Contributions may be sent to the Society's House, 10 Earl Street, Blackfriars, London, E. C.; or to the Society's Bankers, Messrs.WILLIAMS, DEACON, & Co., Birchin Lane, London, E. C.; advice being sent to Mr. WILLIAM HITCHIN, Accountant.

LONDON: Printed and Published by WILLIAM MAVOR WATTS, at No. 12, Crown Court, Picket Place, Strand, in the Parish of St. Clement Danes, in the County of Middlesex.-Tuesday, January 1, 1861.

OF THE

British & Foreign Bible

Society.

NOTICE.-The SECRETARIES of AUXILIARY and BRANCH SOCIETIES are respectfully requested to furnish information of the Establishment of any New Society, or any correction in the List of Patrons and Officers of Auxiliary or Branch Societies, on or before the 28th of February; at which time that part of the APPENDIX to the Report containing the List of Societies, with their Officers, will be sent to Press.

BELGIUM.

Bigotry arousing opposition to Bible work.

THE experience of a Colporteur in one of the Belgian towns, as narrated by himself, shows the strength of the prejudice against reading the Scriptures, which exists among some of the Roman Catholics :

"I went recently to St. T, where I learned, that on the previous Sunday the priests of that town had preached against my books, the results of which I was made to experience in the market-place; for scarcely had I taken up a

position there, when I was immediately surrounded by a crowd of persons. The maid-servant of the Dean of the principal Church went about in the crowd, crying out that I was the devil in person, and that my Testaments were diabolical books. In vain was it that I politely asked her to go away. . . she did not do so until she saw a policeman approaching. She, however, speedily returned, and went on overwhelming me with similar insults.

. . . . At the same moment a workman bought of me a large-sized New Testament in Flemish, and went away. It was not long before he came back bearing a long pole, at the top of which was the sacred volume in flames. An immense crowd of persons accompanied him, who shouted, and made a great noise. Seeing this, I said to myself that it was high time for me to pack up my books; but scarcely had I commenced doing so, than the mob rushed upon me, overthrew my table, and tore up my books, trampling the fragments under

their feet.

"I was desirous of explaining, and of proceeding to the police-office, when the Sub-Commissary came to my aid. All the Bibles which I have mentioned in my report were torn up. Three gendarmes likewise came to my assistance, and arrested three individuals. The Commissary at once installed me in the market-place, with a policeman at my side. I was able to sell two Bibles and several New Testaments. If I had had more I should have sold them.

A bright example of Christian firmness amid priestly persecution is mentioned in connection with labours among the military:

"At one place I have only been able to sell to private soldiers: with many of them I had the joy of conversing seriously. They do not reject the word of God. Many of them had preserved the New Testaments they bought last year, and, from what I could notice, had read them much. They advised the young soldiers, who were undecided, to purchase from me. A corporal, in particular, took me round into many of the rooms, and spoke for me to the soldiers, telling them they should not fear to buy from me, for my books were good. The same corporal asked me also where he could find Gospel instruction. I told him I had found some friends in the camp-a tailor and his family-who wished to embrace the Gospel, and who had read the Bible for seven years, where I went every evening after my work.

"This family has been persecuted by the priests for reading the Bible. The Curé came in one day to try and get the Bible from them. He had got it under his arm, and was going away with it. The tailor said simply, 'Take it with you, Sir, and read it at home, and then return it me;' but his wife ran after him and took it from him, saying, 'Never, Sir, shall you have that Bible.' The priest excommunicated them, denouncing them as heretics. This affair with the Curé has been a blessing to all this family, who had before been rather opposed to the tailor's reading the Bible. They all now read it faithfully, and we meet together every evening, with a baker who last year bought a Bible from me, and whose desire is also to receive instruction in the Scriptures, but his wife opposes.

HOLLAND.

Tokens of spiritual life and energy.

THE testimony given by our Colporteur as to the revived religious feeling in his sphere of labour, and the testimony given by some Christians of Rotterdam to the value of the work of another Colporteur, are thus presented by the Society's Depositary at Amsterdam :

"In Limburg the hindrances to our work are not so great as at the beginning,

and your Colporteur reports that he met with many persons who willingly talk with him, and who are desirous of the true word of God, as they find no satisfaction in their Popish Priests.

"Your Colporteur, Ornèe, gives in his last letters the following report-' The environs which I visited are now very barren; some time ago it was heath: but in a spiritual sense they are most blessed. Many persons have been convertedmost of them young. Here and there whole families have embraced the truth, and I seldom visit a dwelling in which one or the other is not asking, "What must I do to be saved?" I will try to give you an explanation of this revival, for I understand it stands in connection with Bibles voted some time ago by our Society to the Christian School here.'

"During this month the following letter, with 200fl. (more than 167.), came from Mr. H. Van Oordt, at Rotterdam-'Some friends here, who feel a lively interest in the continuance of the Bible colportage, and the evangelization by your excellent Colporteur, Van Dorp, offer the money gathered during this year, as a token of their interest in your Society.'"

CHINA.

Scriptures distributed by a Missionary and Native Agent. A TOUR in the island of Tsung-ming, at the mouth of the Yang-tszkiang, is thus described by the Rev. W. Muirhead, of Shanghae:—

"I lately returned from a tour of from sixty to eighty miles, to a part of the country rarely, if ever, visited by Protestant Missionaries. The island of Tsungming lies at the mouth of the Yang-tsz-kiang, and is upwards of 200 miles in circumference. There is one walled city and a great number of towns upon it. The population is large, and many reading men are to be met with. On reaching the city we commenced the work of distribution, and were soon surrounded by crowds of people anxious for books. Care was taken that they should be given only to such as seemed able to read them; but it became difficult to carry on the work. Though we went into the area of the magistrate's office, the crowd was so tumultuous that it was necessary to stop distributing. I told one of the native agents to hire a room in an inn on the roadside for a time, intending that they should proceed in the work quietly when I was away. This was done, and the books were deposited there; so that I was at liberty to preach freely to the people in various parts of the city. I spent about two days in the place, and requested one of the agents to remain as a witness for Christ, while I proceeded to other parts of the island. Our reception there was similar. As we passed along the streets we left copies of the New Testament in the different shops and schoolrooms, and gave to intelligent-looking people on the road. There was nothing unpleasant met with, excepting, perhaps, the unruly eagerness of all classes to receive books. Everywhere we had large and attentive audiences, in whose hearing the blessed truths of revelation were proclaimed.

"On going from town to town distributing, it occurred to me that a small price might be charged for the volumes, and the attempt had a most beneficial effect in restraining the general tumult, while there was no unwillingness to buy. The price charged was much less than the original cost of the work. Many parties came forward who were delighted with the opportunity of purchasing what would prove a valued present to their country friends and teachers. In this way we could have disposed of a much larger number of copies than we had on hand, though we had taken for distribution about 350 in all. The journey extended a little over ten days. I had far more satisfaction in distributing in this manner than by the other method; but to carry it on suitably it requires that a foreigner should accompany the native agent. There is an

interest and curiosity about the one that there is not about the other, who is often charged with pecuniary motives, when offering a book for sale, which is known to have been freely given away by foreigners for a series of years.

"On returning from a distance to the city of Tsung-ming, I was pleased to find the agent, who had been left behind, on friendly terms with a number of intelligent men. They had been visiting him, and reading the New Testament together. Four days ago the agent returned to Shanghae, and reported that ten individuals in good circumstances are in the habit of meeting him for that purpose, and at the close of their Scripture readings they bow the knee with him in prayer to God. He was there a fortnight, and has gone back with the view of prosecuting his Mission work in the city and in the country round about.”

CEYLON.
Bible Meetings.

IT is worthy of attention that the audiences at Bible Meetings recently held in Ceylon were sometimes Heathen, sometimes Romanist, and sometimes Protestant, while in other Meetings all these systems were represented. The Rev. M. D. Sanders writes:

"Since the 1st of May we have been holding a series of Bible Meetings in different parts of the Jaffna district. The Rev. Messrs. Spaulding, Pargiter and Kilner have attended all of them, and while they have made the Bible the one great subject of remark, they have suited their speeches to the audiences they have addressed. A few of the meetings have been composed of the heathen; others almost entirely of Romanists; and others of Christians (Protestants), Romanists, and heathen. Fourteen Meetings have been held in as many different localities. The attendance has been very encouraging at all of them, and we believe they have been the means of doing much good. Those who have been present on these occasions better understand the nature and the doctrines of our holy Bible."

DOMESTIC.

Gleanings in the Home Field.

MANIFESTATIONS of attachment to the Society are furnished by Domestic Agents and home correspondents. Mr. G. T. Edwards thus relates some of the incidents of his journeys :—

Among the Meetings lately held in Shropshire, I may mention the Juvenile Meeting at Hawkstone, among the children educated in the Schools of Viscountess Hill, who always look forward with pleasure to the annual gathering in behalf of the Bible Society. Most of the children are provided with Bible boxes, which are opened on the day of Meeting, and the numerous piles of copper coins, to say nothing of those of larger amount, bore gratifying testimony to the diligence and zeal of the Juvenile Collectors, who for many years have raised about five pounds annually towards the funds of the Society. Much of this is owing to the warm interest manifested by Lord and Lady Hill in behalf of our great work, who always show much kind hospitality to the Society's Deputation visiting Hawkstone; and it is gratifying to find an honoured name, so associated with the spread of evangelical truth in this country, and with the early history of the Bible Society, still connected with the same holy cause. At Prees, too, we had a good village Meeting, Archdeacon Allen, the Vicar, presiding, and manifesting, as he has done for many years, unabated attachment to