6. KNARESBOROUGH Aux, 11. SOMERSET (8. E.) Br. The above Lists are made up to the 6th of September. TWENTY-SEVENTH REPORT. Issues of the Scriptures. The Issues from the Depository have amounted to 349,285 copies; and, from those on the Continent, to 121,644: making a total of 470,929; and the total amount, from the formation of the Society, has now become 7,024,727. The Issues of the Year consisted of 173,547 Bibles and 297,382 Testaments; and the Grand Total, of 2,757,256 Bibles and 4,267,471 Testaments. Summary of Languages and Dialects, In which the distribution, printing, or translation of the Scriptures, in whole or in part, has been promoted by the British and Foreign Bible Society, either directly or indirectly; viz. Reprints . Re-Translations. Languages and Dialects, in which the Scriptures have never been printed before the institution of the Society New Translations commenced or completed. Total German Bible, 12mo. German and Hebrew Bible (Lutheran) German Testament. German Bible, Brönner's Edition, at Frankfort German Testament, ditto..ditto Version, ditto. 2000 Ditto, of Van Ess's Version. .17,460 German New-Test. of Gossner, at Munich. . 11,500 Ditto, of Version printed at Berlin, for the use of Prussian Soldiers. 44 5 . 18,000 . Auxiliaries and Associations. These amounted (see p. 340 our last Volume), at the Twentysixth Anniversary, to 2349 in Great Britain, 623 in Ireland, and 92 in the Colonies: no intelligence has been received of the present number in Ireland; but those in Great Britain have increased to 2480, and those in the Colonies to 93-making, with 623 for the last Return of the Irish Societies, a total number of 3196. Grants of Money and Books. Polish Testament, at Leipsic Vaudois and French Gospel of Luke Welsh Bible, 8vo. Works in the Press. Arabic Bible Bohemian Bible. French Bible of Ostervald 5000 5000 5000 £. s. d. German Bible, Brönner's Edition, 10,000 German Test., like Kehr's Edition, 5000 Domestic 4580 3 5 German Testament of Gossner 10120 4 1 3672 4 10 Africa. 10,000 America and West Indies Total 41 4 0 2355 5 £20,769 2 0 8 Labours of the Editorial Superintendant. The appointment of Mr. W. Greenfield, as Superintendant of the Editorial Department, was mentioned in the last Report. Your Committee have only now to observe, that their expectations in the appointment have been fully realised: the business of the Society in this department has been facilitated, in the increased despatch with which it has been conducted; and your Committee may express their full persuasion, that the same amount of labour could not by any means have been attained for so small a compensation as the salary attached to this office-a consideration not unworthy of notice, independently of the inconvenience which would have been experienced from the work having to be distributed through a variety of hands. CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. THIRTY-FIRST REPORT. Retirement of the Rev. E. Bickersteth from the Secretaryship. FOR fifteen years, the Society has enjoyed the active services of the Rev. Edward Bickersteth, through whose instrumentality, under the Divine Blessing, an extensive interest has been excited in that Cause to which he is himself deeply attached. In the course of the last year, Mr. Bickersteth, having found himself unequal to the duties of his official situation, in connexion with his other engagements, intimated to the Committee his intention of retiring, at the close of the year, from the office which he had so long, and so advantageously to the Society, occupied. The feelings with which the Committee received this intimation will be best understood from the following Resolution entered on their Minutes: That the Committee record their grateful sense of the eminent services which have been rendered to the Society by their beloved Brother, the Rev. Edward Bickersteth, for fifteen years; by which, under the blessing of God, the advancement of its general objects has been greatly promoted, and a Missionary Spirit extensively excited and cherished among its Associations: and that, while the Committee cordially regret the loss which the Society is about to sustain, they beg to tender to Mr. Bickersteth the assurance of their affectionate regard; and of their earnest desire that the Great Head of the Church, who has removed him from one sphere of labour to another, will enrich him with His grace, and abundantly bless him in the fulfilment of the duties of the Station on which he is about to enter. Arrangements consequent on Mr. Bickersteth's Retirement. Mr. Bickersteth's retirement led to a revision of the arrangements previously made for conducting the affairs of the Society; and it appeared advisable to separate the business relative to Association Anniversaries from that of a more general kind. A Successor to Mr. Bickersteth in the Secretaryship has not, therefore, been appointed; but the general business of the Society has been devolved on the present Secretaries, with an additional Clerk. Under this arrangement, the Clerical Secretary will not be required to visit the Associations; his undivided time and attention being called for by the business of the Office. To provide for the lack of service occasioned by this arrangement, and for the attendance of a Representative of the Parent Society at the Association Anniversaries, it is intended to appoint a Second Clerical Visiting Secretary, whose whole time and attention will be devoted to the business connected with the Associations. Two Visiting Secretaries, together with the Lay Agent already apis, the re-organization and enlargement pointed-whose more peculiar province tion of new ones-form, in the opinion of of existing Associations, and the formathe Committee, the least provision that can be made duly to maintain that interquisite for their efficiency. course with the Associations which is re Candidates, Students, and Missionaries. In the Institution at Islington there are, at present, Seventeen Students. Twelve have been admitted during the year: eight have left: three have receeded to their respective Stations. ceived Ordination; and nine have pro The The Committee of Visitors, who meet Quarterly at the Institution, have been much gratified with the general character and proficiency of the Students. formation of a District Visiting Society in the Parish of Islington has afforded them an advantageous opportunity of usefully employing their hours of relaxation from study; and their visits to the poor and afflicted, under the direction and controul of the Clergy, while they accustom them to habits of discipline and order, are beneficial preparatives for their future labours among the Heathen in Foreign Lands. The Committee are happy to state, that the attainments in Theological Knowledge, of several of those who have been examined as Candidates for Holy Orders, have, on more than one occasion, been commended by the Bishop of London, as well as by his Lordship's Predecessor; and that the last three Missionaries who have joined the North-India Mission have been able publicly to read the Liturgy in Hindoostanee, within a short time after their arrival in Calcutta. Remarks on the Funds. In noticing a decrease in the Receipts of 7441. Os. 5d. as compared with those of the preceding year, it is observed This statement does not fully disclose the financial situation of the Society. On comparing the Receipts of the two years through Associations, there is a deficiency, in those of the last year, of nearly 2000. The total deficiency is reduced to the amount specified above, principally by an excess of Receipts in the last year, under the head of Legacies, of upward of 10007. As the Receipts through Associations form the main source of the Society's Income, the large deficit under this head excites much anxiety in the minds of the Committee. General Prosperity of the Society's Missions, On reviewing the Society's operations in various parts of the world, and comparing them with those of former periods of its history, it will be seen that its encouragements were never more numerous, nor its prospects brighter. In the regions, hitherto inaccessible, which are opening to the footsteps of the Missionary-in the difficulties which in so many ways are vanishing before him-in the readiness with which, in almost every quarter of the globe, his message is listened to-in the success which is attending the preparation of Native Teachers -in the seals which God has vouchsafed to the Ministry of His Servants-in the continuance of many Congregations in the Faith of Christ-and in the stedfastness of numberless individuals, who, recently emerged from Heathenism, are adorning the doctrine of God their Saviour by a holy life-there is much to shew that the Lord is gone out before us, and much to awaken our gratitude for the honour which He has put on our unworthy labours. ments inspire is allayed by any feeling of an opposite nature, it arises, not from the state of the Missions, but from the backwardness of the Church of Christ to avail itself to the full extent of the opportunities which are afforded it. Fields are white unto the harvest; but where are the Labourers to gather it in? The Heathen are crying out, as with one voice, Come over and help us! but where are the self-denying soldiers of Christ, constrained by love, who are willing to help them? Facilities for imparting the blessings of Christian Education are multiplying daily; but where are the pecu niary resources to turn those facilities to account? It is with difficulty that the Society has, for the last few years, been enabled to maintain its existing establishments; and to enlarge its sphere of labour would have been only to excite hopes and expectations which would soon have terminated in disappointment. The Members of the Society must judge for themselves, each according to the dictates of his own conscience, as to the practical application of the present state of the Society's affairs; bearing however in mind, that the zeal and activity with which the men of the world and the emissaries of Satan are prosecuting their respective plans of usefulness or destruc tion read a valuable lesson to the Chil dren of Light :- Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. There is another consideration-which seems to speak to us in no doubtful language, Work while it is day-arising from the commotions of the kingdoms around us, and from the agitations of our own country. The conflict between the Powers of Light and Darkness, between the Servants of Christ and the Slaves of Satan, is daily strengthening; and there are indications that a crisis is hastening on. The world is in a state of general excitement: the foundations of the earth are out of course: the long-established institutions of men are tottering to the very base: the things which Jehovah has not planted are up-rooted; and there is a shaking of those things that are to be removed, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Let the Servants of God, then, not turn away from Motives for Enlarged Exertions, from the Him that speaketh from Heaven. In Wants of the Society and Signs of the Times. If the joy which these encourage the midst of these things there is a voice of encouragement: the Church may be surrounded by dangers, but the Lord is her Shield: she may pass through the fire, but her dross only will be lost: she may be sharply tried by the assaults of Satan, but her foundation is the Lord of Hosts. Let the Members of the Church hear this voice of encouragement, and rise to their obvious duty: let them realise the privileges of the Kingdom as their own, and they will put forth all their energies to direct their fellow-men to the same blessed citizenship: let them contemplate the nearness of that period to which their affections and hopes and prayers have long been directed, and they will be stirred up to watchfulness for themselves, and unremitting anxiety for the welfare of others. Wherefore we, receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire. count of health, to return, with their families, to their native country. Mr. Smith, whose return was mentioned in the last Report, and whose constitution had been so affected by the climate of Malacca as to preclude the hope of his resuming Missionary Labours in that part of the world, has, with the entire concurrence of the Directors, attached himself to the Canada-Education and Home-Missionary Society. During the past year, important service has been rendered to the Society, at numerous Public Meetings in different parts of the country, by the attendance and details of Mr. Bennet, the surviving member of the Deputation. The Journal of the Voyage and Travels of the Deputation, edited by Mr. Montgomery, and recently published, the Directors feel great satisfaction in recommending to the attention of the Friends of Missions; as adapted to afford a high degree of pleasure, and to produce a deeper interest in the advancement of the Redeemer's Kingdom in the earth. Messrs. Hands, Ellis, and Mundy still remain in this country, and have been employed in the dissemination of Missionary Intelligence, and in promoting the interests of the Society in various parts of the country. Mr. and Mrs. Piffard have returned to Calcutta, and Mr. and Mrs. Wilson to Malta, during the past year; and, within the same period, Mr. Christie has proceeded to Calcutta, Mr. Higgs to Chinsurah, Mr. Harris to Quilon, and Mr. Smith to Tahaa, in the South Seas. Mr. and Mrs. Smith embarked in the Tuscan, belonging to Messrs. Alexander Birnie and Son; whose desire to aid in communicating the blessings of Christianity to the distant Tribes visited by their vessels, has long induced them gratuitously to provide the Society with the means of conveyance, for its Missionaries and supplies, to the South-Sea Islands on the present occasion, these Gentlemen not only furnished freights for numerous articles needed by the Missionaries, and a free passage to Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but made very generous provision for the comfort of the passengers during the voyage. Missionary Students. The Mission College has been discontinued. The Candidates for Missionary Service, in connexion with the Society, have been placed at the following Institutions-Homerton, Highbury, Newport 3 D At the time the College at Hoxton was discontinued, the number of Students there was thirteen. The grounds, on which this measure was originally contemplated and finally adopted, was the disproportion that existed between the average number of Students on the foundation and the expense of the Institution, together with the facilities afforded for their education at other Colleges and Seminaries. A sufficient period has not elapsed, to allow the Directors to ascertain whether the increasing number of Candidates, who offer themselves to the Society for the Ministry of the Gospel among the Heathen, can be best prepared in the Institutions already in operation, or in a distinct Establishment for this specific purpose. resistless current of public sentiment, which appears destined to change the moral and social aspect of the world. This points out to the Christian Church the high responsibility of the station which it now occupies; and marks it as the solemn duty of every member of it, to endeavour, in dependence upon God, so to direct the mighty tide, as shall best advance the interests of that Kingdom which shall ultimately bring every human thought, imagination, and desire, into subjection to its rule. Increasing Encouragements in the Society's Labours. The thirst for the knowledge of Salvation manifested by the Negroes in the West Indies the appeal for Missionaries from the Barbarous Tribes of the Interior of Africa-the welcome given to the Heralds of the Cross in the Isles of the Southern Pacific-the new avenues opened for access to the remoter regions of the East-the desire so generally manifested, both at home and abroad, in favour of mental improvement and general education-all combine in urging to renewed exertion. The facilities which the highest authorities in India and other parts afford for the unrestricted proclamation of the Word of Life, and the measure of success with which He to Increasing Interest in the Society awakened whom all success must ever be ascribed at Home. In the retrospect of the year, with regard to HOME, the Directors desire to express their thankfulness to God, for the increasing interest manifested in the operations of the Society. Thus encouraged, they will pursue their labours with additional cheerfulness; and, they hope, with more efficiency... Deeply convinced that the influences of the Holy Spirit are essential to all success whether at home or abroad, and impressed with a sense of the intimate relation which subsists be tween the enjoyment of such influence and the exercise of prayer, the Directors regard with unfeigned thankfulness the improvement happily observable in the Missionary Prayer-Meetings as one of the most important and encouraging manifestations of the Divine Favour. Obligations on the Christian Church from the Signs of the Times. Abroad, all things combine to excite our sympathy and arouse our energies. Whether we contemplate the Continent of Europe, or the most remote regions of the earth, we behold, in motion, a has condescended to crown the labours of His Servants, appear to require of the duly-qualified disciples of Jesus Christ personal consecration to this important Cause from the desire to engage in the feel assured that this obligation is neither work already manifested, the Directors unfelt nor disregarded. Encouragements, strong and distinct, multiply with the augmented efforts which are now required. The stedfastness of many of the Christian Natives in the South-Sea Islands; and the ardour of Missionary Zeal, which numbers have shewn, to follow the call of Divine Providence, inviting them to voyages of Christian Enterprise, and directing them to large and important Islands inhabited by multitudes of yet idolatrous tribes, who hail their arrival with gladness-are facts which encourage the greatest exertions that the friends of the Redeemer can put forth. In the East, we behold the inhabitants of a Heathen Village inviting the visits of the Missionary, receiving his message with attention, and aiding in the erection of a building in which the Word of God is regularly dis |