BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY: PAREWELL TO EARL-STREET.-The Soety has reached another epoch in its history. The old familiar premises in Earl-street have ceased to be occupied. An appropriate and deeply-interesting service was held on Wednesday, February 5th, for the purpose of taking formal leave of the hallowed spot, where, for more than half a century, the Society has had its "home," and whence its vast operations in all parts of the world have been directed and controled. It was natural that, at such a period, there should be some devout and grateful commemoration of the Divine goodness, as manifested in the remarkable greath and prosperity of the Society,some special service of thanksgiving in reviewing the history of the past, with its numberless tokens of the special care and blessing of Almighty God. The meeting was held in the spacious Committee-room, and the proceedings were marked by a fervour and solemnity eminently refresh ing and stimulating to those who were assembled. Valued and attached friends of the Society, who had been more or less familiar with its work and officers for many years, came together on the occa

The Earl of Shaftesbury being absent on the Continent, the treasurer, John Buckett, Esq., occupied the chair. He said:

"Dear Christian_friends, I need hardly assure you that it is with a feeling of deep pleasure that I observe so many, with whom it has been my privilege to cosperate in endeavouring to carry out the object of this great Society, assembled on this occasion. We are called, after a long pancy of these premises, to resign them. But we are not singing a dirge at our departure. We have obtained, through God's blessing, a larger and more Fitable edifice, one more commensurate with the immense circulation of the Bible, ad more befitting this noble Society. In looking back, as we are bound to do, on the transactions of now upwards of sixty years, we cannot but feel how largely the blessing of God has rested upon the

labours of our Society. It is true that we have had many trials; that at one time there has been a controversy on one subject, at another time on another: but we have been graciously brought through them all; the circulation of God's Word has not been impeded, and we have been enabled to pursue our course with joy and gladness. In order to bring before you the extent of the blessing which we have received, it is necessary that I should give you some particulars, which I have noted down, with regard to the Society's operations. You are all probably aware that the Society was founded in the year 1804. It entered into possession of these premises on the 24th of June, 1816. This house was purchased at that period at a cost of £5,400, and the addition of a warehouse and other improvements raised the entire cost to about £12,000. Previously to 1816 the total issues of the Society were not more than 1,500,000; in the last year of the twelve which had then elapsed they amounted to 300,000. From 1816 to 1867-a period of fifty-one years-the circulation was 51,000,000; being an average of 1,000,000 a year; while in the last year it amounted to 2,383,000. This statement will enable you to form some estimate or idea of the vast progress which the Society has been making during the last half century. Again, in 1816 the number of languages and dialects in which the Word of God was printed was 63; in 1867 the number was 178. The expenditure of the first twelve years was under half a million; during the last fifty-one years the amount expended has been five and a half millions; the expenditure of the last year amounted to £216,448. In the year 1863 notice was given by the Board of Works that we must give up these premises. The Society afterwards purchased of the Board a new freehold site, comprising 7400 feet, for the sum of £24,000. The old premises were taken by the Board, under an award, at £17,500. The sum of £32,000 has been already received towards the cost of the new building; and it is calculated that £15,000 more will be required entirely to complete it.

"When we look back thirty or forty years we see a number of countries, even in Europe, from which the Bible was excluded. Even in France it was a matter of considerable uncertainty whether the circulation might not be stopped at any moment. Now we have been able freely to circulate the Bible where we had then no power to gain an entrance for it-in Austria, in Italy, and in various other countries which I need not enumerate. Under these circumstances, we all feel that we owe a deep debt of gratitude to the Author of all good. The first treasurer of this Society was Henry Thornton. He did not occupy the post long: he died in 1816, and about the same time another great supporter of the Society at that period, the Rev. Thomas Charles, of Bala, was also taken to his rest. Our late treasurer, whom it was my privilege to succeed, John Thornton, filled that office from 1816 till 1861. The presidents of the Society have been, first, Lord Teignmouth, and then Lord Bexley, both of whom gave a large portion of their time to the Society; and lastly, the present president, Lord Shaftesbury, whose influence has been always warmly exerted on the Society's behalf, although it has been quite impossible for his Lordship, whose enagements are so numerous, to give that undivided attention to it which it received from his predecessors."

The Rev. Daniel Wilson, Vicar of Islington, observed that he had been requested to say a few words on that deeply interesting and solemn occasion, as one of the older members of the Society. This fact reminded him that a generation had passed away since the origin of the Society....... It had been already stated by the chairman that the Society had circulated 54,000,000 copies of the Word of God in 178 languages and dialects. From a paper issued by the Committee, it appears that, during the same period, nearly the same number of copies has been circulated by kindred Societies in America and other parts of the world; so that the total circulation from the commencement reached nearly 100,000,000. And now they were about to occupy another house. The providence of God was removing their tent, and thus reminding them of the fact, that here they had "no continuing city." They set up their tabernacle in a particular place, and then the same Divine Providence compelled them to shift it. Like the saclites in the wilderness, they dwelt as it were in a tent; and, as in that case, the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night marked out the resting-place of the chosen

race, directed them in their wanderings, and at the same time gave assurance of the presence of God; so the friends of the Bible Society have had an assurance of the Divine presence in connexion with that building during the last half century, and there was every reason to believe that it would go with them to the Society's new abode, and that the glory of the latter house would be greater even than the glory of the former.-Bible Society Monthly Reporter.

PROTESTANT MISSION - SCHOOLS IN TURKEY.-The American Board has divided Turkey into three missions, and one of these, the Western Turkey Mission, is practically two, the Bulgarian field being really a distinct work. In connexion with each there is a fully equipped Theological school. The Bulgarian school is at Philippopolis; at Marsovan and Kharpoot the Armenian language is used; and at Marash the Turkish. The Bulgarian work has not yet advanced far enough to furnish organized churches for settled pastors; and this fact, of course, places the school at Philippopolis upon a somewhat different basis from the others; but its main design is to furnish native young men to act as evangelists, and, as soon as possible, as pastors. The school is under the charge of two American missionaries, with a native assistant. The course of study extends over four years, and the present number of students is from twentyfive to thirty. The first two years of the course is devoted chiefly to an academic education, including the natural sciences; and the last two years chiefly to theological studies. Many of the students, now in the school, have not the spiritual qualifications essential to the studies of the last two years; but others have, since their admittance to the school, given evidence of such a change of heart as fits them to labour as evangelists among the people. This school is free, the students being instructed and furnished with board without charge. There is, so far as I know, no school in Bulgaria which furnishes so thorough an education as is given in this, even apart from theology; and it has already exerted an influence among the people very favourable to the general work of the missionaries.

The other Theological school of the Western Turkey Mission is at Marsovan, about sixty miles from Samsoon, on the Black Sea. It was formerly located at Bebek, near Constantinople, and was for many years under the charge of Rev. Dr. Hamlin, now principal of Robert College.

other labour bestowed upon the Bulgarians.

The female school at Kharpoot has been under the same influences which have given a peculiar character to the theological school, and many of its scholars have been the wives of theological students. Almost all have looked forward to immediate service in some branch of the mission-work, and have been expected to hold themselves ready for this. Some of them have already made themselves very useful in their labours among the women. I think that there are about thirty-five in this school, under the charge of two female teachers from America. It is partly self-supporting. The female schools at Marsovan and at Aintab give a thorough education to some fifty or sixty girls, taking them through a course of three years' study, and fitting them for any position which could possibly open before them. Both are under the charge of teachers from America, and they are in part self-supporting; or, more properly, I should say, that in each a part of the girls are not received free.

All of these schools have a peculiar interest, in view of the ideas generally held in Turkey, especially in the interior, as to female education, and all are unquestion ably exerting a wide-spread influence for good. In them are now being trained the teachers who are to exert a vast influence upon the rising generation of girls. In these schools, too, the native pastors must find their wives.-Evangelical Christendom.

ROMANISTS IN JAPAN.-The missionaries of the Reformed Church in America (the new designation of the body hitherto known as the Dutch Reformed Church,) after long waiting, have commenced religious teaching from the Scriptures to a class of Japanese young men. They have been incited to this by what they saw done by the Romanists. The Rev. J. H. Ballagh writes: "Since November 11th, the sixth anniversary of my arrival in Japan, I have held a Bible meeting on three nights of each week. The first night I had a room full. It is very delightful to meet with these men. Our Sabbath services in Japanese, held by Mr. Thompson and myself alternately, are attended by about the same number of persons as heretofore, but different hearers for the most part. The Romanists have shown their true colours, by putting out a beautiful life-size image of the Virgin in front of their chapel, which stands in a pray ing attitude, with hands placed very suppli

catingly together, and has a gilt crown upon the head. It made me very indignant when I first discovered it, and the crowd of innocent-minded Japanese gazing on it. I began at once to expose the profanity of wor shipping the true God by means of idols. Some of my pupils happening to be in the crowd also joined in declaring the opposi tion of the Bible to all such worship. I felt it was time to begin work, and so the very next evening commenced my Bible-class. You will hardly have the opportunity of interesting the "Evangelical Alliance" in behalf of religious liberty in this country. I think it is pretty well accorded here already. I hear that the Romish converts have no further trouble at Nagasaki. It is said to be true that they are forbidden to receive foreign priests; but I learn that they have native ones. Every one seems to regard them as the descendants of the Romanists who were here long ago, who were supposed to be exterminated, and they tell of their church's his tory during the long interval." It has been generally supposed that Roman Catholicism had died out in Japan, in consequence of the terrible persecutions that raged against it many years ago. turns out, however, to be otherwise. It has been discovered that there are some three thousand in the immediate neighbourhood of Nagaski; and the priests say that there are a thousand more in another part of the country, also the descendants of the Christians of former days. About sixty of them were put in prison for attending the services of the foreign priests, and a small chapel was burnt down. The French Minister at Yeddo then interfered; and we presume, from the information given above, that the prisoners have been released in consequence.

It

The Rev. W. Muirhead, of the London Society, has recently visited Japan, and reports an interview with a Buddhist, the disciple of a priest in the capital, who has a number of young men under his care, professedly training for the same office. This priest has long been in the habit of coming to Nagasaki, and availing himself of the instinction of one of the American missionarics on religious subjects, and has acquired a large and familiar acquaintance with Bible truth. The disciple wishes, like his master, to learn, in order to teach Christianity to his country men. "On the eve of my leaving," says Mr. Muirhead, "he gave me a list of Christian books in Chinese, that he was anxious to receive from Shanghai, amounting to about eight hundred volumes, which will be readily paid for, and which on receipt

will be forwarded to the distant interior, for careful use and study. In this way, hundreds and thousands of Christian books have been carried to distant parts of the country already, where they are treasured and read."

PROGRESS OF EDUCATION IN WESTERN INDIA.-"You will see from this that I an once more in Bombay. I came here to take a part in the annual University examinations; which are increasing yearly in importance. There were present this year at the matriculation examination about five hundred and thirty candidates from different parts of the Presidency. They filled the large room in the Town Hall, which I suppose you saw when here, and several of the side-rooms. There are numbers for the B.A. and M.A. examinations. How many I do not recollect. What a different state of things from the time I first visited Bombay in 1832. Then Government education was only commencing. There was only what I think was called the Elphinstone School. Government education in the vernacular was only commencizia Bombay, and there was the Sanscrit college at Poonah. The feelings of GovernBest were very different from what they are Dow. Bad as the state of things was in

Bombay, it was much worse in the Mofussil. I saw the first tracts and the first books of the Scripture printed in the Canarese; and there was hardly a man that could read the printed character. Many we gave away at random, hoping that they would find a reader. How different now. There

are in the Belgaum Collectorate thousands who can read with case and correctness, and there are the means of establishing schools throughout both the town and villages. No less than thirty-three thousand rupees are collected by a cess of one anna in the rupee, which are levied on the agricultural revenue of the Collectorate. The schools are well attended everywhere by all classes, except by such as go on the Madras side by the general name of Pariahs. I am trying to impress on the educational instructers the necessity of establishing schools for them, or throwing the schools open to them. Justice demands it, as they pay those who have land, as well as the farmers in general, the educational cess. It is true, Christianity is not taught in the school; but the instruction imparted is on the whole good, and such as is preparing for better things and better times."-Rev. W. Beynon, of Belgaum (of the London Missionary Society).

MARY HANKINSON SMETHAM was born in the year 1794, at Leigh, in Lancashire. Her father, Mr. Richard Battersby, was well known among the gocly of the neighbourhood for his peronal piety and his earnest efforts on behalf of the young. He was one of the very earliest promoters of Sunday-schools. Her mother was, for many years, confined to her bed by disease; and spent her days in reading, writing, meditation, and prayer. By these excellent parents Mrs. Smetham's mind was directed from infancy in the way of truth and peace. So early and continuous was the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit upon her heart, that she could not recall the time when she was not under the power of Christian truth. She was an example of the fulfilment of the promise, "Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart from it." Iler filial obedience and love formed a distinguishing feature of her early piety, and she reaped its reward in the lengthening

of her days, and in the love which her children bore her in return. The first stages of her career were not marked by any striking incidents; but she grew as a tree planted by the rivers of water; and prospered in all that makes life truly noble, useful, and happy.

In the year 1816 she was united to the Rev. James Smetham; and from that time till his death shared with him the anxieties, labours, and joys, of the ministerial life. Wherever she dwelt she left behind her the sweet savour of a good name. She was not much seen beyond the domestic circle. Her chief care and labour were bestowed on the rearing of a large family, who have risen up to call her blessed; but in some places, where it was needful, she strove to help the cause of God by taking charge of a class. In the more private paths of charity she was no less active than in the work of the sanctuary; always thinking of, and caring for, the poor, the sick, and the distressed. Throughout life, one of her most marked