Extract of a letter to the President, from one of the Calcutta Baptist Missionaries, dated May 11th, 1837.

Though in taking up my pen to address you, my object is business, I cannot help prefacing what I have to say, with a few words expressive of the delight and thankfulness to God, with which we heard of the formation of your new Society, and the vigorous measures adopted to secure its permanency and usefulness. The news brought relief to our minds, encouragement to our hearts, and power to our hands. We had long felt the need of measures of the kind being taken, but saw nothing to encourage the expectation of their adoption; the hope appeared vain. Little did we think that our rejected applications to the Societies of England and America were designed to be the means of bringing into existence an institution whose declared object is to carry into effect principles, the practical application of which has subjected us to a kind of excommunication. It is truly refreshing to observe the noble stand you have taken, to give to the millions of Asia, translated into their various languages, the whole word of God. I rejoice not only on account of the aid we confidently expect to derive from the new Society, but on account of the greater amount of good that will thus be accomplished than could possibly have been effected, had our applications for assistance to the old Societies, not been rejected. We asked but for little, and but little would have been meted out to us. Our prospects have row brightened; we ask for much, and hope we shall be enabled to print and circulate the word of God by thousands, where we could not before distribute it by hundreds.

After mentioning the Sanskrit, Hindu, Bengali, and various other versions, with cost of printing, &c. the writer observes :

That as the Roman character is now very extensively applied to the languages of the country, and particularly to the Hindustani, it is highly desirable that an edition of the New Testament in that character and language, should be prepared as soon as practicable. We have just commenced an edition of 1000 copies, to be printed at the expense of the translators and some other persons; and it is expected that a part of the impression will be disposed of by sale. The Committee of the Calcutta Bible Society have resolved to print an edition of 3000 copies, and I hope their resolution will be soon carried into effect; as, in addition to the increasing numbers among the natives' who are capable of using the Scriptures in this dress, there are thousands of persons in the country who speak the Hindustani, but cannot read it in the native character, and who will derive much advantage from possessing the sacred volume, in a language they understand, and in a character they know. Still, neither the one nor other of these versions is likely to be such as we could wish them to be. In the one, not only is Barrio transferred, but also the words for Bishop, Presbyter, Deacon, &c. &c. so that it is likely to contain not a few unintelligible terms. I therefore think it very desirable that your Society should enable us to provide a version which shall be free from these objections.

You will perceive from what I have stated, that here is much work to be done, and that your Society may now, in its very infancy, commence operations on a pretty extensive scale. Here is an open door! I doubt not you will boldly enter, and throughout these extensive dominions spread the sacred volume; and thus hasten that glorious period when these vast regions "shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."

Praying that the blessing of God may constantly rest on the operations of the American and Foreign Bible Society,

I remain, dear sir, yours faithfully,

I. THOMAS.

New-York, Sept. 14, 1837.

DEAR BRO. SOMMERS-I have carefully looked over all the reports of cash, &c. received by Bro. Kingsford, for the last year, which he forwarded to the Treasurer, and find all the individuals therein mentioned as being Life Directors, or Life Members, regularly acknowledged in the report of the Society. There are several suns paid in part of Life Memberships which will be acknowledged when the balance is paid, as we have never recorded persons as Life Members or Life Directors, until the whole amount was paid in. Affectionately, Yours, J. WEST, for the Treasurer.

APPROPRIATIONS SINCE JUNE, 1837.

At the meeting of the Board of Managers of the American and Foreign Bible So ciety in June last, $5,500 were appropriated for the printing and distribution of the Sacred Scriptures, viz.

To Rev. John G. Oncken of Hamburg, for printing and circulating the Bible in Germany,

$500

To the Baptist Missionaries at Calcutta, for the printing and distribution of the Scriptures in Bengalee, and other languages of India, at the discretion of the Missionaries.

5,000

$5,500

At the meeting of the Board in August, it was further unanimously

Resolved, That after a careful examination of the actual moral destitution of the world, this Board feel great pleasure in being able to make an additional appropriation of $5,000, for the printing and circulation of the holy volume in foreign languages ; and that the amount be transmitted through the American Baptist Board of Foreign Missions, to be applied in the following manner :

For printing and circulating the Bible in China,

do.

do.

do.

do. in Burmah,

$1,500

1,000

1,000

1,000

500

$5,000

150 00

10 00

3 00

TREASURER'S REPORT.

Moneys received by WILLIAM COLGATE, Treasurer of the "American and Foreign

July, 1837.

Bible Society," 1837.

Rev. A. Maclay, on acc't of collect's. $260 00
Niagara County Bible Society, per

E. S. Faxon, Treasurer

Rev. P. S. Gayle, Tennessee.

Susannah Ashman, Philadelphia

tion, per Mrs. Jones, Treasurer. Edward Mesom, per Rev. I. M. Allen Westchester Co. Bible Association Bible Soc. of Hamilton Literary and Theol. Ins. per D I. Lloyd, Treas.

30 00

S. Williams,

23 00

Thomas Garniss, New-York.

30 00

Baptist Church, Durham, per Rev.

1st Bap. Ch. Bost.pr. J. A. C. Randall,

42 00

H. Harvey,.

15.00

Bible Soc. of Brodalban, U. C.

10 00

Edwardsville Baptist Association,

Cataraugus Association Bible Soc.
per N. McCall, Treasurer

116 57

Ill. per W. Leverett, Treas.
Bapt. Ch. at Rock Spring. Ill. pr. do.
Females of Ch. and cong. at Jackson,
Tenn. per Rev. R. B. C. Howell
Rev. P. S. Gayle, Tenn. coll. from
various individuals, per do.
Collections at the Convention at
Marietta, O., pr Rev. E. Kingsford
Blue Rock Ch. Muskingum Co. pr.do.
An unknown friend at Zanesville do.
Females of Market-st. Ch. do.
Deposite Church, N. Y. per

28 00

5 00

35 00

65 00

35 09

11 62

4 75

Wayne Co. Auxiliary Bible Soc
per Robert C. Jackson, Pres.
Holland Purchase Foreign Miss.
Bible Soc. per B. H. Colegrove.
Church and Cong, in Baldwin Place,
Boston, to make Rev. B. Stow a
Life Director,

85 00

300 00

150 00

do.

27 50

Do. to make Rev. Jas. D. Knowles

do.

10 69

Masonville Church

do.

1 00

E. Owen, Middleburg

do.

5 00

Genesee Bib. So., of Elder Smith do. 21 88

30 00

$1948 09

WM. COLGATE, Esq. Treasurer, 6 Dutch-street.

Rev. CHARLES G. SOMMERS, Corresponding Secretary, 82 Madison-st. N. Y.

This publication is periodical, contains a half sheet, and the postage for any distance under

100 miles, is 1 1-2 cents; for any distance over 100 miles, 2 1-2 cents.

SOCIETY.

THE duty of Christians to contend earnestly for "the faith once delivered to the saints," and fearlessly to promulgate the sacred pages unmutilated to all mankind, is a doctrine of the Bible, and dear to the heart of every sincere Christian. In the enjoyment of this privilege Baptists never can submit to human dictation, whether the inclination to oppress them be found on the side of a domineering majority, or the power be vested in legalized authority. That holy and glorious cause to which they stand pledged, forbids the contamination of all human interference as a profanation, nor can conscientious believers permit even brethren to divert them from the simplicity of the gospel.

To distribute the word of God faithfully translated, Baptists claim as an inalienable privilege, while they regard it as an imperative duty. It was this sacred right of which the American Bible Society attempted to deprive us by their resolution passed on the ever memorable seventeenth of February, 1836, embracing professedly a general principle, but which, in fact, could apply only to a particular case. By this act they violently sundered those bonds by which we had so long been united with them in harmonious co-operation, and rendered our continuance in the American Bible Society as impracticable as it would be humiliating, and in our opinion disastrous to the cause of truth. As a body, therefore, the Baptists found themselves under the necessity of declining all further concert with the Parent Society; and the undersigned deemed it necessary, personally, to resign their offices. Their reasons for that act, are imbodied in the subjoined document, the publication of which they consider due to themselves, to the Christian community, and to the world.

VOL. I.-5

Concise in diction, and decided in sentiment, it embraces the dispassion_ ate views, not only of the few whose names are affixed, but of the Baptist denomination throughout the land, if we may judge from printed as well as written testimony forwarded to the Corresponding Secretary of the American and Foreign Bible Society.

To the Managers of the American Bible Society.

HAVING had the pleasure of acting with you as Managers of the concerns of the American Bible Society, and feeling it to be our duty, in consequence of certain measures, which originated in this Board, and have been sanctioned by the society, to resign our places as members of your body, the respect which is due to you, and justice to ourselves, require of us a brief exposition of the motives by which we are actuated. We are bound, moreover, to make this statement of our motives, in justice to that body of Christians, whose interests we, with others of our brethren, have represented here, and whose approbation of our conduct in relation to these measures, has been expressed with scarcely a dissenting voice.

While, therefore, we feel ourselves impelled to speak the truth with plainness, it is our earnest prayer to the God of all grace, that the animadversions, which we may make on the proceedings of the board and of the society, may bear the impress of that charity "which believeth all things, and hopeth all things.

It appears from the constitution of this society, that "its sole object shall be to encourage a wider circulation of the Holy Scriptures, without note or comment." The application of this primary principle is regulated by only two specifications.

1st. "The only copies in the English language to be circulated by this society, shall be of the version now in common use."

2dly. "The society shall, according to its ability, extend its influence to other countries, whether Christian, Mahometan, or Pagan."

These are the fundamental principles of the constitution. The managers' address, contemporaneous with the constitution, contemplates the circulation of the scriptures in foreign lands, "in the received versions where they exist, and in the most faithful where they may be required." 66 They will embrace with thankfulness and pleasure," is the language of the address, "every opportunity of raying out by means of the Bible, according to their ability, the light of life and immortality, to such parts of the world as are destitute of the blessing, and are within their reach." This address has been properly appealed to by all, as a fair exposition of the constitution, and the above extracts doubtless give a just representation of the liberal principles on which the society commenced its operations.

On these principles, the Baptists entered most heartily into the labours of the society. They have ever regarded this as one of the most interesting of the benevolent enterprises of the age, and have stood among the foremost in its support.

After years of harmonious and successful co-operation on the above mentioned principles, we find ourselves excluded from all further participation in this noble work, by a requisition unknown to the constitution under which we are associated, at variance with its spirit, and with the only principles on which the different Christian sects can unite in the labours of this society.

Different denominations of Christians have invested money to a large amount in the funds of the society. Their sympathies have been deeply enlisted in its behalf, and to the blessing of Heaven on their united labours and prayers, it owes its present prosperity. Whatever ability it now possesses, whether in funds, in influence, or in the confidence of the public, is therefore the common property of these several denominations, acquired by their united exertions, and guaranteed to each of them by the constitution of the society. That instrument may, indeed, according to one of its own provisions, be altered by a vote of the society. It will be readily conceded, however, that the society is bound in honour and good faith, to respect the fundamental principles of its constitution, and never to make any change in it, except for the express purpose of giving full effect to these principles. It has received in trust, the bequests of benevolent individuals, made in reliance on the guarantee which those principles afford. If it be said that these bequests were made in view of all the contingencies, which might arise under the provision just alluded to; we answer, that we believe no considerate man would ever make a bequest subject to such contingencies. His action is based on the implied pledge, that the original principles of the constitution, will be faithfully adhered to through all vicissitudes. If they may be set aside as convenience, interest, or sectarian zeal may dictate, or even as the sober judgment of judicious men, honestly aiming to promote the interests of Christ's kingdom may deem desirable, in what other light can they be regarded than as a temporary lure, for which any other may be substituted, as soon as another more attractive can be found? How many examples of such faithlessness will be necessary to destroy all confidence in the principles on which our benevolent institutions are conducted!

In regard to the measures of the Board, to which allusion has been made, we assert they were not adopted for the purpose of carrying these principles into effect.

We appeal to the history of the whole transaction. At a meeting of the Board of Managers, August 6, 1835, application was made by Mr. Pearce, a Baptist missionary of Calcutta, for aid in printing a Bengalee version of the New Testament, in which the word baptizo and its cognates are translated according to the views and practice of the Baptist denomination. At a subsequent meeting, September 3, 1835, the committee on distribution, to whom the letter of Mr. Pearce had been referred, reported the following resolution, viz:

"Resolved, That the Committee do not deem it expedient to recommend any appropriation, until the Board settle a principle in relation to the Greek word baptizo."

This resolution was adopted, and the subject was referred to a committee of seven, embracing one from each of the denominations represented in the Board.

On the 1st October, this Committee reported in substance as follows, viz : That in the Bengalee version of the New Testament, for which the patronage of the society is solicited, the Greek words baptizo, baptisma, and their cognates, are translated by words signifying to immerse, immersion, &c.; that the same is true of the Burmese version of the New Testament, and of the other versions in the languages and dialects of India; that the Calcutta Bible Society, and the British and Foreign Bible Society, have refused to aid in printing and circulating the Bengalee New Testament, on the ground of its containing the above mentioned translations; that the committee were not aware until now that such translations had been made in India, or other heathen countries. The three following resolutions were submitted in the report.

1st. Resolved, That the Board deem it inexpedient to appropriate any funds belonging to the society, in aid of translating or distributing the aforesaid Bengalee New Testament, or any other versions containing the aforesaid translation, or any similar translation.