DOMESTIC. The Annual Report of the New-York Bible Society. THE Managers of the New-York Bible Society, in obedience to an article of the Constitution under which they act, beg leave to lay before the Society an account of their transactions during the past year. In performing this duty, for the first time, the Board have the satisfaction of presenting to the Society sufficient evidence of the utility of the Institution, and abundant encouragement to perseverance in the promotion of its important object-the distribution of Bibles among those who are destitute of that invaluable treasure. The funds placed at the disposal of the Managers, although ample evidence of the liberality of the friends of the Institution, and adequate to many useful purposes, do not warrant an expectation that the business of the Society has been conducted on a very extensive scale. All, however, that could be done, the Managers have endeavoured to perform. This Association has no pretensions to a comparison with the British and Foreign Bible Society. That unrivalled Institution contemplates the universal diffusion of the Holy Scriptures, until there shall be no speech nor language where their voice is not heard; until their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world: and it has already remarkably succeeded in its advances toward that splendid object. The New-York Bible Society, content for the present to co-operate with similar Institutions in this and in other countries, as an auxiliary to the PARENT ASSOCIATION which set the example, and so liberally extended to others its patronage, directs its exertions more immediately to the supply of those wants which occur within the bounds of this State. These wants, however, are numerous. The Managers have discovered, by the inquiries which they have instituted, that great numbers in the City, and in the frontier settlements, are destitute of Bibles. In some instances, this arises from choice, but generally it is to be attributed to poverty, or carelessness, or to both combined. These wants, as will hereafter appear more in detail, have been in part relieved by the distribution of nearly two thousand copies of the sacred volume. The Managers have not, however, confined the bounty of the Society within the limits of the State of New-York. They have cast it upon the ocean, by donations of Bibles to mariners. They have extended it to the western limits of this Continent, by sending Bibles to a settlement forming at the mouth of Columbia river-and to the East-Indies, by a donation of a thousand dollars, to aid in the translation of the Bible into the several languages of Asia. The Board will now proceed to lay before the Society a more particular account of their transactions, under the following heads :-Procuring Bibles-Distributing Bibles.-Correspondence.-State of the Funds. Procuring Bibles. Particular inquiries were made for the purpose of ascertaining, whether it would be eligible for the Socicty to purchase types; and considering the delay, expense, and uncertainty incident to any proceedings for importing stereotype from Europe, the idea was entirely relinquished. Means were also employed to ascertain where the best and cheapest Bibles could be procured at home; and those printed by Messrs. Hudson, Goodwin, & Co. Hartford, were, on the whole, preferred. From them have been procured two thousand copies, and two thousand more have been ordered. All Bibles procured for the use of the Society, are stamped on the cover and upper edge of the leaves with the name of the New-York Bible Society, and deposited in the Book-store of Messrs. Williams & Whiting, who have generously offered, without any compensation, to take the trouble of delivering them as the Managers shall direct. Distributing Bibles, within the City. Each Manager is furnished with a certain number of printed orders, to be delivered to those who shall apply for a Bible or Bibles, and satisfy the Manager, to whom the application is made, that the applicant is a proper object of the Society's bounty. Every applicant receiving such order, signed by one of the Managers, may receive one or more Bibles, as the order may specify, at the place of deposit. Agreeably to this arrangement, there have been distributed about 760 Bibles. A Committee appointed to ascertain what Bibles are There have been distributed among the Africans, indepen- In the Country. 96 do. 76 do. 932 Bibles. A Standing Committee has also been appointed to ascertain what Bibles may be wanted throughout the country, and authorized to supply these wants. The Committee having opened a correspondence with several persons in different places, who take an interest in promoting the object of this Institution, have accordingly distributed 1009 Bibles, in manner following: To Rev. Mr. Osgood, Missionary at Buffaloe, &c. Rev. Mr. Chapman, Rev. Messrs. Forrest and M'Aulay, Delaware, Mr. John Caldwell, to be sent W. Newburgh, Mr. Thurston, W. Catskill, Col. Tuttle, Montgomery County, Mr. Cumberland, 60 miles W. Cattskill, 250 100 50 25 24 25 20 37 25 A correspondence has been opened between this Society and the several Bible Societies of Philadelphia, Connecticut, Merrimak, Beaufort, Charleston, Baltimore, New-Jersey, and Albany, with an offer of mutual co-operation and support. From the Young Men's Bible Society of this City, a communication has been received, covering one hundred dollars, with a request, that it should be transmitted to Bengal, accompanied with such donation as the Board might choose to make, to assist in translating the Bible into the Asiatic languages. A letter has been accordingly addressed to the President and Secretary of that Society, informing them that the Managers had voted one thousand dollars to the object, which, together with the one hundred dollars received from them, should be transmitted to the Rev. Messrs, Carey & Co. with all possible speed. A letter has also been addressed to Messrs. Carey & Co. which is to accompany the sum ordered for their use, in aid of the great work of translation in which they are engaged. With the British and Foreign Bible Society, a correspondence has been commenced, and the Directors of that Institution, with their characteristic liberality, have granted to the New-York Bible Society, a donation of 100 pounds sterling, for which the thanks of the Managers have been returned. Funds. From the account of the Treasurer, which is annexed as a part of this Report*, it appears, that, The total amount of subscription is, Dolls. 5219 25 Of which there is still unpaid, 375 The amount received into the Treasury, 4844 25 Of which there have been expended, 1336 28 1-2 Leaving in the Treasury a balance of, 3507 96 1-2 Of this sum there are appropriations, for Messrs. Carey & Co. Bengal, 1000 For 2000 additional Bibles, ordered, 1300 2300 Which will reduce the funds to, 1207 96 1-2 To this sum are to be added, for the ensuing year, the annual * This Report is omitted, as the substance appears above. On a review of the foregoing statement, the Managers cannot help congratulating the Society, on what, they think, may justly be styled an auspicious commencement of their labours. They cherish the hope, that what has already been done will be considered both as an encouragement and a pledge of greater exertions in future; and that the Christians of this wealthy metropolis, will proceed, with growing zeal, in the path on which they have entered, until there shall not be a family ør an individual within their reach, destitute of a copy of the Word of Life. Signed by order of the Managers, SAMUEL MILLER, New-York, Nov. 26th, 1810. Secretaries. The Report of the Trustees to the Hampshire Missionary Society, at their annual meeting, holden at Northampton, August 30, A. D. 1810. THE Members and friends of the Hampshire Missionary Society will unite on this anniversary with the Trustees, gratefully to notice the divine goodness towards this institution. The smiles of God from the beginning have attended our endeavours; they are continued. The Missionary cause prospers. Six Missionaries were employed in the summer of 1809. One of them, Rev. David H. Williston, finished his mission of fourteen weeks, pre viously to our last meeting. He laboured in the middle settlements of the southern part of Vermont, as was narrated in our former Report. At a later period, Rev. John Willard performed missionary service thirteen weeks, in the north-eastern part of the same State, and in the adjacent part of New-Hampshire, near Connecticut river. Rev. Gardiner Kellogg, during the same season, laboured eighteen weeks, and Mr. Christopher J. Lawton fourteen, in the District of Maine; and Rev. Royal Phelps and Mr. Ebenezer Wright, each of them, nineteen weeks, in the State of New-York: Mr. Phelps in Cayuga and Genesee counties, and their vicinity; Mr. Wright in the destitute settlements near Black river, and in the county of St. Lawrence. In their missions they evinced the same diligence, zeal, and fidelity, as your former labourers in the missionary field. They preached on the sabbath, frequently on other days, delivering five or six, in some instances, seven or eight sermons in a week; where there was occasion they formed Churches; administered Baptism, and the Holy Supper of our Lord; visited schools and families, to give religious instructions; counselled and prayed with the sick; and, as providence called them to it, officiated at funerals, to offer consolation to mourners, and admonish others to prepare to die; seizing all opportunities to benefit the souls of men, and build up the kingdom of Immanuel. After finishing his mission in Maine, Rev. Gardiner Kellogg was em ployed, during the winter, twenty weeks, on the ground visited the preceding summer by Rev. David H. Williston, in the southern part of Vermont. The present season he has undertaken another mission of fifteen weeks in the district of Maine; where also Mr. Nehemiah B. Beardsley, of West-Springfield, has been employed for the same time. Rev. Ebenezer Wright has been several seasons in your employ That he might be furnished with authority for the ministerial duties, the ministers of the Central Association in the county were requested to ordain him as an evangelist. The service was performed in January, at Westhampton; soon after which he removed with his family, to the Bounty of St. Lawrence, in New-York. He is now on Missionary ground, and engaged in your service twenty weeks, the present year. He is to labour again in the field occupied by him the last season. Rev. Royal Phelps has undertaken a mission of the same term, to be fulfilled in the destitute settlements, not more than thirty miles distant from his dwelling in Sempronius, county of Cayuga. The distribution of copies of the Holy Bible with other godly writings, in union with preaching the Gospel of life, has, from the commencement of the operations of this Society, been considered, by the Trustees, as the most hopeful method of promoting Christian knowledge, and saving the souls of men. New evidences of the beneficial effects of this manner of proceeding are yearly received. One of your missionaries in his journal of the last year, noticing the state of religion, writes, that, "Where there are Churches they generally meet on the sabbath; and missionary books," (for they have few others,) are very helpful and beneficial in their religious meetings. Indeed, without them their meetings would not be very profitable." He adds, "the books are esteemed a valuable treasure; they are carefully preserved and, I believe, in most places, attentively read, and are the means of dis fusing much religious knowledge." |