six districts; and I have peculiar satisfaction in stating, that more than three hundred and fifty ladies have already engaged as collectors, and that this number is daily receiving an accession.”

From the Report of the Blooms bury Auxiliary Society.-"The simple testimony of a poor woman, in reference to the salutary effect produced on her husband after obtaining a Testament, is very pleasing the individual had been addicted to swearing; but since he received the book, the wife with gratitude declares, that he has not suffered an oath to escape his lips; and he never retires to bed till he has spent some time in reading his Testament."

"The attention of your committee has recently been directed to a very interesting description of persons, whose misfortunes and sufferings have justly excited a considerable share of the public sympathy;they allude to the Spanish Refugees, a great number of whom are residing within the district of this auxiliary society, in Somers Town. On being informed of the extreme distress to which they have unhappily been reduced, many of them individuals who filled stations of rank and authority in their own country, your committee considered it to be very desirable to circulate the word of God amongst them, as the best source of relief and consolation to which their minds could be directed. The feeling of respect and gratitude with which the Scriptures were received by these, for the most part accomplished, but, at present, deeply-suffering individuals, was well calculated to render it a matter of thankfulness that the existence of the Bible Society had placed the word of God within their reach."

From Mr. C. S. Dudley.-"I have this day received a statement of the partial results of the twelve Birmingham associations, during the first month of their existence. The number of ladies engaged as

collectors and officers exceeds four hundred and fifty; and although some of the associations have been only partially visited, the amount collected within the month exceeds 208., while the aggregate number of subscribers already obtained is five thousand two hundred and fourteen; of whom more than three thousand are subscribers for Bibles and Testaments. We find, in one of the most highly privileged towns of our country, and after repeated and long-continued efforts to supply the destitute, at least TEN THOU SAND individuals without a leaf of the Holy Scriptures. Blessed be God! the means are now provided for their effectual supply: and the reports of the collectors bear ample testimony to the delight and gratitude of the labouring classes. Among the subscribers for Bibles there are several Jews; and one collector states, that the first person who entered her name as a subscriber,, was a venerable woman who has

entered the hundredth year of her age! She has never possessed a copy of the Scriptures, and is extremely anxious to be supplied, saying, she can find a person who will come every day and read the Book of God to her."

several new societies mentioned in the Annual Report for 1826,) one hundred and twenty-nine auxiliary institutions were established, and many of them in most destitute districts; and the issue of the sacred Scriptures amounted to 40,058 copies, being an increase, above the issues of the preceding year, of above 4700 Bibles and Testaments. “Upon a review of the present state and prospects of our society, the desire for the sacred Scriptures which so remarkably prevails, and the new channels which are every day opening to facilitate their circulation, there is abundant cause to thank God and to take courage. We are now given to see, as it were, the fruits of the labour for many years past bestowed upon this country. May God grant that it may prove to be the first-fruits of an abundant harvest! The steady advancement which the cause of our Society is making in the country will be abundantly evident, by a comparison of the issues of the last four years; 1824, 21,873; 1825, 27,067; 1826, 35,324; 1827, 40,058. Within the last fifteen months, above 120 clergymen of the Established Church have given their active cooperation, in connexion with new auxiliary institutions, in carrying forward the society's operations."

From Mr. Dudley."I had the pleasure of attending the Sixteenth Anniversary Meeting of the Derby and Derbyshire Auxiliary Society. The chair was taken by the bishop of the diocese, who took occasion to express, in strong terms, his unshaken and increased regard for the society, and his full and confirmed confidence in its conductors. His lordship was surrounded by more than twenty of his clergy, the highsheriff of the county, and many other highly-respectable individuals; while the spacious room in which we assembled was crowded in every part. The Report of the committee bore testimony to the value of the associations recently established; while it demonstrated the necessity of

their still further extension, by the remarkable fact, that the issues of Bibles and Testaments during the past year had exceeded those of the preceding, by more than 500 copies; making the total number distributed by this auxiliary nearly 29,000. The collection at the close of this truly interesting meeting was, I apprehend, unprecedented on any similar occasion, amounting to 104/."

From Mr. R. Hodgson.-" We proceeded to Durham, where the Rev. Mr. Prebendary Sumner took the chair, supported by the Rev. Mr. Prebendary Gilly, and many other clergymen and gentlemen: the meeting was held in the assembly-room, and was most respectably attended. In his opening address, the Rev. chairman stated, that he had been, for twenty years, the friend and supporter of the Bible Society; and that he saw no reason, from any thing he had observed in its proceedings, to withdraw that support: he vindicated the committee of the society, in a very able and masterly manner, from the aspersions thrown upon it in an article recently published in the Quarterly Review. The Rev. Mr. Gilly moved the adoption of the Report, in a very eloquent and impressive address. He said, that he had long watched the proceedings of the society with a jealous and attentive eye; fearing that a society possessed of such vast resources and extensive influence might be found prejudicial to the Established Church: these fears, however, had been happily removed; and the Church of England appeared to him to have been increasing in strength along with the growth of the society; and therefore he now came forward as its friend and supporter, being convinced that it was calculated to do much good to mankind in general, and that it could not possibly be injurious to the Church of England.

"A tradesman living in Durham, finding, from his books, that it had pleased God to bless his honest

FOREIGN.

From the Speech of a Gentleman, inserted in the Proceedings of the American Bible Society.-"Throughout the long road from Buenos Ayres to Chili, excepting a very few in Mendoza, not a solitary copy of the book of God was found; and I more than once presented copies to aged priests tottering over the grave, who told me they had never before seen it in their native tongue. North of this road, in the great towns of Cordova, Tucuman, Salta, Potosi, La Paz, Santa Cruz, Charcas, Cuzco, Arequipa, and many others, I learned that scarcely a single Bible in their own tongue had yet found its way: and coming down the coast of Chili, Peru, Colombia, and Mexico, a few copies were met in the large towns on the Pacific, and were useful; but the great mass, even there, are yet destitute; and, generally, in the interior, they never saw, and in some instances told me they never before knew, that the Scriptures existed in their own language! Even in the capital of Mexico, a city more populous, and, in some respects, more magnificent, than New-York, I have reason to believe there is not one Bible to two hundred families; and that the other great cities of that republic, cities containing from thirty to eighty thousand inhabitants, are still more destitute !

"But what gives such a peculiar interest to this subject is, that now, under their new liberal systems, the way is open to supply this lamentable deficiency of the word of life. The Bible is there no longer excluded by royal mandates and papal bulls; the houses of inquisition have lost their terrors; for they are converted into the peaceful halls of legislation, and into school-houses, where the Bible itself may be daily read. Those new governments are not only willing, but, in some cases, anxious, that the Scriptures should have a general circulation. Some of their most intelligent statesmen and influential clergy are ready to lend their personal aid towards so

desirable an object. In one instance, a dignitary of the church came and purchased of me thirty Testaments, for a school of which he was a director; and then requested me to present him with as many more for another school of poor children."

From the Committee of the Paris Bible Society." The result of our proceedings this year, throughout the whole extent of our country, is well calculated to animate our hearts with gratitude to the Author of every perfect gift. Our society has experienced a very considerable augmen tation; and we are already reaping the fruits of that holy seed which we have scattered abroad and watered, and to which the Lord has given the increase."

From a Gentleman in Germany."I gave you some account, in my last, of the distribution of the New Testament among the Catholics; but I can now, from experience, speak more strongly of the prospect than before. I cannot precisely ascertain the number of Testaments we gave to the Catholics; but I suppose there were forty or fifty distributed, chiefly to children, and also to several grown persons, all of whom were most eager to have them, and thankfully received them. I have also the satisfaction of saying there is great hope that the pious priests would not object to the distribution of Leander Van Ess's translation."

From a Clergyman in Norway."A desire to possess and to read the word of God manifestly increases every day among us; and we are thankful that the British and Foreign Bible Society is anxious to satisfy the same. Oh! how richly shall I scatter, during the present summer, the good seed abroad in these parts! The Lord himself will prepare the soil, and give the increase."

From Mr. James Thomson, at Mexico." In my last, I said that our concerns were going on well: a month's more experience enables me to confirm this opinion; and to add, that my hopes of success, in the cir culation of the Scriptures here, are