take their way; half a dozen poor blind beings can be no great accession to us, and no great loss to you" The Catholic Gentleman replied, "I see, Sir, ours is a religion which can but address itself to the eye; yours is a religion which can reach the heart through the ear." [To be concluded in our next.] vanced years than the days of his youthful career, he infused into the minds of the persons assembled, even a new and increased enthusiasm for the CAUSE of the BIBLE. He traced, as an appropriate illustration of the principles he would inculcate, the splendour which was added to the most illustrious names among the DEFENDERS of our Country by a pious concern for the interests of Religion. The Duke of MARLBOROUGH, he observed, notwithstanding the confidence he must have in the resources of his fine genius, and the remembrance of his successes, placed his hopes in Gop, and in the justice of his Sovereign's cause. He instanced in the conduct of other great Commanders, who followed the same example. He made a happy transition to the humane and just character of the Duke of Wellington, in the very_midst of the difficulties of his war in Spain, and of his invasion of France. He had no doubt his Grace would readily cultivate that love of the Bible among his troops, from which emenates a sure sense of justice and humanity. One consideration gave him the highest gratification and hope. The sailors and soldiers were, willing to receive the Bible; not coldly out of compliment to superiors, but with a readiness to co-operate in this cause.The Honorable Gentleman then traced the eminent value of the Bible to these. When a soldier returns to his country, perhaps worn out with a long service, if he knows nothing of the Bible, he is a |