5th Report of New-Hampshire Bible Society. 227 from the New-Hampshire Bible Society, fills our hearts with joy, and merits a return of our most cordial thanks. While many around us are much more destitute than ourselves, your Trustees conceived it a duty to apply this donation for their relief. One hundred of the Bibles have accordingly been destined for Huron, and two hundred and fifty for the Michigan Territory. This region, which is probably as destitute of the Scriptures as any portion of the western country, has hitherto attracted little attention. The Bibles are now on their way to the places of destination: and the better to fulfil the benevolent wishes of our Christian brethren in New-Hampshire, a person employed in the service of the Missionary Society of Connecticut has engaged to take charge of their distribution." From our general depository in Concord, 1000 Bibles and 600 Testaments have, the last year, been delivered to members and agents for charitable distribution. It is a humbling consideration, that we, as a Nation, have done so little in this noble cause; and that so many thousands, even in our own land, are still unsupplied with the sacred Scriptures. Our Bible Societies have also been without any centre of action, or bond of union; being scattered from Maine to Georgia-from the Atlantic to the Mississippi; and consequently our efforts, though well intended, have been disjointed and inefficacious to a great degree-but thanks be to God that far brighter prospects of success in this cause are now opening to our view. A National Bible Society has been formed, which will concentrate the energies and liberal contributions of a numerous people. "THE AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY" was instituted in May last, in the city of New-York. A Convention of Delegates from Bible Societies assembled for the purpose. Their discussion of the subject was frank, animated, and conciliatory. And although they came from different sections of the United States, and were of various religious denominations, yet they were of one heart and of one mind, as to the grand object of their convention. Such was the harmony of their whole proceedings-such the unanimity with which they adopted the Constitution of a National Institution, as to inspire the liveliest emotions of gratitude, and elicit tears of joy from many eyes." The smiles of the King of Zion appear to rest on this Institution. Impressive strains of eloquence are heard in its support. A powerful" appeal to the Christians of America" in its behalf, has issued from the press. The rich are pouring their offerings into its treasury, and the poor are swelling the amount with their generous donations and already has a very considerable number of Bible Societies become its auxiliaries. In the space of four months, this Society has received more money than the British and Foreign Bible Society received during the two first years of its operations. May its funds be augmented from all parts of the Union, and its career be as glorious as that of any sister institution on the face of the earth. May its income and munificence annually increase until the whole world is filled with Bibles. 228 1st Report of Kentucky Auxiliary Bible Society. [From the Treasurer's Report it appears that the balance on hand at the close of the preceding year, (Sept. 1815,) was $1422 89— the amount of receipts to Sept. 1816 was $1140 85. The amount disbursed during the last year $1415 24, leaving a balance in the Treasury of $1148 50.] KENTUCKY AUXILIARY BIBLE SOCIETY. Extract from the First Report, read before the Society at Frankfort, on the 3d day of April, 1817. From the recent organization of this Society, it is not to be expected, that more could have been done by the Managers than to originate some plans for future operations. Immediately after their appointment by you in last September, the Managers entered into a correspondence with the American Bible Society relative to the procurement of a set of stereotype plates for the Scriptures. It is with great pleasure we inform the Society that our Corresponding Secretary has been notified that a set of plates were in preparation, which were designed for the use of the Kentucky Auxiliary Society. It is expected that by this time they are nearly completed, and it is hoped that in the course of the approaching summer they will be in this country. This circumstance alone opens an extended field of usefulness and labour to this Society. Since the formation of the Kentucky Auxiliary Bible Society, three other Bible Societies have been formed in the State. One of these is in Lexington, and is styled "the Kentucky Independent Bible Society," of which John Bradford, Esq. is President, and William M'Bean Secretary. The other two are auxiliary to the American Bible Society, the one at Bardstown, the other at Springfield. Who their officers are we have not been advertised. We hail all these Societies as fellow-labourers with us in the vineyard of God. The Managers have appointed a committee of correspondence, the object of which is to effect, if possible, an union of effort with these societies in the grand work of distributing the Scriptures. It cannot fail to comfort the hearts and strengthen the hands of all the friends of the Bible, and the lovers of the Saviour, to learn that the American Bible Society has commenced its operations under circumstances highly auspicious, and that they have ordered six sets of stereotype plates to be cast, which are to be located in various parts of the United States, where they are most wanted and can be most beneficial. It is also highly gratifying to learn, that not less than 84 Societies have become auxiliary to the National Society, and that upwards of 30,000 dollars have been paid into the hands of the Treasurer. Thus the energies of our country are about to be concentrated. Thus a mighty effort is making to add to the splendid list of our national blessings, the rare felicity of furnishing every poor man's cottage, even' upon our most distant frontiers, with a Bible,-of ingrafting the love of country and the love of peace, upon the fear of God and the sweet charities of the Gospel. We anticipate with exultation the influence that these and 3d Report of Female Bible Society of Philadelphia. 229 correspondent reflections will have upon the great mass of society. Surely every individual will wish to participate in this good work, to lay if it should be but one little stone in the stupendous fabric which patriotism, philanthropy, benevolence, and grace are now erecting in our world. The following gentlemen were elected officers : His Excellency Gov. Slaughter, President; John Brown, Esq. 1st Vice-President; Col. James Trotter, 2d Vice-President; John Rowan, Esq. 3d Vice-President; James Blythe, D. D. Corresponding Secretary; Dr. James Fishback, Recording Secretary; Major Alexander Parker, Treasurer; Mr. Thomas T. Skillman, Steward. PHILADELPHIA FEMALE BIBLE SOCIETY. Extracts from the Third Report, March 26, 1817. According to the Treasurer's report, $1443.31 have been received, and $ 1305.49 expended. Six hundred and fifty Bibles have been disposed of; of these, fifty have been of the large Octavo Bible for aged persons. At no preceding period has the benevolence of our citizens been more active: the temporal wants of the indigent are now, in very many instances, relieved. Food, raiment and homes, are provided for them but this is not sufficient. Our great master has said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by the word of God." And who that has tasted of this heavenly food, that has experienced the consolation of the "still small voice" whispering peace to the wounded conscience, and mitigating the anguish of a broken heart, does not wish, anxiously wish, to administer the same balm of Gilead to every human being. We are exhorted to "stir up the Gift of God that is in us.”— What is this precious gift? is it not the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is given to every sincere believer who seeks for it; given as our monitor, guide, support and comfort? But to whom is this blessing given? who are the petitioners? Certainly those who have heard the gospel promises. But there are many who have never heard of them; and "how shall they hear without a preacher?" The Bible itself, in the full force of divine power, must be the preacher sent. On us it is incumbent to act as the missionary of the most High! and by bestowing the Bible, we best fulfil the duty of a missionary. It will penetrate where a preacher can never reach; it will reach, where he cannot be heard; it will reprove, alarm, advise, and console in solitude, where no passion, no prejudice can interfere to drown its voice. Of those Bibles millions may be sent forth, and that Volume, conceived in the councils of eternal mercy, containing the wonderous story of redeeming love, and blazing with the lustre of Jehovah's glory, that Volume, pre-eminently calculated to soften the heart, sanctify the affections, and elevate the soul of man, may, by the exertions of a few females, be conveyed to those abodes which have never been illumined,-to those regions, where its glad tidings have never been proclaimed. If more is necessary to be ad 230 3d Report of Female Bible Society of Philadelphia. duced, permit the Managers to revive to your recollection, an address of a respectable clergyman of our own city, in which he thus describes the benefits which may result from the donation of a single Bible. “The poor man to whom it is given, reads it in his family; its divine light beams upon his soul—he feels its converting power-he becomes a new man—a Christian: he sets up the worship of God in his family, and instructs his children in the knowledge of the holy scriptures; he dies in faith,—bis soul ascends to Heaven, and there, among its glorious inhabitants, he praises God, for the gift of a Bible. His children, imitating his pious example, and feeling the power of Divine Truth on their hearts, erect family altars to their God: their children follow the same example, and thus a stream of piety, issuing from the gift of a single Bible, may, in the course of time, flow through a thousand families; and in the last day, the Universe may be astonished at the beneficial consequences, which infinite wisdom and divine sovereignty may connect with a single act of christian charity. Who is not affected by this thought? Who is not ready to exclaim -I will make the experiment--I will give a Bible to the poor man and his family." Illustrative of this, is the following authentic recital: A member of this Society, in visiting the poor to distribute "the heavenly treasure," met with a female in bad health, who had been awakened to a sense of her lost state by nature, and was anxiously seeking that peace" which the world cannot give :" she was too poor to purchase a Bible, but by a providential occurrence, she met with one leaf of the New Testament, containing the third chapter of St. John's gospel; this single leaf of God's precious word was her only comfort through all her trouble of mind and distressing sickness this leaf had been so frequently read, that her memory perfectly retained every word of it, and her remark was, that if a portion of the Bible was precious, what a treasure must the whole be! A Bible was then given to her, and received with the greatest thankfulness. Some weeks after this interview, the lady (who had bestowed this best of gifts) received a visit from this grateful person, who, with tears of joy, expressed her thankfulness for the invaluable present she had been favoured with, stating, that in reading it, the Lord had blessed her, and filled her soul with joy and peace in believing. She added, that through her prayers and the reading of this holy word of God to a dying child, the means had been blessed, and the child departed with a joyful hope of an happy immortality beyond the grave. On another occasion, the same lady had her attention arrested as she passed a small hut, by hearing the voice of prayer:-it was evening;--she approached the door, and heard distinctly thanksgiving ascending to the Almighty for the benevolence of those ladies who had established a Society for distributing the word of God to the poor. The prayer evidently alluded to the conversion of the individual through the instrumentality of one of those Bibles. The Pope's Bull against Bible Societies < Rev. Sir, THE POPE'S NEW BULL. To the Editor. 231 Having observed in a morning paper of this day (April 10,) a loose translation of an important Papal document, which will probably be quoted for generations to come, I send you a more literal version, together with the Latin itself; that you may compare them, and print the English for the information of your readers. I am, &c. SCRUTATOR. P. S. I shall immediately publish both the Latin and English, at Mr. Hatchard's, with Notes and Illustrations. TRANSLATION OF THE BULL AGAINST BIBLE SOCIETIES, ISSUED JUNE 29, 1816, By Pope Pius VII. to the Archbishop of Gnesn, Primate of Poland. PIUS P. P. VII. VENERABLE BROTHER, Health and Apostolic Benediction. In our last letter to you we promised, very soon, to return an answer to your's; in which you have appealed to this Holy See, in the name of the other Bishops of Poland, respecting what are called Bible Societies, and have earnestly inquired of us what you ought to do in this affair. We long since, indeed, wished to comply with your request; but an incredible variety of weighty concerns have so pressed upon us on every side, that, till this day, we could not yield to your solicitation. We have been most truly shocked at this most crafty device, by which the very foundations of religion are undermined; and having, because of the great importance of the subject, conferred in Council with our venerable brethren, the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, we have, with the utmost care and attention, deliberated upon the measures proper to be adopted by our Pontifical authority, in order to remedy and abolish this pestilence as far as possible. In the mean time, we heartily congratulate you, venerable Brother, and we commend you again and again in the Lord, as it is fit we should, upon the singular zeal you have displayed under circumstances so dangerous to Christianity, in having denounced to the Apostolic See, this defilement of the Faith, so imminently dangerous to souls. And although we perceive that it is not at all necessary to excite him to activity who is making haste, since of your own accord you have already shown an ardent desire to detect and overthrow the impious machinations of these innovators; yet, in conformity with our office, we again and again exhort you, that whatever you can achieve by power, provide for by counsel, or effect by authority, you will daily execute with the utmost earnestness, placing yourself as a wall for the House of Israel. With this view we issue the present Brief, viz. that we may convey to you a signal testimony of our approbation of your excellent conduct, and also may endeavour therein still more and |