bly, that the interest always evinced in the proceedings of this Society has not abated, but I trust it will go on increasing. It is not my intention, in opening the engagements of the day, to dwell upon the duty which lies upon all Christians to extend the knowledge of the Saviour to those who know Him not. The days are now past,-but only too lately past, when any Christian doubted this truth: it is now acknowledged by us all, and practically acted upon by many. We are well aware that the command, to go and preach the Gospel to every creature, is a command addressed to every Christian, and not merely to the ministers of the Christian Religion. Neither shall I dwell upon another point, which is now also well known and universally acknowledged: I will not impress on you the truth, that, of all the nations of the earth, this obligation lies most heavily upon the English people. I do not need to remind you that we rule over an enormous portion of the globe; that we exercise dominion over millions of heathen people; that we have increased our riches, our wealth, and our commerce, from these lands. It is unquestionably our duty, more than all the nations of the earth, to spread the knowledge of Christ among those millions.

Nor need I dwell, in this assembly, on another point. I need not tell you that it is our duty to merge all minor differences in spreading the knowledge of our common Christianity. I see myself surrounded by representatives of many of those sections into which that Christianity is, perhaps unfortunately, divided; but we are united in the wish, that the knowledge of Christ and Him Crucified should be made known to the heathen through our common instrumentality. I have recently been made acquainted with a circum. stance I feel it my duty to mention. I shall refer to it without asperity, though I shall mention it with deep regret. I, myself, am not a member of the Church of England, but, I can sincerely say, that I entertain towards that Church feelings of great respect, and I should be glad, and rejoice to see its influence extended in spreading the knowledge of the Saviour. I am told that, since the commence ment of the Society, it has been the practice every year to have a sermon in support of this Missionary Institution in a Church of the Established Religion. This year, for the first time, I deeply regret to inform this assembly, that a prohibition has been issued by the Bishop of London against supporting this charity. Now, let me not speak of this cir

cumstance with any unchristian feeling-we are not come here to censure others: we are come here to express our own convictions, and we are bound to conclude that the Bishop of London has acted from conscientious motives, and that some new light has struck upon his mind, on which he feels himself bound to act. This I will only say to members of the Church of England, It is in your power-in the power of those of the community who disagree with such proceedings-to counteract every evil effect which it may have a tendency to produce. It is in your power to give your sincere and hearty concurrence to your fellow Christians, when forwarding the interests of the kingdom of Christ. Let me tell you this, and I say it with a conscientious and deep conviction, that the interests of the Church of England will be better served when all its members do not place Episcopacy in the front of Christianity. The interests of the Church of England will be better consulted when they do not put their Episcopacy-highly as they may value it—in front of Christianity, but, at least, some steps behind it.

In opening the proceedings of this meeting, it would be out of place to anticipate the Report which will be read to you by your Foreign Secretary. Perhaps, however, I may be allowed to run rapidly over those great quarters of the world in which the operations of your Society are conducted. The South Sea Islands have been one of the principal and most suc cessful fields of the labours of this Society. There is something in these Islands which invests them, especially to Englishmen, with peculiar interest. The inhabitants are islanders, and so are we: they were discovered by our own Cook; and moreover, the dominion which we have held so long over the sea has given us a peculiar interest in them. It is impossible to read the Report of the Society, without the deepest thankfulness for the success with which its labours in these Islands have been blessed. An anecdote was mentioned in my hearing lately, upon another platform, which has been confirmed by the Secretary of the Society, and which I shall mention for the satisfaction of this meeting. From one of the islands of the South Seas, Rarotonga, which has been discovered only in recent times, a young man lately came to London, and he saw, for the first time, in the Mission House, one of the idols which his fathers worshipped; so completely had every vestige of idolatry been swept from that island.

world has peculiar claims; for, though we were the first to give the great example of emancipation to the slave, we never can forget, that, for many long years, this Christian country not only continued to possess slaves, but resisted the extermination of the Slavetrade. It is our duty, unquestionably, to do all we can to extend to the children of the race of Ham the knowledge of Christ. I believe that all, who have had an opportunity of observing the negro race, will confess that there is in them a docility of disposition and a warmth of heart which are calculated to make them eminent Christians, when they have been converted.

From Africa I pass to India; and need I, in addressing a British audience, impress upon them the claims it has upon the Christianity of England? No small portion of our national wealth-our commercial riches-our national glory, has there been gained. There, too, the operations of the Society are conducted not, indeed, with such great success as in the South Sea Islands, because in the East Indies we have to conflict, not with vague, unsystematised superstition, but with an ancient religion, an ancient civilisation, and an highly intellectual people. Still, there is every reason to hope that a great era is opening in India. The superstition of India has always been intimately connected with the false notions they have entertained in matters of physical philosophy; but the education we are extending to that people is gradually undermining the foundations of their faith, and it is our duty to see that, in place of that faith, we plant the faith of Christ..

In the beginning of the observations I have addressed to this meeting, I observed, that no one now disputes the general proposition as to the duty which lies upon all to extend the knowledge of the Saviour. I have heard one objection made, not, indeed, to the general proposition, but to the particular fields to which our efforts should be directed. I have heard it lately said, that it is not our duty to extend Christianity to the heathen, while we ourselves are surrounded, in our own country, by a population which is nominally Christian, but heathen in reality. I never hear this remark made without thinking of that alabaster box of ointment-of spikenard very precious, which was poured on our Saviour's head. "Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?" Aye, but if this spikenard had not been so poured, would it have been expended on the poor? The fact is, those who spend most upon the

conversion of the heathen in heathen lands, will be those most disposed to spend on the heathen of our own country. Let not this objection, then, stand in the minds of any. It is unquestionably our duty, pre-eminently our duty, to extend the knowledge of Christ to our own people; but, "this ought ye to have done, and not have left the other undone." One word more, and I close. It is a melancholy consideration, and it might sometimes stagger some of us, that, in this nineteenth century of the Christian era, but a very small portion of the globe has been converted to Christ; but we must remember this, that sudden impulses sometimes go forth, and enter millions of the human race. It was so at the first propagation of Christianity—we trust it will be so again. There is a unity in the human mind, from which sometimes there arise most extraordinary results. The impulse given to one portion-perhaps but a small impulse-goes, like a mighty wave, over thousands and thousands of the human race, and we know not how soon the Word of God may go forth in power, over the moral, as it did over the material world; we know not how soon it may be said by Him, "Let there be light, and there shall be light."

The Rev. A. TIDMAN then read an abstract of the Report, commencing, as usual, by a reference to the state of the Society's Missions in POLYNESIA. During the past two years, three Native Evangelists had fallen victims to the violence of the people in the New Hebrides, and the prospects of the Gospel in that group were still dark and uncertain. Contrasted with this was the encouraging progress of the Samoan Mission, where the New Testament had been translated, the Christian Sabbath was honoured, and Churches formed, containing, in the aggregate, about 2000 members. The Georgian Group was still under French Dominion, but the Society Islands continued to enjoy their independence. In Tahiti, 700 copies of the Bible had been purchased by the people, and the sum of 2801., as the result, had been transmitted to the Bible Society.

In SOUTH AFRICA the stations were rapidly reviving from the effects of the late Caffre War. The Kat River Settlement was returning to its wonted state of prosperity, and the regions to the North presented a delightful scene of Missionary diligence and success. In the stations beyond the great Orange River, there were 1500 Native Christians in Church-fellowship, and the interests of education, civilisation, and social order were

steadily and powerfully advancing. In MADAGASCAR the sufferings of the Christians had not abated, but their faith and courage had been upheld, and their numbers increased by the accession of new converts. The Deputation of the Society to Africa, Rev. J. J. Freeman, had safely arrived at Cape Town, and entered on the fulfilment of his Mission. In the WEST INDIES, notwithstanding the operation of many adverse events, social and political, the congregations generally had been good, the additions to many of the Churches numerous, and their future prospects encouraging; while the amount contributed by them, towards their own support, exceeded the sum of 50007.

The zealous efforts of the Missionaries, to introduce the Gospel into CHINA, had already been followed by results the Directors had not ventured to anticipate. They had now nineteen European Agents labouring in that empire, at four different stations, at each of which places of worship had been erected, and congregations and churches formed; and to the latter, several new converts (including six at Hong-Kong) had recently been added. A native ministry was also in progress of formation, with most cheering prospects of success, and several Native Evangelists were already actively employed in spreading the Gospel among their countrymen.

In INDIA the labours of the Christian husbandman had been greatly honoured and blessed. The aggregate number of schools there established by the Society was 337, containing 12,500 scholars; and in these were included 1700 female children. There were 25 Native Churches, comprising 1000 members-including many additions, obtained through the blessing of God, in the past year. The Missions of the Society in India greatly needed a reinforcement of Missionaries. The Report concluded with a powerful appeal to the Churches to supply the necessary resources for this purpose.

The Financial Statement (which was accompanied by various remarks and explanations) shewed that the Income of the Society for the year had been 64,5081. 3s. 8d., and the total expenditure 67,2381. 12s. 9d., exhibiting an excess of expenditure over receipts of 27301. 98. 1d.

The Rev. JAMES HILL, of Clapham, in rising to move the adoption of the Report, after a few prefatory remarks proceeded as follows:-Much has been said by the friends of science, of literature, and of philosophy, as to the tendency of these pursuits to raise the

human mind. We admit it. They, therefore, ought to be our friends-we are theirs-and we are aiming to accomplish the work which they profess to have at heart, by means more direct and more efficient than they can command. They would advance civilisation, promote man's temporal improvement, mitigate his sorrows, and multiply his joys. We, too, would do all this: we would raise the savage into the civilised man, but we would also raise the civilised man to a condition only a little lower than that of angels. Their efforts will not obstruct ours-ours will consummate theirs. Moreover, permit me to ask where are their means, their appliances, for accomplishing this noble purpose? It is one thing to draw a beautiful picture of the improving influence of science, and another to bring that science to bear on the minds of a horde of wandering savages. It is comparatively easy for the philosopher to sit down and speculate in his study on the moral improvement of man by the introduction of science; but where are the agents that philosophy has ever employed for carrying its schemes into practical effect? Where are the men of science, and of literature, who have been willing to forego the comforts of life, and live for years in the society of barbarians, that they might lift them from their abject condition? Direct us to a single nation which has been so raised; show us the moral triumphs which you have achieved; point us to a single tribe or class which mere science has ever reclaimed, from the wandering habits of the chase to those of order, industry, and social happiness.

But traverse now with us the field of Christian Missions. Pass over with us to the Isles of the Sea. What is it, in many of those Islands, that has put an end to human sacrifice; that has stopt the career of desolating and exterminating war; that has multiplied the nation and increased its joy; that has rescued the new-born infant from the deadly grasp of the destroyer; that has exchanged the instruments of death for the implements of husbandry; that has spread the sail of commerce; that has introduced learning and the useful arts; that has caught the floating sounds of a merely spoken dialect, and given them form, and pressure, and embodiment, in a written language; that has taught the art of printing-that mighty engine of mental and moral improvement? What but the labours of Christian Missionaries. As members of this Society, we can never think of those Islands, without a thrill of the liveliest emotion. They were our first love; the freshness