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Proceedings of other Societies.

FOREIGN.

WESLEYAN MISSION IN SOUTH AFRICA.

THE following comparison between the present and former situation of the Caffres is taken from a communication of Mr. Shrewsbury, missionary in Caffraria, dated June 30, 1830.

Christianity cannot be said to make rapid progress amongst the inhabitants of this country, yet we have reason to be thankful that the work of the Lord is advancing; some fruit appearing on almost every station. Thirty years have now passed away since Dr. Vanderkemp visited the Caffres with the gospel of Jesus Christ; and nearly ten years the Wesleyan missionaries, and those of other denominations, have been resident amongst the people. A comparison of their former and present condition, in regard to knowledge and morals, will lead to a just estimate of the degree of good which has been effected amongst them by missionary labors.

Idolatry was never known amongst the Caf fres; they have no name for idol, nor any conception of what is meant by idol-worship; which circumstance renders it exceedingly difficult to translate the second commandment into language intelligible to them. Neither can it be maintained that the first missionary found them absolutely without a knowledge of the true God. For they had three names of the divine Being preserved amongst them from time immemorial. Him they called Utixo, Umdali, and Umenzi. The signification of the latter two names is clear; Umdali is the Former, from dala, to form, fashion; and Umenzi is the Maker, from enza, to make. Thus they had scriptural names for the Deity before the word of God came amongst them; which is a very striking and singular fact, not to be met with in the history of other pagan nations. And with this Former and Maker they associated no secondary or inferior deity. But then, though these words were in their mouth, they were not in their heart; and it may be questioned whether a single individual could be found, who ever thought for one moment of the weighty truths which the words so nigh unto them imported. There were "none that did understand, or seek after God." But now there are many who understand, that "in the beginning God made the heavens and the earth." The names for the Deity long current amongst them, have greatly assisted us in teaching this primary truth; although the proper idea of creation it is more difficult to make them comprehend. I suppose this branch of knowledge is at this time general amongst the Caffres; and further, in the vicinity of mission stations, God is also known by his name Jehovah; and some hundreds are acquainted with that "name which is above every name," Jesus. Moreover, they have heard concerning the Holy Ghost, whom they denominate Umoya, which signifies both spirit and wind--primarily the latter, for they have not separate terms for these two different ideas. All that they have learned concerning Jesus Christ and the holy Spirit is new; and this gives them an entirely new view

of the Deity; as well as greatly enlarged conceptions of his glorious attributes, his perfections, and his godhead.

While, however, the names of God, the maker of all things, were retained in their language, no worship of any kind was paid to him. Throughout the length and breadth of the land, amongst all these tribes, there was no Sabbath. Day and night succeeded each other from year to year without the hallowed day of rest. All days were alike common to them while they lived "without God, and without hope in the world." But the word of God creates a Sabbath wherever it comes; and in this respect it hath wrought a new thing in this land. Not that I would wish to intimate that there is any thing like an universal reverence for the day of the Lord, for any statement of that kind would be untrue: but at the same time, glancing at the houses of worship which have been built, the average number of those who rest from labor, and who assemble together to hear the word of the Lord in these dark regions, may be taken to be near 700 souls. Now seven hundred Sabbath worshippers of God in a country where a few years since none sought him, will afford ground for holy rejoicing to those who have learned not to "despise the day of small things." Prayer was never performed in a devotional manner till the preaching of Christ crucified was accompanied by a mea sure of the gift of the spirit of prayer and supplication, given to the hearers. It was indeed customary for them when going into battle to say, "God, look upon me," or, "God, take care of me." And, singular enough, not a few when going to plunder the colonists, were wont to pray while lurking for plunder, that God would look upon them, and that no man might catch them. This, however, shows what low views they had of the divine character; and these are perhaps all the instances in which any address was made to the divine Being. The good sought was not salvation; but merely preservation from some temporal calamity. Now there are praying men, and praying women, and praying children, to be found in various places, "who call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours."

Till the servants of God came forth from Britain there were no teachers of religion, either true or false; for the Caffres never had a priesthood, nor so much as a single native priest exclusively set apart for religious purposes. The notion of sacrifices which remained amongst them was so exceedingly faint, that it was but the shadow of a shade. And though circumcision is practised on all youths at about the age of thirteen, yet it is exclusively a civil rite, and not in any way connected with religion. An uncircumcised son would be incapable of inheriting his father's property. The origin of this rite is with them completely obliterated. To this people British benevolence has given, though not to the extent that is required, Christian ministers, who teach them to worship God in spirit and in truth; who direct them to the sacrificial offering of Christ as the sole ground of pardon and acceptance with God; who have established amongst them the Christian sacraments of baptism and the supper of the Lord; and who are providing for another generation the word of God in their

tongue, and preparing the young to read that word by which they may be saved. For these nations formerly had no learning. They were a people without a book. They had no letter, no hieroglyphic, no character of any kind. For the origin of these things they are indebted not to infidelity, but to Christianity; in which indeed is all our happiness and glory.

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God." But by the word of salvation this change hath been effected; and there are now Caffres to be found who may truly be denominated moral men: for "obedience to the faith" is manifest in the truth, honesty, and general integrity of their lives. And throughout the whole community there is now exhibited a moral standard of right and wrong; to which, whenever we appeal, the consciences of the people force them to submit, and pronounce sentence of condemnation against themselves. Being without literature, they have neither shasters nor koran to oppose to our scriptures: and, therefore, however heedless and neglectful they may generally be of divine truth, whenever it is brought home to the heart, they will, in a great majority of instances, acknowledge that it is holy, just, and good.

Though destitute of religion, superstition, which is too often substituted for it, was abundantly found in this land; and it still prevails to a very awful extent. Superstition is everywhere connected with cruelty. In this land, almost every kind of affliction and disease, and even the infirmities of old age were wont to be attributed to the influence of witchcraft; so that whenever an individual fell sick, a doctor was sent for, not only to administer medicine, but also to ascer- Some of their present national customs are tain what individual or individuals had been great barriers to the spread of holiness and guilty of troubling the afflicted with his malady. truth. Polygamy is universally allowed. This Chachabi, the father of our late chief, Islambi, is in itself a vast evil; and it so connects itself was famous for the punishments he inflicted on with all their domestic and civil concerns, that many innocent persons who had been accused of to destroy it seems more difficult than to break this crime. By the river Xakoon there is a tre- the power of caste in India. Connected with mendous craggy precipice, called by the Caffres this subject, is another, that is attended with Uwa Amaqira, or the Doctor's Precipice, be- many evils. A father has absolute authority cause they who were accused of bewitching over his daughter, and can dispose of her in their neighbors by those deceivers, were brought marriage as he pleases. Sometimes a degree of by Chachabi to this place; and, being bound attention is paid to the inclinations of the child, hand and foot, were cast over, and falling from but in general the predominant principle with crag to crag, were dashed to pieces ere they the father is, to make the best bargain for himcame to the bottom. In one of my late itineral- self that he can. The man that will give him ing journeys I rested and breakfasted at the foot the greatest number of cattle has no need to of this precipice; and there for the first time doubt of his success in preference to all other probably since the creation of the world, offered || rivals; no matter what his age or character may up prayer to God. For many years past no be, or the number of wives already living with victim has perished on this spot; nor is it likely him. But the authority of the father does not that any more authorised murders will take place cease here; disputes may arise, or self-interested there. The more general way, however, of views may studiously occasion disputes, and the punishing the accused, has been by applying hot father may dissolve the relation, return the stones to the tenderest parts of the body, till the dowry of cattle again, and sell his daughter to miserable victim is deprived of life, or ruined for another man. And this may be repeated as all his future days. This horrible practice still often as he pleases, if he can only persuade his continues, but not to an equal extent. The chiefs child to consent, which is seldom a work of much are ashamed of it, and keep the knowledge of it difficulty. And even if the parent be deceased, as much as possible from their respective misthe eldest son succeeds to nearly the same sionaries. The influence of superstition has cer- authority over his sisters. Marriage, therefore, tainly been lessened, and it continues to de- such as it is, is seldom marriage for life. From crease, although it still opposes a mighty obsta- this circumstance such a strange commixture of cle to the full success of the gospel. But in our families arises, that all domestic enjoyment is work there are no insuperable difficulties; the poisoned at its source, and by it the whole frame gospel has never met with an evil it could not of society is miserably disordered. The civil overcome, nor will it to the end of the world. rite of circumcision before mentioned, is attended with impurities that cannot be named. A youth whom Mr. Shepstone baptised at Morley, last year, was, I believe, the first instance of a successful resistance against submission to this rite, and as such it is worthy of being recorded. The youth stood firm against all the commands and entreaties of his friends, as well as against the solicitations of his former companions: and at length they yielded, and agreed that baptism should be admitted instead of circumcision, as the boy's qualification legally to share in his father's substance. This was a great point gained, and will open the way for similar admissions in future instances also.

As to morality, neither the theory nor practice thereof were discernible amongst them in their native state. There was no justice, no mercy, no holiness, no truth; there were none that did good, no, not one. On the contrary, wickedness overspread the whole land, which was full of "thefts, covetousness, lasciviousness," and almost every species of crime. Iniquity thus reigned unto death, uncontrolled, unchecked, and unreproved, so far as the eye of man could discern; for the people seemed to be without any law which condemned vicious propensities, or any fear of the righteous indignation of God. Though they had the universal law of nature from God himself, still "the vail was on their hearts," and through the love of sin their eyes were blinded that they could not discern it. Sin abounded to such an alarming extent, that they appeared to be without law; and unless "grace had much more abounded," by sending unto them the gospel. none would have been "redeemed from his iniquity;" or "turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto

From this comparative view of the former and present state of this country, in regard to religion and morals, as well as from other sources of information, a tolerably correct judgment may be made of the degree of success which has hitherto attended missionary exertions; and of the magnitude of those obstacles which oppose themselves to a general spread of the Christian religion throughout the land.

DOMESTIC.

ABSTRACTS OF REPORTS.

SIXTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE AMER-
ICAN BIBLE SOCIETY.

THE following abstract of this report is taken,
with considerable abridgments, from the monthly
periodical of this society.

The demand for Bibles having marginal references and headings to the chapters, has induced the society to issue an edition containing those appendages, as they are inserted in the editions published by the British and Foreign Bible Society, which are the same as those contained in the English Bible translated under the authority of king James.

During the past year the society have been called to mourn the loss of their president, Col. Richard Varick, and the Hon. John Cotton Smith, of Connecticut, has been appointed his successor. John Adams, Esq., the former treasurer, has resigned his office, and Mr. Gar-ply, in those few portions of the country referred rett N. Bleecker has been appointed to fill his place. Mr. Robert F. Winslow has been appointed recording secretary in the place of Dr. Pintard, who has been made a vice president.

New Auxiliaries.-In addition to the former list of auxiliaries, thirty-two others have been recognized the present year, making an aggregate of 848, exclusive of numerous branches.

Receipts. The receipts of the year, deducting the sums borrowed, amount to $107,059. Of this sum $40,193 88 were received in payment for books; $4,571 74 from legacies; $23,555 40 as donations toward the general supply; $677 07 for the distribution of the scriptures in foreign countries, and the balance from other sources specified in the treasurer's report.

It was stated in the last report that $34,190 were due to banks. This debt has since been reduced to $22,000, and the debt for paper has been somewhat reduced.

The number of Bibles and Testaments printed this vear amount to 156,500.

Books Issued.-From the subjoined table will be seen the number and varieties of Bibles and Testaments issued from the depository in the course of the year.

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General Supply.-It was hoped that the managers would be able to report on this occasion that every family in the United States had been furnished with a Bible. They have not, however, this satisfaction, and from the growing, changing nature of our population, perhaps they never may be able to make such an explicit report. But the managers feel, at the present time, not so much solicitude about the entire supto, as they do about the re-supplying of those portions where a general distribution was made some years since. Instances have occurred where societies, which were supplied four or five years since, have recently been found to contain from four to nine hundred households without the Bibie. Some auxiliaries have determined to make reinvestigation the coming year, and it is the earnest desire of the Board that this species of labor may become general.

Agents. The society has now in its service eight agents, and the Board have recently resolved to procure two general travelling agents, the one for the Atlantic states, and the other for the great western valley. The object of these agents will be to attend the anniversaries of auxiliary societies and co-operate with local temporary agents in the different states. Such a measure is now deemed highly important.

Foreign Distributions.-The managers feel that the time is now come when they are called to enter on the work of foreign distribution in good earnest. They feel that they have reached an important era-a crisis in the history of the society. To a very considerable extent the families of our own country have been once supplied with Bibles. Just at this moment, when the country has got ready to embark in foreign distributions, the cry for the bread of life comes from two of our aboriginal tribes, from Russia, from different parts of Greece, from Smyrna, from Bombay, from the Burman Empire, from the Sandwich Islands, and from under the walls of China. Some of these cries are urgent, and the assistance wanted great, and becoming more so every day.

For the purpose of aiding foreign distributions, measures have been taken to form young mens' Bible societies in our various cities and large

towns.

Stereotype plates for a modern Greek Testament are now in preparation, and when finished, a large edition of this work is to be printed and sent to the afflicted people for whom it is designed.

To prepare this work, and to meet other wants where encouragement of aid has already been given, the managers will need numerous and large contributions for the coming year. $20.000 of this money is wanted the present moment, and while it is withheld the dying heathen around the mission stations, who are beginning to ask for the "sacred books," must be told to wait and wait until American Christians have time to make collections. With such wants as these now

pressing, and with every prospect that these wants are to multiply from year to year, the managers feel that a weight of responsibility is devolved on them, and that they must be criminal if they were not prompt and urgent in their appeal for aid.

copies of these several publications, containing 66,160,457 pages have been put in circulation. The whole number of copies of various publications printed by the society since its formation is 22,996,487, containing 463,665,982 pages; the whole number of copies put into circulation is The managers have received most pressing requests from the missionaries at the Sandwich 25,411,086, containing 384,837.720 pages; leavIslands, St. Petersburg in Russia, the Meditering 4,585,401 copies, containing 78,828,262 and in China for aid in publishing and pages. The amount printed the past year exceeds that of the preceding by 19,761,000 pages. distributing Bibles and Testaments, and other Gratuitous distribution.--The society have portions of the scriptures. appropriated tracts at home and in foreign countries, as stated below.

ranean,

SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE AMERI-
CAN TRACT SOCIETY.

Publications of the Society.-Forty-six new publications have been unanimously sanctioned and stereotyped since the last anniversary, making the whole number of the society publications six hundred and fourteen, in seven different languages, exclusive of tracts approved for publication at foreign stations.

Of these publications seventeen, containing together 248 pages, belong to the general English series; one containing thirty-six pages to the occasional series; five to the children's tracts; one to English handbills; four containing together 96 pages to the series in French; one of eight pages to the Italian series; two containing 12 pages to the Portuguese series; ten containing 120 pages to the German series. The society have also published five occasional volumes, containing in the aggregate 1,230 pages. They have also examined and approved for publication, under the direction of missionaries, four tracts in the Burman language, six in the Tamul, and one in the Cherokee. An edition of 5,000 copies of the American Tract Magazine, is published monthly. The Christian Almanac for 1832 is published in 20 editions.

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Receipts and Expenditures.-The society has received during the year for tracts sold $37,430 29; for donations, life memberships, &c. $24,474 78. The disbursements of the society during the year have been, for paper, printing, &c. $44,001 56; for home distribution, including agencies, 6,225 98; for foreign distribution, $5,044; for services of corresponding secretary, general agent, and assistants, together with the expenses of the depositories, &c. || $6,536 86; making in the whole, with the balance in the treasury, $61,905 07.

had been $8,000 more than its receipts. the deFive months ago the society's expenditures ficiency being supplied by loans. Now those arrearages are met; all bills which became due previous to May 1st were then paid; and $5,044 have been remitted, as the beginning of a great work, to which the committee trust God has called this society, in conveying a knowledge of his gospel to millions sitting in darkness and the shadow of death. Indeed, it has been while laboring for the destitute abroad, that God has circumstance to which the committee will more supplied the society's recuniary necessities, a

the foreign field.

Authenticity of Tracts. Of the 280 tracts now embraced in the principal and occasional series, about 168 are didactic presentations of Christian doctrines and duties; about 20 are directed against Infidelity, Universalism, Popery, and Judaism; and about 20 against intemperance and other prevailing vices. About 72 are narratives; of which a few are palpably allegori-particularly advert in presenting the claims from cal, as "Parley the Porter." and the "Interpreter's House;" and notwithstanding the great variety of sources from which the remainder have been derived, and the difficulty of obtaining definite information concerning the origin of a few. the evidence of the authenticity of most of them is abundant; and not one is retained of which the committee have decisive evidence that it is not, so far as it imports to be, a narrative of facts.

During the past year the society has printed of the several series of tracts, handbills, broadsheets, Christian almanacs, &c., 5.529,750 copies; containing in the aggregate 88,547,000 pages. During the same period 4,957,322

Branches and Auxiliaries -The number of new auxiliaries recognized during the year, is 146, making the whole number now on the society's list 997-if to the 997 auxiliaries now on the society's list, there be added 664 connected with the society at Boston, and 429 with that at Philadelphia, as stated below, and 1,227 others to which the Tract Magazine is sent, the whole number of auxiliaries directly and indirectly connected with the parent society is 3.297. of these, however, have become inefficient, if they have not entirely ceased to act.

Some

Visiting and Financial Secretaru.--Rev. Ornan Eastman has been appointed visiting and financial secretary of the society, with special reference to planting and directing the society's

agencies, promoting the activity of auxiliaries, and obtaining funds.

Agencies.-The society has eleven different agents now engaged in collecting funds and promoting the objects of the society. To show the importance of agents, and the wide field open for their labors, it is remarked

The census of 1820 extended, within a small fraction, over 600,000 square miles. If from this we deduct 60,000, embracing portions of the country, where the privileges of the gospel are most richly enjoyed, we have remaining 540,000 square miles of inhabited territory, probably em bracing 9,000,000 of our population, more than half of whom, it is estimated by those best acquainted with the subject, are unsupplied with stated evangelical preaching. If we divide this inhabited territory into fields, each containing 500 townships of six miles square, or 180 miles in length by 100 in breadth, we have thirty such fields; each township embracing, on an average, 600 inhabitants, and each agent's field, 300,000.

Foreign distribution.-The Committee have appropriated and remitted the following sums for foreign distribution, viz.

For the use of American Baptist missionaries in Burmah,

$1,000

For the use of American missionaries in China,

500

For the use of American missionaries in Bombay,

600

For the use of American missionaries in

Ceylon,

500

For the use of American missionaries in

Sandwich Islands,

500

300

For the use of American missionaries of
Protestant Episcopal church in Greece,
For the use of American missionaries of
A. B. C. F. M. on the Mediterranean,
For the use of Moravian Church of United
Brethren,

500

200

For the use of Paris Religious Tract Society, For the use of Lower Saxony Tract Society, Hamburgh.

400

For the use of William Ropes, Esq. Petersburgh, Russia,

Total,

200

300

$5,000

The sum of $44 has also been appropriated for printing an edition of 3,000 of a scripture tract, of 12 pages, in Cherokee.

The report contains a brief but very impressive view of the claims of foreign countries on the society, especially of those where American Christians have established missions, for aid in printing and distributing religious tracts, as one of the best means which God has put into the hands of his people, for diffusing a knowledge of the gospel among the unevangelized.

SIXTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE AMERICAN EDUCATION SOCIETY.

An abstract of the report is taken, with some abridgments, from one prepared by the secretaries of the society for the N. Y. Observer.

After noticing the death of Mr. Cornelius, the late secretary of the society, to whom under God, it, in a very great measure, owes its enlargement and efficiency, the report proceeds to

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673 young men in 113 institutions of learning. More than one third of the whole number, as it appears from the preceding statement, are in the first stage of their education. Sixty-seven are in fourteen institutions in the valley of the Mississippi.

New applicants.-The whole number of new applicants who have been received during the year, is 122, of whom 127 are members of various academies, 44 of colleges, and 51 of theological seminaries. This number is greater by 48 than were admitted last year.

Number licensed to preach the Gospel.-About sixty individuals, assisted by the society, will be licensed this year to preach the gospel. Not far from ten of the number expect to engage in foreign missions.

Amount refunded.-The amount refunded since the last annual meeting is $1,312 77making the whole sum within the last six years nearly $7,000. During the preceding ten years it was about $400.

Receipts. The receipts for the year, as appears by the treasurer's report, amount to $41,927 15. Of this sum $4,325 05 were received on account of scholarships, and $37,606 10

for current use.

Expenditures.-The amount of expenditures during the last year, was $41,362 56, which with the debt of last year leaves at the present time, a debt upon the society of $3,588 05.

Amount of Earnings-The individuals assisted by the society have various opportunities to aid themselves in part, by school keeping, by performing agencies in vacations, and by mannal labor. The amount earned in this way, last year, was $15,568. Of this sum, 56 men in seven theological seminaries earned $3,282 or $58 on an average; 149 men in 18 colleges earned $9,270, or $62 on an average; 116 individuals in 47 academies earned $3,016, or $26 each. No earnings were reported from 352 men. The whole amount of earnings for six years past is $55,915. In 1827, they amounted to $6,000, last year to $15,568.

Obligations cancelled.-During the last year, the obligations of 24 individuals, at their request, have been cancelled in whole or in part. Of this number 19 are missionaries, four foreign, and 15 domestic.

General results-Since the establishment of the society 1,426 individuals have been aided. They may be distributed as follows:

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