too, as well as in my own country: but the Lord still delivered me from my enemies: I thank his kindness to me. Dear Sir, if I could not read the Irish and speak it, I could not travel among the Catholics by any means. I have spent four weeks in the mountains of Donegal; fifteen individuals abandoned their priest here, by hearing the word of God read in the Irish language. When the priest was informed of this change, he cursed any person that would hear me or speak to me the following Sabbath: but after all his exertions, they proved ineffectual, for the people still came to hear me. One evening, as I departed from a Catholic house, where there assembled above forty Roman Catholics, I was way-layed by two persons, who would have destroyed my life, only a gentleman providentially happened to be riding by.

Anniversary of the Irish Society. THE late period at which the Anniversary has taken place, prevents our giving even a sketch of the appropriate speeches that were delivered. It is sufficient to say, that the following ministers and others were engaged.-The Rev. Messrs. Middleditch, Edwards, Hawkins, Cramp, Groser, Kinghorn, Dr. Steadman, Fisher, Finch, Evanson, Shenston, and J. Parnell, Esq. The speech of the Rev. Josiah Wilson, of Boyle, one of the Society's Itinerants, was very encouraging, as it proved the good effects of the Society's operations in Ireland. The Rev. Mr. M'Farlane began in prayer.

The Report was full of interesting facts: the following is an extract.

"In one instance, a school, in the South of Ireland, which consisted of one hundred and forty boys, and ninety-six girls, was violently scattered in April last by two Roman Catholic priests. They accomplished this by entering the school, and commanding the children to leave it, and by calling on their parents, and threatening them with public excommunication from the altar on the next Lord's day, unless their children were taken away from the school: the success of this measure of intimidation was so great, that five children only continued out of more than one hundred and fifty. It is added, that many of the poor children wept much when the priests drove them from the school, and during the next month, many of them returned to it notwithstanding this opposition. But the priests renewed the attack, by ill-treating the parents. When some of these poor people ventured to reply, by saying, 'It is surely better for them to be at that school than to

be at none, and going to ruin in the streets;' the priests positively denied it, and said, 'It is not better.' Mr. Thomas, of Limerick, the superintendent of the schools in the counties of Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary, says, Nothing can equal the desire of the people to have their children educated, were it not for the dread they have of the priests' spiritual authority, and of being deprived of their labour, through their influence over the minds of their employers. I can say,' adds Mr. Thomas, with perfect truth, that there never was such a spirit of religious inquiry, never such a desire among the children for education, never such anxious applications for copies of the scriptures, and never such a desire to hear the gospel preached. You must send us a large supply of Bibles and Testaments, as very many can now read, who never could have been able but from their having attended our schools.'

"That a great difference of opinion and feeling, in regard to the Society's schools, exists among the Roman Catholic priests, the following extract will prove :

"I have been credibly informed,' says the writer,' that a priest in my district, from the altar, conferred many encomiums on the Baptist Society, by saying, that it was worthy of approbation and support, and that it was the greatest blessing to the poor. He exhorted his people not to be lulled, or turned out of their course, by foolish babbling, and thus to lose the opportunity offered for the education of their children.' He said, 'that he had examined the books which were used in the schools, that had been condemned by some of his brethren, and had found them to be free from error;' and added, if other priests took the same views of the Society that he did, they would plead the cause of the institution, pray for all with whom it originated and was supported, and would unite with it in circulating the scriptures, the knowledge of which makes men of every denomination good members of society, and makes them to feel themselves to be amenable to the salutary laws of their country.'

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"One of the Irish Readers thus writes: -The following account has been communicated to me by a person that was present at the time that the transaction took place. A priest went into one of our schools, and asked the children how far they were advanced as to the committing of the scriptures to memory; the poor children thought they would be rewarded by the priest for being so forward in a knowledge of the book of God, consequently they stood up manfully, and be

gan their repetitions;-some of them could repeat the entire of the gospel of John, and several other chapters in the Ephesians, Galatians, sermon on the mount, &c., but I believe the priest would rather not hear all they could have repeated. He left the school, therefore, telling the Teacher that he was raining that part of his parish by the scriptures which he was teaching the children;' and further added, that it would be better for the parents to pay for their children, than to have their heads spoiled with the scriptures.'

"In the next parish to the above, we have a school in the Roman Catholic Cha pel, and when I inspected it last week, the priest was present while I was examining the several classes, and he appeared to be very friendly to the Baptist Institution.'

"The Rev. Josiah Wilson, speaking of the Schools under his care in the counties of Sligo, Mayo, Leitrim, and Roscommon, says, At the last examination of the schools, I gave more Bibles as capital rewards than on any former occasion. I had promised that premium to any pupil that would commit to memory, and repeat correctly, twelve additional chapters to what they already knew, at the end of the quarter. In the Trowbridge School were given SIX, one child having learned 14 chapters, another 17, another 19, two 21, and one 22; all of which, and several more, were repeated with great correctness. In some other schools, one Bible only was obtained; but in one of them there were twenty-two rewards bestowed on those who had committed to memory, during the quarter, five or more additional chapters. Many of the scholars had, besides, made good proficiency in arithmetic.' Mr. Wilson adds, Several adults have, during the past winter, attended the evening schools, and evinced a great anxiety to be able to read the Bible for themselves, which some of them are able to accomplish, and are exceedingly delighted with their acquirements.'

"The following pleasing anecdote, communicated by Mr. Wilson, will lead the members of the Society to form some conception of the probable good effects resulting from scriptural education upon the minds of the children :

was truly grateful to God who had given her health to attend long enough at the school to learn to read the Testament, as she had thereby become acquainted with Jesus as her Saviour. She was particularly patient and resigned, saying, she was quite willing to die, that she might go to Jesus. She added, the only thing which gave her pain was, that she was leaving her mother in such an awful state of darkness.'

"One of the Irish Readers, who is an inspector of the schools, gives the following account, the truth of which is corroborated by Mr. Wilson :

"E. C., about thirteen years of age, who was educated at D. School, departed this life lately, in a well-grounded hope, enjoying consolation in prospect of eternity. Her neighbours remonstrated with her a few days before she died, on the necessity of sending for a priest to give her the rites of the church: she told them, that if a man could be of any service to her soul, that Christ had died in vain! Notwithstanding, the priest came,(though unsent for) to visit her. He asked her, if she wished to be anointed? She answered, with a wisdom far above her years, that she would not trouble him for any ceremony of his, that her priest was placed on high, in whom she trusted, who is the way, the truth, and the life.' 'Where did you get that knowledge?' asked the priest. am indebted,' she replied, to the Baptist Society, Mr. Wilson, and the ladies, for the instruction I have received! may the Lord reward them for what they have done for me!'

"An Irish Missionary, belonging to the Methodists, Mr. John Feely, gives the following account of one of the schools, which may be considered as a specimen of the whole. In a letter to Mr. Wilson, dated Castlereagh, April 11, 1825, he says:

I visited a fine school of yours in the county of Sligo, near C. taught by Mr. G. I heard a class of lovely boys read in the Holy Gospels. The school is very promising; I felt gratitude to God on seeing such an establishment in so perfectly benighted a part of the country.'

"The spelling-books given away by the Society the past year have amounted to five thousand. Five hundred Bibles, and nineteen hundred Testaments, in the English and Irish languages, have been circulated, without expense to the Society, through the kind assistance of the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society."

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and to the loss which the Society had sustained by the recent decease of some of its earliest and most zealous friends. Prayer was offered at the commencement of the service by the Rev. Dr. Steadman, of Bradford, and at the close by the Rev. Joseph Ivimey. The scriptures were read by the Rev. James Payne, of Ipswich, and the hymns given out by the Rev. Moses Fisher, late of Liverpool.

In the evening, the second sermon was delivered, (after prayer by the Rev. Moses Fisher) by the Rev. Thomas Griffin; who selected for the basis of this discourse, the words of David to the princes of Israel, as recorded in 1 Chron. xxii. 19. Arise, and build ye the sanctuary of the Lord God. After some general remarks on the veracity of the divine promises, and the obligation of the divine commands, with a contrast between the material fabric to which David referred, and the spiritual temple now to be erected; Mr. G. procceded to speak, 1. Of the grounds on which such an exhortation rested, and 2. The reasons why it should be regarded. Under the former head he remarked, that -God is righteous, and expects a suitable return for the gifts he has bestowed on man-all men have neglected these claims, especially the heathen-means perfectly efficient are prepared, and com-mitted to us-we have considerable power over these means, and should employ it in the service of God. The reasons that might be urged to enforce the exhortation, were taken from a consideration of-the misery of the heathen without the gospel, and the lamentations they might employthe fact that the divine power was equal to the salvation of the pagan world-that in this life only can the attempt be madethat awful punishment awaits all who neglect it-that nothing more effectually promotes the spiritual interests of Christians themselves, than engagements on behalf of others-closing with a reference to the love of Christ for us. The hymns were given out by the Rev. Josiah Wilkinson, of Saffron Walden; and the Rev. W. Copley, of Watford, closed in prayer. At the prayer-meeting at Eagle-street, on Thursday-morning, the address was delivered by the Rev. Thomas Middleditch, of Biggleswade, from Luke xv. 10. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. The Rev. Messrs. Bain, of Potter-street; King, of Halstead; and Slatterie, of Chatham; led the devotions of the assembly.

At eleven o'clock in the forenoon the Annual Meeting for transacting the business of the Society, was held at the Chapel in Great Queen-street; when

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the attendance was as numerous and respectable as in any former year. The Meeting was opened by a hymn of praise, after which prayer for the divine blessing was offered by the Rev. E. Steane of Camberwell. The Treasurer of the Society, Benjamin Shaw, Esq., then took the chair, and proceeded to the business of the day.

"It is highly gratifying," said Mr. Shaw," to every Christian mind, to observe the prosperous circumstances of the various societies that have recently held their public meetings; to witness the continuance and enlargement of their resources, and the considerable additions that have been made to their annual income: but it is still more gratifying to hear of the religious success that has attended their efforts, and the great good that has been effected by their means. But though last, yet with us not the least in estimation or importance, is the Anniversary of the Baptist Missionary Society, which we are this day assembled to celebrate. Our means are not equal to theirs. They have many talents, and if we have but one, for that, and for that only, are we responsible: be it our care rightly to occupy that which we have, and then who shall presume to say what, with the blessing of God, may be our ultimate success? Let no one imagine that contributions to Missions abroad, will diminish exertions at home; zeal for Foreign Missions will always be accompanied by correspondent zeal for Home Service. Our sun shines upon us with no diminished ray, because it shines also upon Eastern countries: the waters of the Atlantic are not less beneficial to us, because they wash also the shores of the Western world. Let us not forget the injunction of our ascending Saviour; 'Go ye, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;' and then we may depend on his faithfulness to his promise, Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.' I cannot forbear remarking the vast chasm which has lately been made among the active agents of our Society. Not only have we lost the aged, who might be expected soon to terminate their career of service; but we have suddenly been be reaved of some who were in the midst of their days, and from whom we hoped for much future usefulness. Besides the names mentioned in the Report, we mourn the loss of one, whose zeal in the cause, combined with activity of character, extensive legal knowledge, and considerable general talents, rendered his exertions for the Society at all times peculiarly valuable. Let us hope and pray, that others may be raised up to supply their