No. 6. Extract of a Letter from the Rev. F. S. Huber, dated Catharinenstadt, Jan. 4, 1808. "THE Bibles and Testaments, which were sent by the English Bible Society, as a present to the German Colonies near the Wolga, are safely arrived, and have been distributed amongst a number of poor people, by whom they were received with great joy and gratitude. My journey was attended with trouble and expense; but I felt myself amply repaid by the joyful sight I witnessed, and by the many tears of gratitude which I saw flow. Indeed, when I heard many an honest godly man pronounce his blessings upon his remote benefactors, I felt so delighted that I could have gladly made again this troublesome tour. Some very worthy people came on purpose to express to me their feelings on the occasion; Pray,' say they, do not forget to return our most respectful thanks to this excellent society; and tell them we feel quite constrained to implore a particular blessing' upon them *.” No. 7. "THE Naval and Military Bible Society has been furnished with large supplies of English Bibles at the cost prices †." "With a view to the particular supply of soldiers and seamen, the Committee are engaged in making arrangements for the appointment of agents at all the military and naval depôts, for the sale of Bibles and Testaments at reduced prices. Of the extent to which the Scriptures have been thus disposed of, or gratuitously bestowed, the Society will be enabled to judge, * Fifth Report of Bible Society, p. 61. from the following fact, viz. That, within the last two years, no less a number than five thousand three hundred and seventy-seven Bibles and Testaments have been distributed by one correspondent only of your Committee, principally to the army and navy, with a zeal and discrimination which are entitled to the highest commendation, and which have received the most cordial thanks of your Committee *." No. 8. Extract of a Letter from Capt.. ༥ Stonehouse. Nov. 18, 1806. . It is impossible to give you an adequate description of the anxiety that was, manifested by the poor Spaniards to get possession of a Testament: many sought them with tears and earnest entreaties; and although I had nearly enough for them all, yet it was with difficulty, they were pacified, until they received from my hand the Word of eternal life. Since which I have witnessed the most pleasing sight that ever my eyes beheld nearly a thousand poor Spanish prisoners, sitting round the prison walls-doing what? reading the Word of God with an apparent eagerness that would have put many professing Christians to the blush †.” No. 9. Extract of a Letter from a Clergyman at Plymouth, dated September 8, 1808. "I was much pleased this morning with the receipt of your favour, inasmuch as it brought with it the approbation of the Committee on my distribution of the Spanish Testaments * Sixth Report of Bible Society, p. 19. + Third Report, p. 39. See also Fifth Report, pp. 50, 51. A among the crew of the frigate. I have never felt a glow of more pleasing satisfaction than in this service. There needed not my visiting the ship in order to disperse the Testaments properly, for my house hath been surrounded with applications from the men themselves, and I suppose not less than 300 of them have been at iny door upon the occasion. Very providentially for the purpose, an interpreter, who resides in Plymouth, I met with in the early stage of the arrival of the frigate. He undertook to see the commander of the ship, and brought with him the priest of the ship, who came to my house, accompanied with several of the officers. From the liberality of this man, the ship's company were not only permitted to accept of the Testaments, but he accepted two copies himself in their presence, and recommended the perusal to the men and the earnestness with which they seek them, the pleasure expressed in their countenances when given to them, and the immediate use made of them, in literally reading them as they pass the streets, is astonishing. The greater part kiss the book on receiving it, and clasp it to their bosom ; and many, before I was aware of it, caught my hand in the act of giving it out, and kissed it also; even the priest, who is a venerable looking man, did the same. The interpreter hath several times wept on beholding the earnestness of the people for having the Word of God. Many begged copies for their friends at home*." : *Fifth Report of Bible Society, p. 48. I. "MR. Gerické laments the want of more assistance at Tanjore. 'How happy a thing, he observes, would it be, if God were to furnish a faithful Missionary for the assistance of Mr. Kolhoff, and another or two for the congregations southward of Tanjore. It is delightful to see the growth of the Tanjore Mission, and the southern congregations dependent on it. The inhabitants of whole villages flock to it. What a pity there are not labourers for such a great and delightful harvest! At Jaffna and all the coast of Ceylon, there is another great harvest. We have sent such of our native Catechists as could be spared, but many are required for that extensive work.' (Report of Bartlett's Buildings' Society, 1803, p. 138.) "There seems to be, these worthy Missionaries (the Danish) observe, an evident and gradual preparation in India for the reception of the Gospel. If a sufficient number of pious labourers could be sent into their vineyard, the happiest effects, they doubt not, would soon appear." (Report for 1803, p. 141.) The following account, which I quote from the Christian Observer, is taken from a letter of Mr. Gerické, the principal Missionary in the East Indies of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, dated Vepery, near Madras, Jan. 18, * It appears that there are probably more than three hundred thousand Christians on the coasts of Ceylon. "What a field is here opened for faithful Missionaries !" "Letters of a recent date, from a gentleman then on the island, state that the schools begin to wear a very favourable aspect, and that there is good reason to hope that in a little time genuine Christianity may be diffused throughout the British territory.... We have heard that the English Liturgy has been translated into the Malabar language (the language spoken by the Christians of Ceylon) and is used by them." (Christian Observer, Vol. I. p. 329.) 1803. I presume that this is the letter noticed in p. 145 of the Bartlett's Buildings' Society Report for 1804. "When in my journey I came near to the extremity of the Peninsula, I found whole villages waiting anxiously for my coming, to be further instructed and baptized. They had got acquainted with our Native Priest in that country, and the Catechists and Christians, and had learned from them the Catechism, which those who could write, copied, to learn it themselves at their leisure. When they heard of my coming, they broke their idols to pieces, and converted their temples into Christian churches, in which I instructed and baptized them (in some about 200, in others about 300); formed them into ́ Christian congregations, procured for them Catechists and Schoolmasters, and made them choose in each place four elders. These examples awakened the whole country'; and when I was about to leave it, the inhabitants of many more villages sent messages to me, begging of me to remain a couple of months longer in the country; and to do in their villages the good work I had done in those of their neighbours. My situation not allowing this, I recommended them to the native Priests and Catechists, that are there; and since that there have been instructed and baptized 2700 people more, and eighteen more congregations have been formed." (Christian Observer, Vol. ii. p. 506.*) "It seems, Mr. Gerické observes, that if we had faithful and discreet labourers for the vineyard of the Protestant Mission on this coast, to send wherever a door is open unto us, rapid would be the progress of the Gospel. Our native Teachers, though some of them may not be inferior to us in the knowledge of the great truths of the Gospel, and in the manner of communicating them, still their discourses carry not that weight with them, that is felt when we speak to the natives. They never gain that confidence that is placed in anEuropean, when they are once convinced that *See also the Report of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, for 1804, p. 145. Why are not the letters from India collected and published? They could hardly fail to excite general attention, and to procure an accession to the Society's funds. |