creatures, to shine into their hearts, and thereby render you the happy instruments of making many, very many, wise unto salvation. With cordial wishes and prayers for the prosperity of your Institution, I subscribe myself, on my own behalf, and that of my colleagues, Reverend Sirs, Yours, very faithfully, JOHN OWEN, Sec'ry. The Rev. Drs. MILLER and M'LEOD, Secretaries to the New-York Bible Society, &c. The Second Report of the Bible Society, established at Philadelphia; read before the Society at their Annual Meeting, May, 1810. IN laying before the Society an account of their proceedings during the past year, the Managers experience pleasing emotions, anticipating that the report which they are now to make will gratify the Society with a view of its beneficial operation, and stimulate them to persevering and increased exertions for the advancement of the great cause which they have undertaken. It will show that the field opened to the Society is far from being a narrow one, and that the sources from which they may reasonably expect an augmentation of the means of doing good, are various and diffused. And it is hoped that it will have a tendency to increase the number of the patrons of this institution, by satisfying those who have not yet recognized the necessity of a gratuitous distribution of the Holy Scriptures in our principal cities, that there are in reality, many other places, the necessities of which call loudly for the aid of Bible Societies; places where the Bible cannot easily be procured for money, or where many who are anxious to procure it are disabled by poverty from purchasing it. It will certainly administer the highest gratification to the society to receive intelligence of the numerous sister societies which are springing up in every part of the country to co-operate with us in our important work. Since the last meeting of the Society there have been distributed 1514 English Bibles; 387 English New Testa ments; 54 German Bibles; 196 German New Testaments; 45 French New Testaments; 1 Welsh Bible; and 1 Gaelic Bible. A considerable share of these were dispersed over our own city and state, and perhaps more might have been distributed within these bounds, had the managers possessed larger funds; but as they have it in their power to supply these places at another time, they thought it preferable in many instances to listen to the claims of distant necessity, partly because it was greater, and partly because such favourable opportunities of supplying it do not frequently occur. With respect to the aid granted to remote places, they state that 50 English Bibles, and 50 English New Testaments, have been sent to the Rev. Thaddeus Osgood, a missionary on the frontiers of the United States, to be distributed among those who may, in his judgment, the most need them. 100 German New Testaments have been committed for distribution to the missionaries of the German Lutheran church. 25 English Bibles, and 25 English New Testaments have been sent to the Rev. John H. Rice, a missionary among the people of colour in the state of Virginia, to be given to those of them who can read. 50 English Bibles, and 50 English New Testaments, were taken out to the Island of St. Croix, by Mr. Francis Markoe, one of the managers. These he distributed partly in person; and on leaving the island, committed the remainder to the minister of the Episcopal church, to the society of the Unitas Fratrum, and to some other friends, who were kind enough to co-operate with this Society in carrying the light of the Scriptures into the abodes of darkness. The attention which the Society had paid to the necessities of these islanders excited strong emotions of surprise and gratitude among them, and called forth a spirit of liberality in favour of our institution. General Harcourt, Lieutenant Governor of the island, became a member of this Society, by a life subscription of fifty dollars; Dr. Edward Stephens, by a life subscription of fifty dollars; Mr Peter Markoe, by a life subscription of fifty dollars; Mr. Isaac Dubois, collector of the customs, by a life subscription of sixty-four dollars; Mr. John Brown, by a donation of six dollars, and the usual annual subscription of two dollars. There is reason to hope, that the Bibles sent to this island, will materially assist the exertions of those who are there labouring to diffuse the gospel of the Lord our Saviour. 50 English Bibles have been sent to the Rev Mr. Atwater, president of Dickinson College, Carlisle, at his request, to be distributed in the prison and barracks in that town, and to such poor persons as may be desirous to have Bibles. 6 English Bibles, and 24 English New Testaments have been forwarded to the Rev. John Knoske in Berks county, at his request, to be distributed among the labourers at the furnaces in his neighbourhood. 25 English Bibles have been sent to Mr. James Murray, Cambden county, S. C. at his request. 59 English Bibles, and 100 English New Testaments have been delivered to the Rev. Samuel Wooley, a missionary in the West-Indies. The representation which Mr. Wooley made to the managers of the necessities of the people among whom he labours, excites a hope that this gratuity will be of great service. 100 New Testaments to a Society about to be formed at Beaufort, in South Carolina. 12 English Bibles to the Rev. Mr. Freeman, to be distributed in the neighbourhood of Bridgetown, New-Jersey. The above are the chief instances in which the Managers had opportunity of extending the benefits of this Society to remote quarters. It may be added that in most of these instances the aid was solicited; and in all of them obviously necessary. The Society will recollect being informed at the last meeting, that the British and Foreign Bible Society had voted a donation to our funds, of 200 pounds sterling. We have now to add that the whole of that sum has been received. In consequence of an order from the Managers, there were forwarded from London in April 1809, 100 French New Testaments, 50 German, do. 100 English, do. 100 Welsh Bibles, 50 Gaelic, do. 50 German, do. These have been received, to the value of 70l. 13 s. 8d. sterling; and the freight to the amount of 2 l. 15 s. 6 d. sterling, generously relinquished by Mr. Hurry, owner of the ship in which they were imported. The society judging by our order that there must be a demand in this country for the Scriptures in various languages, and knowing that we could not supply ourselves with any but English Bibles, sent out in Feb. 1809, 150 French Testaments; 150 German, do.; 250 English, do.; 150 Welsh Bibles; 100 German, do.; 50 Gaelic, do.; 25 English nonpareil, do. This Society will duly appreciate that ardent interest in our prosperity, and in the success of the general cause, which occasioned these books to be sent us. It appears, however, that the Society in London over-rated the demand in this country for the French, Welsh, and Gaelic Scriptures; which is not at all strange, as it is now equally apparent that we ourselves had over-rated it. Experience has shown that opportunities of distributing these books are extremely rare; only 45 French Testaments, 1 Welsh, and 1 Gaelic Bible, having yet been disposed of by the Managers. This circumstance, however, does not interfere with our gratitude to our friends. But as the books could not be gratuitously disposed of by the Managers, they directed their Librarian to offer them for sale, that the proceeds may be laid out in the purchase of such copies of the Scriptures as are more needed in this country. The British and Foreign Bible Society have also sent us a few copies of their Fifth Report; this, like their former reports, we believe, has contributed largely wherever it has been read to excite a zeal to imitate their extensive and beneficial labours. We have received also another public communication from that Society, which will be found in the appendix; from which it appears, that from their first institution till the 24th of March, 1809, they printed 52,454 Bibles, and 105,975 New Testaments in various languages, exclusively of those which they printed on the continent of Europe; and have distributed them over almost every part of Christendom. When this Society was first organized, it was, after mature deliberation, determined not to pre-occupy a field which could be better cultivated by other labourers. They there. fore limited themselves almost to their own state, and by a públic address invited the friends of revealed truth to cooperate with them in the general object, by the erection of similar Societies. It is with great pleasure that the Managers now report that a number of Bible Societies are already organized, and in operation, in different parts of the country; and that measures are in a prosperous train for the erection of others. They have received official information of the institution of The Massachusetts Bible Society, The Young Men's Bible Society of New-York, The New-York Bible Society, The New-Hampshire Bible Society, The Connecticut Bible Society. They understand also that a Bible Society is about to be formed at Beaufort, in South-Carolina, and another in the city of Baltimore; and that some efforts have been made towards the formation of one in Charleston, S. C. With those Societies of whose organization they have received official information, the Managers are in the habits of correspondence; and it may reasonably be expected that so many Societies operating each in its proper sphere, and mutually communicating and receiving information on the means of advancing the common object, will be eminently useful. With respect to the funds of the Society, the Managers would remark, that they have received very considerable augmentation from distant benefactors. In addition to the sum of 222 dollars from the island of St. Croix, already mertioned, the Society of Schwenckfeldters in the counties of Berks and Montgomery, in this state, have, on two different occasions, transmitted donations to our funds, amounting in the whole to 130 dollars. The Rev. Dr. Keith of South-Carolina has transmitted donations and life subscriptions to the amount of 270 dollars. The Rev. Alexander Balmain, of the parish of Frederick in Virginia, has transmitted 20 dollars. The Rev. Joseph Patterson, of Washington county, in this state, has forwarded a donation of 32 dollars 50 cents. The ingenious mode in which this was collected deserves to be mentioned, as it may perhaps be thought worthy of imitation by others. A box was fixed up in the church with this inscription, O GIVE ME A BIBLE; and after three months it was opened, and found to contain the above sum, the joint contributions of every description of persons, even of little children. Ten dollars have been received from J. L. Murray, S. Carolina. Ten dollars from an anonymous benefactor at Steubenville, on the Ohio river; and five guineas from a lady in England. But for full information concerning the state of the funds, reference must be made to the Treasurer's account, which will be found in the Appendix. The Managers have for some time been seriously impressed with the necessity of making some further appeal to the liberality of the public in favour of the funds. Much might be done by the co-operation of religious denominations, and by congregational contributions, as well as by the efforts of individual benevolence. But when their views on this important subject are matured, they will probably be submitted to the public in a separate address. The Society were informed at this last meeting, that application had been made to the Legislature of this State, for an act incorporating this Society, which, owing to the late period of the Session at which the petition was presented, was |