ciety ought to be expended. [Adopted by the Acting Board, Dec., 1841.] 1. Appropriations for printing the scriptures are applicable to versions made, or revised, or sanctioned, by missionaries of this Board. 2. They may be applied to the bible entire, or to one or more books of the same, but not to parts of single books ordinarily, and never to abstracts, epitomes, or paraphrases. 3. The expenditure should be adjusted to the actual cost of printing to which it is applied, including charges for paper, ink, labor, and freight, and a suitable per centage on cost and wear of printing offices, presses, types, and other printing apparatus; amounting in the aggregate to one cent for every ten octavo pages, and proportionately for quarto and duodecimo pages, &c. 4. To appropriations for printing should be charged also the cost of stitching and binding the books printed therefrom, the amount being regulated by the cost of similar work executed in this country. 5. The appropriations should be charged with the cost of printing, &c., when the scriptures to which they are applied, respectively leave the press. 6. When appropriations are received for printing and distributing, or for printing and translating scriptures, it is optional with the Board to apply the same to both or to either of the objects specified in the terms of the appropriations severally. 7. Appropriations for distributing the scriptures, whenever applied, ought to be charged with the cost of distribution, including freight and the salaries and necessary expenses of travel of the distributers. And this may be done in some of the European missions, where colporteurs are employed for the specific purpose of bible and tract distribution. But inasmuch as in the Asiatic and other missions of the Board, where there are no laborers set apart to the work of distribution, but it is done in connexion with other labors and as a part of the ordinary service of missionaries, there are no certain data from which to determine the cost to which appropriations for distributing scriptures ought to be applied:—and inasmuch, also, it is the same in regard to appropriations for transleting, except that the difficulty of ascertaining the cost of the same is greater and the results the more unsatisfactory Therefore, with the exception of the European missions, appropriations from the American and Foreign Bible Society ought not to be expended ordinarily for translating and distributing scriptures. At a subsequent meeting some further principles were adopted, with regard to the expenditure of funds received from bible and kindred institutions, as follows: 1. Funds appropriated to the Board of the Baptist General Convention by coordinate societies, that is, societies not auxiliary, may be received, provided the object for which such funds are designated is embraced within the sphere of its operations. 2. Directly on the reception of such funds, they shall be applied to the object to which they were designated, of which fact the donors shall be immediately informed, with a vote of thanks; and this shall be deemed and taken as a final settlement of accounts between the two societies for each successive appropriation. 3. At the opening of each fiscal year, the executive officers shall submit to the Board an estimate of expenditures required for the current year, specifying particularly the amount needed for those objects to which other societies are accustomed to make appropriations. A copy of these estimates shall be forthwith communicated to each society which has proffered to this Board its friendly coöperation, so far as they are severally concerned. 4. When bibles, or separate books of the bible are published exclusively by the funds of a bible society, they shall receive the imprint of such society; and the same shall be done in reference to tracts published exclusively by funds appropriated by a tract society. It is understood, also, that the Board will furnish those societies which have become contributers to their funds with all requisite information concerning the progress of those branches of Christian benevolence, at their several missionary stations, in which they are respectively engaged. "Protection and Vindication of Missionaries, 137 139 140 141 "Promotion of missionary feeling and action in the churches, 142 66 "Acting Board for 1842-3, "Coöperation of other Institutions, "Progress of the Missions, "Appropriations to Missions, 143 143 145 "Relations to former Missionaries, and on Indian Missions, 146 TWENTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT, . Obituary Notices, Home Proceedings, . Organization of the Acting Board,-Election of a Corresponding Secretary, Appointment, Designation, and Departure of Missionaries, Supply of Vacancies, Relations to former Missionaries, Organization of Missions, Appropriations to Missions, Protection and Vindication of Missionaries, Promotion of missionary feeling and action in the Churches, ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TREASURER, . 179 Principles on which appropriations from coördinate Societies ought to be expended, . 183 Arracan. JOURNAL OF MR. KINCAID. when they found 1 did not pay the slightest attention to them, but had taken a tract from my pocket, and was reading in silence, they became disconcerted, and finally stopped gambling. One of the young men, thinking, I suppose, that like the other foreigners, I did not understand Burman, a kind of mongrel Bengali-as, what I began asking me several questions in wanted; what the book was that I was reading, and if I was the foreigner who taught religion. As his behavior was somewhat rude, I made no reply, but turning to one of the most aged and venerable looking men, said, You are a man of great age, and cannot expect to remain many years longer in this present state of existence. "Very true," he replied, "I am almost 70." And you have gambled all your life, I suppose. "Yes, except about five years that I was a priest, and lived in a monastery." from gambling those five years? "It Why did you abstain is wrong and disreputable for a monk (pong-gee) to gamble." I know it is disreputable, but why is it wrong? Here follow extracts from the journal of Mr. K., and we feel a little curious to know how it will strike our readers as their eyes fall upon it; whether they will feel interest enough to commence and read through an extract of six or eight pages from the pen of a well known and much esteemed missionary, provided he speaks only of his appropriate work. We have indeed more than a curiosity, or even the ordinary interest of an editor, that what he prepares for the public eye may be well received, and be useful in its tendencies. Could we look upon the countenance of each reader as he opens the pages of this journal, we should read the thoughts, the sentiments, the emotions, which might be expressed, with the deepest solicitude, for we should determine therefrom the degree of interest felt in the great missionary work. In his journal the missionary describes his condition; he sketches his home, where we see him at his work, in his toils, in his hopes, and in his fears, in his successes and in his dis; appointments, in his joys and in his sorrows. If therefore we have sympathy for the heathen," A pong-gee is under obligation to and desire in any measure their salvation, such a picture is just what we shall be pleased to see. We shall allow the journal of Mr. Kincaid to speak for itself. keep the law." And are not all men Do you not perceive that the earth must be cultivated with care in order to obtain subsistence for a large population, and do you not perceive too, that the most industrious classes are the most virtuous and trust-worthy, and yet, according to this law, all industry must cease among men, and the whole burden of furnishing food and raiment for the earth's population, must fall on the females? That is an unjust law; that is, it is unreasonable, and consequently cannot be a good law. And a law which is not just and good cannot emanate from the Divine Being. Why do you spend your last days in the degrading and dissipating habits of gambling, when such momentous subjects claim your attention? "You are a teacher of religion," replied the old man, "and we wish to hear what you have to say about the divine law." All appeared eager to hear how 1 could reconcile what they regard as the conflicting claims of this life and religion. By this time twenty or thirty persons had come in, and for near two hours I read passages from the scriptures, and explained the great principles of the Christian religion. As bhoodists have no just conceptions of a Supreme Being; as they believe in the unalterable decrees of fate, and as they have no idea of holiness except as connected with austerities and the abandonment of all the relative and social duties of life, it is exceedingly difficult to make just impressions upon their minds. Some of them, however, manifested more than ordinary attention, and asked for tracts. position-and if he could conceive of any thing more absurd than for intelligent beings to prostrate themselves before idols, and go through with an almost endless repetition of a few words, the meaning of which they did not understand? He shook his head, and his countenance indicated a mixture of shame and anger. I said, You must not be angry, and think this is none of my business. If I saw this building in flames, and you were all asleep, and must soon perish, I should justly be regarded as a monster, if I neglected to arouse you, and save you from such a fearful calamity. But I see a more terrible ruin. You are sleeping on the brink of hell. The command of God is to awake, and cast away these idols, and worship the Eternal, in spirit and in truth. No other worship can be acceptable to the Divine Being, and no other can have any salutary influence on the moral character. To all this he assented, but said it would be many years before the people of Arracan would abandon their idols, and adopt the Christian religion. Presently a number of monks and people came round, and a long discussion took place on the nature and consequences of sin. Returned home with fever. Mrs. K. and one of our children are, also, ill with fever. Just at dark Dr. Clarributt called as usual to prescribe for us, and I am sorry to say, bas a burning fever, and was obliged to lie down during the 18 or 20 minutes he remained. 5. Several persons called at the house during the day. Gave away one New Testament, and ten or twelve tracts. Two of our most hopeful inquirers came to see me because I had fever, and manifested a truly Christian feeling, as far as newly converted heathen are capable of giving utterance to such feelings. 6. Soon after day-light this morning I was aroused by a tumultuous cry of natives in the street, and on inquiring the cause, half a dozen cried out at once, some in Bengali and some in Burman, "The great doctor is dead 4. In the afternoon called at one of the largest monasteries in the town. The abbott, or head pong-gee of the establishment, had often visited me, and professed to be seriously examining the claims of the Christian religion. He met me at the bottom of the stairs, and led me to an apartment as far from the idols as possible-a long row of which stood, or rather sat, on an elevated platform, in a large open hall. As I passed along I noticed eight or ten, mostly aged men, prostrate before these idols, in the the great doctor is dead." I could humble posture of oriental worship, not believe it, and yet I had a fearful and muttering with all possible rapid- impression that it was too true. I told ity scraps of Pali. They turned their the natives they were mad, and usebeads and gazed after me, still uttering lessly alarmed, for the evening before what they called prayers-the most of I had called to see him at 7 o'clock, and them entirely ignorant of every word the symptoms were favorable. I hasthey use. After getting seated, I asked tened to the house, and found Mr. Bothe monk if he was not conscious that gle, the commissioner (or governor) of such kind of worship was a gross im-Arracan, and Mr. Phayre, his assistant, whose countenances indicated but too certainly that my worst fears were true. "How true it is," said Mr. Bogle, as soon as he was able to speak, “that | in the midst of life, we are in death. Our dear friend, Dr. Clarributt, is dead." No event for years has spread such a sense of wretchedness and gloom over this place, as the sudden and unexpected death of this amiable and worthy man. And there are no persons, perhaps, in Akyab, who have more reason to remember him with affection and gratitude than we have. For about seven months he visited us daily, and often twice a day, to prescribe for some one or more members of the family who were ill. I have no doubt but he was the means of saving my life when attacked with cholera, last October. When ill, every one felt satisfied that every thing which eminent skill, great professional learning, and untiring care and kindness, could accomplish, would be done. He took a warin interest in every thing pertaining to the diffusion of Christian knowledge. I never shall forget how much he was affected one evening, when I told him of the conversion of a Burman from whom he had removed enormous tumor, and saved the poor man's life. While I was relating the circumstances, his eyes filled with tears, and he could only say, "I am glad." His mind was of a superior order, and if he had lived, he would probably have risen to a high rank among civilians in India. At six o'clock in the evening, his body was borne to the grave-yard on the seabeach, and he was buried with military honors. It afforded me a melancholy pleasure to conduct the religious services at the grave. How solemn the reflection! Four days ago Dr. Clarributt was apparently in perfect health, 'while I was feeble from repeated attacks of fever. He was advising me to seek a change of climate for a few months, when he took the fever, and in about three days sunk into the arms of death. Poor Mrs. Clarributt, with her two fatherless children, must now find her way back to England. an reason to fear that this will be an unhealthy season. After the evening services two men who have been proinising inquirers for five or six months past, asked for baptism. I cannot doubt their sincerity, for they have already suffered a good deal of reproach from their neighbors, and particularly from their relations; still I fear they regard Christ more in the light of a great and wise Teacher, than as a Savior, exalted to give repentance and remission of sins. They evidently abhor idolatry, and perceive the superior worth of the Christian religion. I quoted this passage, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit," and explained the nature of that interior reformation which is wrought by the agency of the Holy Spirit-a reformation so great that it is called a new man, created in righteousness and true holiness. I appointed Thursday evening for a fourth examination. 11. Two interesting men and hopeful inquirers, spent several hours at the house to-day-they appear to be thoroughly convinced that bhoodism is a fable, and if I am not mistaken, the glorious gospel is making a salutary impression on their hearts. These men have not been inquirers long, but have been among our most powerful opposers. We had a prayer-meeting in the evening, at the close of which, one of the men mentioned on the 7th, again proposed himself for baptism-the other was expected, but is very ill with fever. The cholera and fever are prevailing to an alarming extent in almost every part of the town. In the most infected district, there is hardly a house in which some one has not died, and some houses are entirely desolate. Great numbers are fleeing from the city, mostly to Chittagong and Kyouk-phyoo. 19. Visited four friendly families in the evening, and spent about half an hour with each. They assented to all I had to urge in favor of one Eternal God, and of the only Mediator between God and man, but I fear it was more out of courtesy to me than from any solid conviction of the truth, 7. Lord's-day. Read and explain- and yet I can hardly doubt but that ed the first seven verses of the first their faith in the relics and idols of chapter of the Hebrews. Six of the Gaudama is shaken. As I was about disciples are ill, and unable to come leaving the last family, we heard a out to worship. I have had the chol- great outcry in the street at no great era, but am recovering. Sometime distance, and I supposed it was occasince the cholera broke out in the sioned by the discovery of some thief town, and now the daily average num--there were dozens of voices, of men, ber of deaths is eight. There is much women, and children. I looked round |
