who only hastily travel from place to place, are by no means equal to guard against the devices of crafty and designing men. Hence we doubt not that in some cases, the officers of the Bible Society have been completely deceived, and have in consequence employed and countenanced persons with whom they ought not to have had any connexion. They may not have been suffi ciently careful, and therefore may deserve reproof. They may have been too easily satisfied with the professions and the flattery of deceitful characters. They may have been too backward in listening to unfavourable reports, too charitable in judging of the motives of others; and too prompt in distributing the funds placed at their disposal. But we do not believe that the Committee have knowingly employed and encouraged Infidels, Persecutors, and other notorious enemies of the Gospel of Christ. We think they have too often adopted flattering language, and have thus af forded an attestation to improper persons; and we trust the statements advanced on this subject will lead to a very careful investigation of the character and conduct of all the continental agents; to the displacing of the unworthy, and the providing of more faithful and efficient instruments in their room. It is not, however, necessary at present that we should enlarge on this topic, since some explanatory statements will shortly appear on behalf of the Bible Society, with reference to those points which have been recently called in question; and since the investigation of such grave charges, and the adoption of appropriate remedies, must necessarily Occupy a considerable period, and cannot with either reason or justice be hastily concluded.

3. The third objection is the profuse expenditure of the Society, and the designed concealment of certain salaries and items of expense. The expense of management is very great, and forms a serious incumbrance on the funds, not only of this, but of all other charitable Institutions, which on many accounts deserves careful investigation. The principal agents are necessarily persons of talent and education, who are required to devote a great part of their time to the service of the Societyto relinquish other profitable employments to travel long journies at a very short notice; in some cases to encounter the peril of the sea, and the danger of foreign lands. They have wives and

children looking to them for support, and therefore it is impossible to secure their services without a liberal remuneration. Whether the Committee have or have not confined this remuneration within proper limits, may admit of much argument, and can only be ascertained by a minute investigation of the particular case. For such investigation, extraordinary facilities are now given by the publication in the monthly extracts of the Bible Society, of a detailed account of the Society's expenditure, with appropriate observations which we recommend to the careful perusal of our readers. It may not however be improper to remark that the salaries of all the principal agents of the Bible Society have long been before the public, being printed at length in the Annual cash account, and have thus been confirmed by the subscribers at large-that the remuneration of its secretaries is less than that of the secretaries of some other Societies; and that the only salaries or gratuities which appear to have been concealed, are those of Leander Van Ess (£300 per annum) and Professor Kieffer (£210 per annum)--these salaries we confess, appear to us large, especially considering the cheapness of foreign countries; though at the same time we are not prepared to say that the labours of the learned Professors may not justly entitle them to such remuneration. We regret indeed the former concealment of these gratuities, unless it can be shewn that such concealment was necessary, and still more that language should have been used with reference to either of those persons by some who must have known better, implying that their services were rendered solely from à desire of promoting the glory of God: but after the most careful consideration of all the evidence before us, we are compelled to conclude, that neither on the ground of the Apocryphal distribution-the Continental agency, or the expense of management, is there any sufficient reason to justify a secession from the Bible Society, or a withholding of confidence from its present Committee. That Committee may have erred in various respects. They may be, and we think they are too unwilling to attend to complaint and remonstrance-too ready to consider the public voice as the mere cry of a faction -too prone to attribute honest and conscientious opposition to corrupt and sinister motives. A little more common sense, a little more readiness to

communicate information, a little more patient attention, Christian humility, and mutual forbearance would have averted the bitter trials with which they and their predecessors have been exercised. But we must maintain that there is no evidence of dishonest intention, of corrupt participation, or of mercenary motive in the existing Committee; and therefore we contend there is no ground for withdrawing from their support.

But even supposing we are mistaken in our estimate of the Bible Committee; does it therefore follow that a distrust of them should induce us to secede from the Bible Society? No such thing. The misconduct of the Committee, be it more or less, is no valid, no sufficient reason for seceding from the Society. For, after all, who are the Committee? and who are the officers of the Society? They are merely the instruments of the Society-appointed at its pleasure-removeable, we apprehend, at its will— and certainly defunct on the first Wednesday in May. Now, suppose the members of the Bible Society have been so mistaken as to entrust their great and important concerns to the management of an improper committee, of incompetent officers, of depraved agents; shall those who discover their error now secede, and quietly leave the remaining power and influence and character of the greatest society the world ever saw in the hands of such improper and incompetent persons? This would be a most unworthy and timid procedure. The path of duty is exceedingly plain. It is, that the members of the Society should be at their postthat the privileged members of the committee should more diligently and assiduously attend its meetings-that they should more carefully examine its minutes, more closely watch the spirit and temper and conduct of the individual agents and officers-that they should thus discharge their own personal duty, and be prepared, whenever a necessity arises, to object to an obnoxious measure to expunge the ill-advised recommendation of a subcommittee; or, in an extreme case, a case we fervently hope and firmly believe will never arise, to call a special general meeting of the Society, to whose decisions every officer of the Society, from the president to the messenger, must bow. If there are apocryphal leanings— if there are corrupt continental agentsif there is profuse and wasteful expenditure, we call upon Protestants, upon

Christians, upon wise and benevolent men, to come forward that they may ex→ amine and extinguish the existing evils; and not to confirm and aggravate them by entrusting the whole concern into the hands of those very persons in whom they declare, by the very act of secession, they have no confidence.

While some therefore advocate secession, we contend for closer adherence. We maintain, that in present circumstances, it is the duty of clergymen and ministers of every denomination, residing in London and its vicinity, who are subscribers to the Society, to attend the meetings of the Committee-to become masters of the business in all its details. Their country brethren will need their advice and assistance; and will anxiously look for direction and information from them, as to the line of conduct which should hereafter be pursued. Should the Committee dare to violate the resolutions so decidedly approved at the last Anniversary, the simple process of proposing as an amendment, at the next Anniversary, thirty-six new names in the room of the thirty-six enrolled in the House List, will at once remove the Society from obnoxious control. It rests with any individual member to prepare and propose such an amendment; and those who witnessed the triumphant acclamations with which the anti-apocryphal observations were received at the last Anniversary, can have no doubt of the readiness with which such an amendment, if once deemed necessary, would be adopted.

We hope, however, better things.— We trust that peace and harmony and union will shortly be restored; that the painful and wearisome discussions which have so long wasted the valuable time of the Committee will terminate; and that all will unite their utmost exertions to communicate to every nation under heaven the inestimable treasure of the inspired Word of God.

Amidst, however, all that is painful, the following extracts from the Society's Twenty-Second Report, will be read with considerable pleasure.

Dr. Pinkerton states,

"I cannot sufficiently bless God for the innumerable proofs which I have had that every where (and I have visited the chief Societies in Germany) the work of Bible distribution is proceeding with more or less vigour; and that every where it is productive of good, more or less, and is acknowledged to be a

powerful instrument in the hand of Providence, in these awful times, for preserving alive among the people the faith and practice of genuine Christianity. Report, P. xxviii.

In writing from Cologne, Dr. P. remarks,

"It was resolved also to expose the Catholic Testament for sale, in every town within the circle of the Society's operations, where a bookseller or bookbinder could be found who would take charge of them. In order to encourage our Cologne friends, I promised to petition your Committee for 300 small and 200 large octavo Testaments of Van Ess, to begin the work. They also seemed very desirous of a fresh supply of the London edition of the German Testament, because one half of the last grant was disposed of in a very short time, and before they receive more, their stock will be exhausted. These Testaments are chiefly sought for by schoolmasters and parents, for the children at school; and it is pleasing to observe how the Prussian Government seconds the efforts of Bible Societies to introduce the Scriptures among the young in places of instruction: a decree has lately been promulgated, interdicting the use of mere Scripture extracts, or Scripture history, in schools, instead of the Bible, and commanding the Bible and Testament to be used in instructing the children in the principles of Christianity in all the Protestant schools in the Rhine provinces of the Prussian dominions.

"The members of the Committee seem to apprehend increased difficulties in carrying on their operations among their Catholic brethren. My advice to them was, to continue their hitherto prosperous course with prudence and energy among Christians of every denomination, under the divine blessing, and the fostering care and protection of their own government, regardless of the secret machinations and public efforts of enemies to lay obstacles in their way.Appendix, Pp. 58, 59.

Of the labours of Leander Van Ess, the Report speaks as follows.

"In Germany there remains yet to be noticed the important labours of Leander Van Ess. In one of his letters he writes,

'I continue, by the blessing of God, to enjoy a rich delight in the work of the Lord, and in the dissemination of his Divine Word.' He proceeds in a truly remarkable manner to increase the means of scattering the good seed, particularly among Roman Catholics, and

to make straight and extend new paths for its reception."

"The Doctor has undertaken a short journey to parts of the Black Forest during the past year, in which, besides meeting with several individuals to whom copies of the New Testament might be confided, he had the happiness of making arrangements for its introduction into several Roman Catholic schools. One individual on whom he called, a rural Dean, has 24 parishes under his superintendence, and was truly delighted with the prospect of obtaining the Scriptures. He likewise visited in person several cottages of the poor:

Generally,' he writes, "I found the inmates to be pious, well-meaning, docile, and industrious people, but in the lowest state of poverty. The Testaments which I distributed were received with marks of undissembled joy: many actually came to me from several miles distance to repeat their grateful acknowledgments, and brought others with them, equally anxious to obtain a Testament.' At the close of the report of his journey he draws up a statement of the number of copies wanted, and they amount to 15,000, which your Committee have empowered him to procure. From Hanau he has since received an interesting application from a Gentleman, who writes, that demands are so increased upon him that 100 copies will scarcely last a week, and he requests a supply of 1000. This individual mentions the desire prevailing among bargemen on the Maine, several of whom have returned a distance of four hours' walk, to obtain copies, having heard that he could supply them. He has also an opening for introducing them into the garrison at Hanau. A Commissary of Police, who has between 4 and 500 criminals under his care, has preferred a request for some copies; stating in his letter, many years' experience on the one hand, and the criminal acts and vicious habits of these people on the other, sufficiently prove that their depravity is chiefly owing to the want of religion, and a total ignorance of God and themselves.'-Report, Pp. xxviii,

xxix.

The eagerness with which the scriptures are desired in South America, appears from the following extracts of Mr. Thomson's correspondence.

"As soon as I had reached this place, I mentioned to some persons that I had a supply of New Testaments for sale, and in consequence, I sold one hundred and