June 1,1853. BRIEF VIEW i j OF THE PLAN AND OPERATIONS OF THE JBritiHjj nttii /nrtip SiliU intuit]. AND OF KINDRED INSTITUTIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURY, President. Vice-Pr His Grace tlie ARCHBISHOP of CANTERBURY. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of WINCHESTER. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of RIPON. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of PETERBOROUGH. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of WORCESTER. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of ST. ASAPH. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of MANCHESTER. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of HEREFORD. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of CHESTER Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of NORWICH. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of CASHEL, WATER¬ FORD, and LISMOKE. Right Hon. and Right Rev. LORD AUCKLAND, BISHOP of SODORand MAN. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of MEATH. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of CALCUTTA. Right Rev. DR. CARR, late BISHOP of BOMBAY. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of BOMBAY. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of MADRAS. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of JERUSALEM. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of MELBOURNE. •esidents: Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of VICTORIA. Right Rev. LORD BP. of PRINCE RUPERT’S LAND. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of SIERRA LEONE. Very Rev. the DEAN of LLANDAFF. His Grace the DUKE of MANCHESTER. Most Noble MARQUESS of CHOLMONDELEY. The MARQUIS of BLANDFORD, M.P. Right Hon. EARL of CARLISLE. Right Hon. EARL of CHICHESTER. Right Hon. EARL of HARROWBY. Right Hon. EARL of BURLINGTON. Right Hon. EARL of RIPON. Right Hon. EARL of GAINSBOROUGH. ■ Right Hon. EARL of RODEN. Right Hon. Lieut.-Gen. VISCOUNT LORTON. Right Hon. LORD LILFORD. Right Hon. LORD GLENELG. Right Hon. LORD TEIGNMOUTH. LORD HENRY CHOLMONDELEY. Sir THOMAS DYKE ACLAND, Bart. M.P. Sir ROBERT HARRY INGLIS, Bart. M.P. JOHN THORNTON, Esq., Treasurer. Secretaries : REV. ROBERT FROST, M.A. Rev. GEORGE BROWNE. Superintendent of the Editorial Department, Rev. T. W. MELLER, AM., Rector of Woodbridge. Honorary Solicitors: Messrs. MARTEN, THOMAS, and HOLLAMS, Mincing Lane, London. Accredited Agents of the Society : Rev. Dr. PINKERTON, Germany. Mr. BENJAMIN BARKER, Turkey. Mr. DE PRESSENSE, Paris. Mr. W. P. TIDDY, Brussels. Rev. ISAAC LOWNDES, Malta and Greece. Lieut. GRAYDON, R.N ..Switzerland & Northern Italy. Mr. E. MILLARD, Breslau. Mr. C. S. DUDLEY, Rev. T. PHILLIPS, Mr.T.J. BOURNE, Rev. PHILIP KENT, Mr.G.T. EDWARDS Major FAWKES, Rev. J. A. PAGE, '•f J England and Wales. Mr. WILLIAM HITCHIN, Accountant <5f Assistant Secretary. Mr. HENRY KNOLLEKE, Assistant Foreign Secretary. Mr. JAMES FRANKLIN, Depositary. Mr. WILLIAM DAVIES, Collector. *** All Letters on the Business of the Society to be addressed to the Officers respectively, at the Society’s House, 10 Earl Street, Blackfriars, London. IT is the one, simple, exclusive Object of tlie British and Foreign Bible Society to pro¬ mote the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, without note or comment, both at Home and Abroad. By a fundamental Law of the So¬ ciety, the copies circulated in the languages of the United Kingdom must be those of the Authorised Version alone. In other Coun¬ tries, the best ancient or received Versions have been printed: and in the case of New Translations, all practicable means have been adopted, in order to ascertain both their strict fidelity and their general merit. The Constitution of the Society was framed so as to admit of the zealous co-opera¬ tion ofall persons favourable to its object; and accordingly its Proceedings are conducted by a Committee, consisting of Thirty-six Lay¬ men, six of whom are Foreigners resident in London or its vicinity: of the remainder, one-half are Members of the Church ot England, and the other half are Members of other Denominations of Christians. The President, Vice-Presidents,Treasurer, and Secretaries,are, ex officio, Members ofthe Committee. Governors, Clergymen also and Dissenting Ministers (being Members ofthe Society), are entitled to attend and vote at all Meetings of the Committee. A Subscription of One Guinea annually constitutes a Member; a Donation of Ten Guineas a Life Member: a Subscription of Five Guineas annually constitutes a Gover¬ nor; a Donation of Fifty Pounds a Life Governor ; with the privilege of purchasing Bibles and Testaments, at reduced prices, to 2 BRIEF VIEW OF THE PLAN AND OPERATIONS tlie extent of five times the amount of their annual subscriptions or equivalent donations. TheBmTiSH and Foreign Bible Society was instituted in the year 1804, at a period when the most lamentable destitution of the Scriptures was found very generally to pre¬ vail throughout the country, far beyond the means of any existing Societies materially to relieve; and when, for the supply of Wales in particular, several Clergymen and others had made some generous, but ineffectual, ef¬ forts to procure a new and large edition of the Scriptures in Welsh. The result, also, of many inquiries into the state of the European Continent was sufficient to prove, that even in those countries where the principles of the Reformation struck their earliest and their deepest root, there was an equal, if not more serious famine of the word of God: and in those very States, too, for which it was supposed that an adequate pro¬ vision had been made, it has since appeared that the great mass of the people were awfully destitute of every portion of the Sacred Vo¬ lume. The recent experience of the Society in Sweden, in Holland, and in Switzerland, has proved, beyond all question, that the people of these countries are still not ade¬ quately supplied. Under these circumstances it was, that the British and Foreign Bible Society arose, af¬ fected with the low state of Religion in the nominally Christian World,and with the utter darkness of other lands;—not in the spirit of rivalry with any kindred Institutions. From the first, it cheerfully recognised the labours of other Societies, both at Home and Abroad, which, according to their means, were send¬ ing forth a supply of the Holy Scriptures; and it has still reason to rejoice that these Societies, far from suffering either check or interrup¬ tion,have become more abundant and effective in their labours than at any former period. All that its founders proposed was, u that the Society should add its endeavours, to those employed by other Societies, for circulating the Scriptures through the British Dominions ; and that it should, according to its ability, ex¬ tend its influence to other countries, whether Christian, Mahometan, or Pagan.'” Hitherto, the blessing of Almighty God has remarkably prospered the Society ; and, while the actual result has far surpassed the utmost expectation of its early friends, it has frequently called forth the devout grati¬ tude of Christians in every part of the world. During the Forty-nine years of its ex¬ istence, the Society has put into circula¬ tion more than Twenty-six Millions of copies of the Scriptures, either in whole or in part; and its Expenditure, for this purpose, has reached nearly Four Millions ster¬ ling. The receipts for the past year alone have amounted to 109,I60Z. 10s. 8 d., arising from the usual sources of Donations, Annual Subscriptions, Sales, and Legacies: the Pay¬ ments during the same period have been 95,5077. 2s. 6d. ; and its Engagements ex¬ ceed 55,0007. There have been issued from its Depositories at Home and Abroad, within the same year, no fewer than 1,168,794 copies : and if the ag¬ gregate Issues of Foreign Bible Societies be added to those of the British and Foreign Bible Society, the Grand Total will amountto more than Forty-five Millions of copies of the entire Bible or New Testament, or in¬ tegral portions thereof, in different languages. The Table of Languages and Dialects, which is appended to this statement, will show that the Society has promoted the dis¬ tribution, printing, or translation of the Sacred Volume, in whole or in part, Directly, in 99 Languages or Dialects; Indirectly, in 51 ... . ditto . . . : and that the number of Versions of the Holy Scriptures, in whole or in part, hitherto com¬ pleted, is 177 ; of which 123 are Translations never before printed. With a view to the prosecution of its great purpose, an extensive Correspondence was opened, soon after its formation, with the Clergy and Laity of different Countries; and in this way many valuable co-adjutors were obtained ; some few of whom, together with others since raised up, are still actively en¬ gaged in its service. But the operations of the Society have been chiefly promoted by the establishment of Auxiliary and Branch Societies and Bible Associations; which, at length, happily extend, not only to every part of the United Kingdom, but throughout our Colonial Dependencies;—such Auxiliary Societies being allowed to purchase Bibles and Testaments at cost price; and their Members having the same privileges, at the Local Depositories, which the Members of the Parent Society enjoy in London. Similar Societies, with their separate Branches, have been formed in other Coun¬ tries ; holding, from time to time, a friendly communication with the British and Foreign Bible Society: and to all of them it has, with some few exceptions, extended considerable aid. From the Table annexed on page 7, it will appear that there are within the United Kingdom no fewer than 3270 of such Auxi¬ liaries, Branches, or Associations; and 549 in the British Colonies and other Dependen¬ cies. There are also more than Fifty princi¬ pal Foreign Societies, with their respective Branches, spreading their salutary influence over the States of Europe, all more or less effective in the distribution of the Scriptures. It is impossible to estimate too highly the value of such means, for the purpose of carry- OF THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 3 ing the Scriptures to the cities, towns, and villages of our own country, and placing them within the reach of all who are anxious to possess the Sacred Treasure. In England alone many Millions of copies have, in this way, been circulated: and if the principles of our Holy Religion have acquired any greater influence over the public mind, unquestio¬ nably much must be attributed to the wider spread of the Sacred Volume, and a more general appreciation of its doctrines—that “ Law of the Lord, which is perfect, convert¬ ing the soul.” But the sales of the Scriptures at Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Birming¬ ham, and other towns, within the last few years, seem to indicate that our work is only commencing. Wales has been supplied, by means of the Society, to the extent of more than two-thirds of its population. The total of Welsh Scrip¬ tures, printed to the present time, is 816,759 copies; and the number sold from year to year abundantly shows that the demand for them is still increasing in the Principality, and that the zeal of the Welsh continues unabated. The destitute condition of the Highlands of Scotland demanded the special attention of the Society at a very early period; and 143,645 copies of the Gaelic Scriptures have been provided, which have been most grate¬ fully received. ’ So scarce had they become, that a single copy of the Bible could not be purchased for less than twenty-five shillings. During the last few years, several large grants have been made for the purposes of the High¬ land Districts; and from the efforts still making to promote the spiritual welfare of their Gaelic Population, continued demands for the Scriptures may be expected. Ireland, so painfully interesting both to the statesman and the Philanthropist, has had a large measure of sympathy. The Hibernian Bible Society continues actively employed ; but so inadequate are its resources to meet the wants of Ireland, that, in addition to all former grants, 33,350 Bibles and Testaments have been cheerfully voted in the course of the past year to the Sunday-School Society for Ireland, and some other Societies. The Annual Reports of these and other So¬ cieties furnish much satisfactory evidence that the Scriptures are not circulated in vain. In numerous instances, the instruction commu¬ nicated to the children has been rendered a blessing, not only to themselves, but also to their parents ; and there is reason to believe that many, very many, have been brought out of darkness, into the marvellous light of the Gospel, by the simple perusal of the word of God. For some time past a system of Colportage has been commenced in Ireland, and has been carried on more or less in thirty- one counties, and promises the best results. Already, by this means, 152,545 copies have been sold in seven years. May it be the dawn of a better day for that unhappy country ! and may its recent troubles be over-ruled for the spread of the Gospel of peace ! The entire number of copies which has been granted for Ireland amounts to 1,651,734. In particular, there have been given successive Editions of the Scriptures in the Irish Lan¬ guage, some of which are in the Irish Cha¬ racter; amounting, in the whole, to 117,543 copies of the Bible, New Testament, or in¬ tegral portions. The necessity for such a work may be conceived, when it is stated that no part of the Irish Scriptures had been reprinted since the first Edition of the Bible had been brought out under the auspices, and chiefly at the expense, of the Hon. Robert Boyle, in 1686. The European Bible Societies already alluded to, less free to act than our own, and labouring under many disadvantages, from the prevalence of infidelity on the one hand, and of Roman Catholic bigotry on the other, have nevertheless, according to their means, been very effective in their co¬ operation. The number of copies of the Scriptures put forth by them, in different languages, amounts to more than seven mil¬ lions, including those printed by the Russian Bible Society. All these Societies have had, in former years, large pecuniary assistance, or supplies of books, from the British and Foreign Bible Society ; but with most of these Societies all direct intercourse has ceased, in consequence of their still continu¬ ing to circulate the Apocryphal Books. The principal of these Foreign Societies, with their issues, are as follows:— Copies Swedish Bible Society. 670,413 Danish ditto. 203,262 Netherlands ditto. 487,911 Prussian ditto. 1,694,620 Wiirtemburg ditto. 623,515 Saxon ditto. 218,400 Swiss Societies. 719,719 Paris ditto. 543,403 In addition to these large issues, and a variety of private grants, not fewer than 800,000 copies of the German New Testa¬ ment were furnished, at an early period, to some zealous individuals, for distribution; and a still larger number, both of Bibles and Testaments, have been circulated by those Agencies of the Society hereafter to be noticed. The Russian Bible Society, before its sus¬ pension by an imperial Ukase in 1826, had its 289 Auxiliaries or Branches, and had un¬ dertaken the printing of the Scriptures in twenty-seven different languages ; of which, 861,105 copies of the entire Bible, New Tes¬ tament, or separate books, had left the press. In the Modern Russ alone, an edition of 10,000 copies of the Pentateuch, 145,600 of a 2 4 BRIEF VIEW OF THE PLAN AND OPERATIONS the Psalms, and above 10,000 of the New Testament, were printed; when the inha¬ bitants of the vast empire of Russia re¬ ceived,/^* the first time, a. Translation of the Scriptures in their native tongue, the bene¬ fits ofwhichit is impossible to calculate. Such was the lively interest taken in its labours, that the total grants of the British and Fo¬ reign Bible Society in its favour amount to 16,833Z. 145. 9d. A Protestant Bible Society was formed at St. Petersburgh, in the year 1826 ; which has distributed 250,325 copies. Several friends have subsequently formed themselves into an Agency in St. Petersburgh, in direct correspondence with this Society, by whose exertions the Society has circulated 329,599 copies of the Scriptures, in twenty different languages. In Finland, 60,000 destitute families have been supplied with a copy of the New Testament each, in their own language; and nearly 120,000 copies have been distributed. In India, the Bible Societies of Calcutta, Madras, Bombay, Agra, and in Ceylon, have circulated 1,920,211 copies of the Bible, the New Testament, or integral portions of the Sacred Volume in various languages; all of which, except the revised editions of the Tamul and Malay, and some European Ver¬ sions, are entirely new Translations : while, in addition to these, the laborious Missionaries of Serampore, and their successors in Cal¬ cutta, have printed very considerable num¬ bers in the many languages or dialects of India. The assistance afforded by the Bri¬ tish and Foreign Bible Society, in grants of money, paper, and books(inclusive of27,230£. to Dr. Carey and his Associates), amounts to no less than 206,456Z. 95. 9 d. In Calcutta, large Editions of the Scrip¬ tures have been printed from time to time, in order to insure a regular supply for the Bengal Presidency. The results have been most encouraging. Yet still is there an over¬ whelming proportion of the millions of India to whom the Sacred Volume is a book unknown. Measures have recently been adopted with a view to a more extensive diffusion of the Scrip¬ tures throughout the Bengal Presidency. Within the last seven years, the Agra So¬ ciety has distributed 58,656 copies of the Scriptures, or portions of the Scriptures, in Persian, Urdu, Hindi, and Punjabi. At Madras, among other recent mea¬ sures, twenty-one Colporteurs have been employed, to effect a more general distri¬ bution of the Scriptures, in the four great languages of Southern India—more espe¬ cially among the Tamul population, which counts a far larger proportion of Native Christians than any other. At Bombay, the Scriptures have been pre¬ pared and circulated, principally in the Mahratta and Gujerattee languages. At J affna, in the Island of Ceylon, where the Tamul Language is spoken by a large portion of the population, and a revision of tlm Tamul Version has just been completed, active measures are in progress for its dis¬ tribution in happy concert with the Madras Committee; and a hope is entertained that it will at length assume the character of a standard Version. For the Chinese —comprising, probably, one-third or one-fourtli of the world’s popu¬ lation, many of whom are resident within the British Dominions in the East—two Versions of the entire Scriptures have been published, chiefly at the expense of the Society. Many thousand copies have been distributed among this interesting people, by means of our Mis¬ sionaries in China, and throughout the Indian Archipelago ; and some converts are already gathered into the Christian fold, as the con¬ sequence, and as the first-fruits, we trust, of larger accessions. But the faithful version of Dr. Morrison, like all first attempts, having been found imperfect, and not sufficiently idiomatic to be understood by the mass of the Chinese, a careful revision of former versions, or rather a new translation, has lately been completed, by the combined la¬ bours of the Protestant Missionaries in China, to which the Society has contributed large pecuniary assistance. An entire copy of the New Testament can now be printed for a sum not exceeding threepence-halfpenny, a cir¬ cumstance full of wonderful encouragement as regards the 360 millions of the vast empire of China. In the two other great languages of the Chinese Empire—the Manchou and the Mongolian—Versions of the Scriptures have also been prepared, at the cost of the Society ; and it has likewise printed a trans¬ lation of the New Testament for the use of the Dajacks in Borneo. A commencement is about to be made in the Japanese. In the languages of Madagascar, New Zea¬ land, Tahiti, Rarotonga, and some other Islands in the South Seas, Translations have been made by the Missionaries at these stations, and editions to the extent of 184,334 copies have been printed by the Society. In several of the dialects of Africa a satis¬ factory commencement has been made ;—for the Namacquas, the Bechuanas, and the Caf- fres of the South—for the Bulloms, Mandin- goes, and others of the Western Coast—and for the Berbers of the Atlantic Range. The ancient Church of Abyssiniahas been supplied with an edition of the Ethiopic Psalter and Go¬ spels ; and in the Amharic or Vulgar Dialect of a part of Abyssinia the Society has printed successive editions of the New Testament, Psalter, and Pentateuch, and also an edition of the whole Old Testament. For the people of Egypt,too, the Psalter and Gospels have been OF THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 5 printed in Coptic and Arabic. In Capo Town, and its Colonies, such lias been the success of Christian Missionaries from various bodies, and such the desire awakened to pos¬ sess the Scriptures, that the Society was in¬ duced a few years ago to send Air. T. J. Bourne to visit them, with 20,000 copies of the Dutch and English Scriptures, and with a view to organize their Auxiliaries. Further supplies, to the extent of at least 20,000 co¬ pies, were afterwards sent to the Cape. The results have been most encouraging, and further demands continue to be made. Throughout the British Colonies of Australia, the West Indies, and the Canadas, ever} 7 demand has been met; and the Scrip¬ tures have been circulated to a considerable extent, by means of the numerous Auxiliary Societies established in these dependencies. But there is one great system of the Society which remains to be noticed. Apart from the operation of Auxiliary and Branch Societies, which has proved so effective, it has been found necessary to establish several distinct Foreign Agencies, which have succeeded, beyond all expectation, in promoting the great work of Bible distribution ; and it may be doubted whether the operations of the So¬ ciety can ever be carried into full effect with¬ out the multiplication of such Agencies. At Paris, such an Agency was absolutely required, from the limited character of the Protestant Bible Society, which left the Ro¬ man-Catholic population of France wholly unprovided for. Professor Kieffer had put into circulation, prior to March 1833, no fewer than 730,650 copies of the Scriptures; and, under the superintendence of M. De Pres¬ sense, there have been issued in twenty years only, from the Paris Depot, 2,291,131 copies of the Bible or New Testament; giving a re¬ sult which could not have been obtained by any other means. “ These distributions,” M. De Pressense writes, “have been abun¬ dantly blessed of the Lord ; and have given rise to circumstances altogether novel in our country, which cannot fail to be attended with results of the highest consequence, as regards a religious awakening among its in¬ habitants.” Within the last few years, also, M. De Pressense has been authorised to employ a number of Colporteurs, with a view to spread the Sacred Volume more generally through¬ out the 86 Departments of the Empire. This measure is, perhaps, one of the most impor¬ tant ever adopted in favour of France. These pious, unassuming, and devoted men have sold no fewer than 1,640,474 copies. And the results have become strikingly apparent in the spread of Evangelical Religion through¬ out many departments of that once infidel country. At Frankfort, a similar Agency was rendered necessary, partly from the reluc¬ tance of several Continental Societies to cir¬ culate the Bible without the Apocrypha, partly to secure the Society’s editions from every thing in the shape of note, preface, or comment, and, further, to conduct the print¬ ing of the Scriptures with the greatest eco¬ nomy and fidelity. Within the last few years a new and interesting field has been opened in Hungary, where very considerable dis¬ tributions have been effected. Under the care of Dr. Pinkerton, the issues from the year 1830 to the present time have been 1,276,709 copies: and several large editions of the German and other Scriptures are now in the press; and, under the present circumstances of Germany, probably there is no depart¬ ment of the Society more important than its Frankfort Agency. Availing himself of the facilities created by recent events, Dr. Pin¬ kerton has commenced the system of Col- portage, in consequence of which his sales have been greatly increased. In Austria, an Agency was commenced in the year 1850, and in about twenty-one months 41,659 copies of the Scriptures, in the German, Bohemian, and Hungarian lan¬ guages, were put into circulation. Opposi¬ tion has, however, been awakened, and the authorities have ordered the whole of the copies on hand to be withdrawn from the country. In Belgium, where little had been done for its Roman-Catliolic population, there have been sold 196,311 Bibles and Testaments, through the direct exertions of Mr. Tiddy and the Colporteurs employed by him. A great desire has been awakened in Belgium, and more recently in Holland, to possess and read the Scriptures. In the latter coun¬ try 326,689 copies have been sold by means of Colporteurs, in little more than eight years. At Cologne, also, a Depot has been recently opened, from which 273,503 copies have been issued. At Stockholm, the Society has availed it¬ self of the services of several friends to form an important Agency for Sweden and Fin¬ land ; which has already been the means of furnishing several large dioceses, hitherto destitute, with a supply of the Scriptures. The total issues, since the year 1832, have been 547,596 Bibles and Testaments. In Spain and Portugal, an entrance was obtained a few years back for the word of God, and the Society availed itself of the ser¬ vices of two friends in Spain for the sale of the Scriptures: so that, within a short time, nearly 14,000 copies were distributed, prin¬ cipally by sale. In Switzerland and Northern Italy 87,000 copies have been issued, by the ex¬ ertions of Lieut. Graydon, principally by sale. 6 BRIEF VIEW OF THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. For the long-neglected countries of Greece and Turkey, where so many Christian Churches once flourished, Agents have also been employed, from the want of every other facility for the circulation of the Sacred Vo¬ lume. And among the Armenians at Con¬ stantinople and elsewhere, the distribution of the Scriptures has been followed by the most striking results. A considerable number of Evangelical Churches have been formed, taking the Scriptures as their sole guide and authority. From the various Depots more than 250,000 entire copies or portions of the Scriptures have been scattered over those countries, chiefly in Modern Greek. For Greece, the printing of the revised edi¬ tion of both the Old and New Testament has been completed. The entire Bible, thus carefully prepared, cannot fail of being at¬ tended with the most important conse¬ quences to the Eastern Church. In the West Indies, the Society’s Agents have most effectively followed up that noble act of British benevolence, which provided 102,904 New Testaments and Psalms for the Negro Population of our Colonies. Nume¬ rous Bible Associations have been formed in most of the Islands; and large demands have, in consequence, been made for Bibles and Testaments at cost price. Several De¬ pots have been established in Jamaica, from one of which 32,726 copies were issued in the short space of twenty-one months. It is to be regretted that little has been effected for the vast continent of South Ame¬ rica, for the Mexican States, and some other neighbouring countries. Yet some attempts have been made, which have partially suc¬ ceeded. The Society has availed itself of some private channels for the sale of the Scriptures, to the extent of some thousands of copies. It only remains to bear honourable testi¬ mony to the United States of North America, which have nobly followed the example of the Fatherland. At New York, the American Bible Society, with 1400 Aux¬ iliaries, and a large number of Associations, is in active operation ; and at Philadelphia, a similar Institution, with various Branches, successfully prosecutes the same object; and their united issues, together with those of the American and Foreign Bible Society, amount to 9,208.717 copies of the Bible or New Testament. They have also afforded considerable pecuniary assistance to Foreign Societies and Foreign Missionaries; and they are endeavouring, according to their means, to furnish every family within the States with a copy of the Sacred Volume. Such is a brief, but, necessarily, a very imperfect sketch of the Plan and Operations of the British and Foreign Bible Society. Who that thinks of the wide-spread influence which it has obtained, or of the Forty-five Millions of copies of the Scriptures, in 177 Versions, which it has been the means of putting forth, but must exclaim, with surprise and gratitude, “ What hath God wrought!” Yet who can read the accounts which have been given of many towns and districts in our own land — or carry his thoughts to the destitute condition of millions in Pagan or Mahometan countries—without feeling that we are only at the threshold of the work! And even in many countries no¬ minally Christian, the great mass of the people are but just beginning to learn that there is such a book as the Bible ! If it was originally necessary to form such a Society, it has become doubly imperative to perpe¬ tuate its labours, and to extend them, if we would realize the expectations that have been raised, and faithfully discharge that trust, which, in the good providence of God, de¬ volves upon us. Christian Ministers at home, and Christian Missionaries abroad, are look¬ ing to it for supplies; and all who are engaged in the work of Education rest their hopes upon it, as the means of affording reli¬ gious instruction to the young;—and shall they ask in vain ? Never were there such openings for the introduction of the Scrip¬ tures, in every part of the world. Never did the Society stand in greater need of the in¬ creased exertions of its friends than at the present time, for the accomplishment of its high and sacred purposes. In the emphatic language of the Bishop of Calcutta, it may still be said, that “ India, with its mil¬ lions, waits for our labours.” The events which have recently taken place on the con¬ tinent of Europe, and the extraordinary openings for the circulation of the Scriptures, require a corresponding effort, and will in¬ volve a large expenditure. , And in other countries a wide and effectual door has been opened for the entrance of the word of life, which may become, too soon, either partially or entirely closed. Other influences are abroad, llomanism is compassing sea and land to make its proselytes, even from our Protestant communities and our Missionary settlements : and, on the other hand, Infide¬ lity is fearfully at work to corrupt all private morals, to overturn the social system, and to destroy the best hopes of man. Who, then, can think of the past labours or present pro¬ spects of the Society, and at the same time remember his own fleeting opportunities for usefulness, without hearing the di¬ vine injunction, which says, — “ Whatso¬ ever thine hand findeth to do, do it with thy might”? “Work while it is called to¬ day : the night cometli, wherein no man can work.” BIBLE SOCIETIES CONNECTED WITH dljc Un'tisf) nntr Jfoittgn 33tble ^on'ety. IN GREAT BRITAIN: Auxiliaries, 115.. .Branches, 3G5.. .Associations, 2160.. .Total, 3270. Of these Associations, the Jar greater part are conducted by Ladies. IN THE COLONIES, OTHER DEPENDENCIES, &c.: Auxiliaries, 69.Branches, 280.Associations, 200... .Total, 549. BIBLE SOCIETIES CONNECTED WITH THE HIBERNIAN BIBLE SOCIETY: Auxiliary and Branch Societies and Associations, in 1852, in the Four Provinces, 503. FOREIGN AGENCIES connected with the BRITISH & FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY", Which have the superintendence of Depots of the Holy Scriptures : I. Iu France, at Paris. II. In Belgium, at Brussels. III. In Holland, at Amsterdam and Breda. IV. In Germany, at Frankfort, Cologne, and Breslau.—V. In Sweden, at Stockholm. VI. Iu Norway, at Christiania, Drontheim, Christiansand, and Stavanger. VII. In Russia, at St. Petersburg!!. VIII. In Switzerland and for Northern Italy, at Geneva. IX. In Malta, at Valetta. X. In Turkey in Asia, at Smyrna. The British and Foreign Bible Society has also Depots of Bibles and Testaments in the following places; viz. Odessa, Constantinople, Athens, Gibraltar, Bucharest, &c. FOREIGN SOCIETIES, FORMERLY OR AT PRESENT ASSISTED BY THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY, WITH THE AMOUNT OF THEIR ISSUES. COPIES OF SStotftn’U IEuVQM * French , Breton , Spanish , Catalonian , scriptures. * * Portuguese , German , §c. Bibles & Tests. 1. Protestant Bible Society at Paris, instituted 1818, with 132 Auxi¬ liaries . 287,411 2. French and Foreign Bible Society at Paris, instituted 1833, with Auxiliaries. 212,689 3. Strasburgh Bible Society, instituted 1815—(chiefly German Bibles and Testaments). 76,223 Issued from the Society’s Depot in Paris, from April 1820, 3,021,781 copies. ‘Mmdfimt '3Euvnm> $ ^ ce ^ an ^ c -> Swedish , Finnish , Lapponese, J * l Danish , Faroese , <^c. 4. Icelandic Bible Society, instituted 1815 . 10,445 5. Swedish Bible Society, instituted 1809, with Auxiliaries. 670,413 The Agency at Stockholm, formed 1832, has issued 547,596 copies. 6. Norwegian Bible Society, instituted 1816 . 48,903 The Agency at Christiania, formed 1832, has issued 78,111 copies. 7. Stavanger Bible Society, instituted 1828 . 7,017 8. Finnish Bible Society, instituted 1812, at Abo, with many Branches, 130,000 9. Danish Bible Society, instituted 1814, with Auxiliaries. 203,262 ©cntral lEurope. 10. Netherlands Bible Society, with Auxiliaries. 487,911 The Agency at Amsterdam and Breda, appointed 1843, has issued 326,689 copies. 11. Belgian and Foreign Bible Society, at Brussels, instituted 1834 . . . 7,623 12. Belgian Bible Associations, instituted 1839 . 14,909 The Agency at Brussels, appointed 1835, has issued 196,311 copies. 13. Antwerp Bible Society, instituted 1834 . 439 14. Ghent Bible Society, instituted 1834 . 8,980 15. Sleswick-Holstein Bible Society, instituted 1815, with Auxiliaries . . 135,000 16. Eutin Bible Society, instituted 1817, for Principality of Liibeck . . 5,296 17. Liibeck Bible Society, instituted 1814. 14,644 18. Hamburgli-Altona Bible Society, instituted 1814, with Branches . . 99,141 19. Bremen Bible Society, instituted 1815, with an Auxiliary. 26,913 20. Lauenburgh-Ratzeburgh Bf' jle Society, instituted 1816. 10,675 r-V i Carried forward . . . -i 2,457,894 8 BRIEF VIEW OF THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. Bibles & Tests. Brought forward. 2,457,894 21. Rostock Bible Society, instituted 1816. 19,154 22. Hanover Bible Society, instituted 1814, with Auxiliaries .... 125,539 23. Lippe-Detmold Bible Society, instituted 1816. 3,569 24. Waldeck and Pyrmont Bible Society, instituted 1817 ... . 2,800 25. Hesse-Cassel Bible Society, instituted 1818 . . 30,000 26. Hanau Bible Society, instituted 1818... . 3,316 27. Marburg Bible Society, instituted 1825 . . . . 7,832 23. Frankfort Bible Society, instituted 1816 . 73,565 The Agency at Frankfort, appointed 1830, has issued 1,276,709 copies. 29. Hesse-Darmstadt Bible Society, instituted 1817, with Auxiliaries . . 31,484 30. Duchy-of-Baden Bible Society, instituted 1820, with Auxiliaries . . 18,585 31. WUrtemberg Bible Society, instituted 1812, with Auxiliaries . . 623,515 32. Bavarian Protestant Bible Institution at Nuremberg, instituted 1821, with Auxiliaries. 175,920 33. Saxon Bible Society, instituted 1814, with Auxiliaries.218,400 34. Leipzig Bible Society, instituted 1840 . 22,346 35. Anhalt-Bernburg Bible Society, instituted 1821 . 4,786 36. Anhalt-Dessau Bible Society. 3,310 37. Weimar Bible Society, instituted 1821 . 3,773 38. Eisenach Bible Society, instituted 1818. 4,938 39. Brunswick Bible Society, instituted 1815. 700 40. Prussian Bible Society at Berlin, instituted 1805, with Auxiliaries . 1,694,620 Issued to the Prussian Troops, since 1830 . 360,000 The Agency at Cologne, appointed 1847, has issued 273,503 copies. anti Iitalg— German , French , Italian , and Iiomanese. 41. Basle Bible Society, instituted 1804 . ... 427,865 42. Schaffhausen Bible Society, instituted 1813. 13,179 43. Zurich Bible Society, instituted 1812, with an Auxiliary at Winterthur, 15,163 44. St. Gall Bible Society, instituted 1813. 41,625 45. Argovian Bible Society, instituted 1815. 19,454 46. Berne Bible Society . 44,646 47. Neufchatel Bible Society, instituted 1816. 19,016 43. Lausanne Bible Society, instituted 1814 . 47,692 49. Geneva Bible Society, instituted 1814 . 69,474 50. Glarus Bible Society, instituted 1819. 5,000 51. Coire or Chur Bible Society, instituted 1813. 12,267 52. Waldenses Bible Society at La Tour, instituted 1816. 4,238 (&mce anti 53. Ionian Bible Society, instituted 1819 at Corfu, with three Auxiliaries 7,377 Mu00ta. 54. Russian Bible Society, St. Petersburgh, (previous to its suspension by an Imperial Ukase in 1826, had 289 Auxiliaries, and had printed the Scriptures in various languages; the circulation of which is still allowed).861,105 55. Russian Protestant Bible Society at St. Petersburgh, instituted 1826, with numerous Auxiliaries. 250,325 The Agency at St. Petersburgh, formed 1828, has issued 329,599 copies. $ntita. 56. Calcutta Bible Society, instituted 1811, with various Branches . . 730,473 Serampore Missionaries. 200,000 57. North-India Bible Society, at Agra, instituted 1845 58,656 58. Madras Bible Society, instituted 1820 . 795,365 59. Bombay Bible Society, instituted 1813. 190,877 60. Colombo Bible Society, instituted 1812, with various Branches in Ceylon, 39,263 61. Jaffna Bible Society. 105,577 America. 62. American National Bible Society. 8,288,982 63. American and Foreign Bible Society. 686,696 64. Philadelphia Bible Society. 233,039 Total of Copies of Scriptures , . . 19,053,400 EDITIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES, AND INTEGRAL PORTIONS THEREOF, 9 ^printcK (directly) fov tljc IButtsI; .-(foreign IMlile ^ocietp. VERSIONS. Ill 1IL.ES. TESTS. TOT AI.. Accra St. Matt. & St. John • • • • • • 1,010 . . 1,010 Aimara &Spanish,St.Luko • • • • • • 1,104 ... 1,104 Albanian & Modern Greek • • • • • • 2,000 ... 2,000 1,996 ... 6,010 ... 8,006 Portions ofO. Test. 2,010 ... • • • • • • 2,010 Arabic. 14,441 ... 31,128 ... 45,569 Portions of O. Test. 24,200 ... • • • • • • 24,200 Gospels andActs. • • • • • • 10,000 ... 10,000 Armenian, Ancient &Mod. • • • • • • 3,000 ... 3,000 Ancient. • • • • • • 8,000 ... 8,000 Modern. • • • • • • 21,000 ... 21,000 Mod. Por. of N. T. • • • • • • 2,000 ... 2,000 Armen. (Ararat) Ps. & Test, . 5,000 ... 1,500 ... 6,500 with Ancient in par. cols. • • • • • • 4,500 ... 4,500 Basque (French), St. Matt. • • • • • ■ 2,000 ... 2,000 Testaments . • • • • • • 2,000 ... 2,000 Basque (Spanish),St.Luke • • • ♦ • • 1,000 ... 1,000 Bengali . » • • • • • 3,026 ... 3,026 and English . • • • • • • 2,018 ... 2,018 Berber, St. Luke . • • t • • • 250 ... 250 Bohemian . 25,000 ... 26,000 ... 51,000 Testaments & Psalms • • • • • • 13,000 ... 13,000 Breton. • • • • • • 8,000 ... 8,000 Bulgarian . • • • • • • 10,000 ... 10,000 Car shun . • • • • • • 4,000 ... 4,000 Catalan . • • • • • • 9,030 ... 9,030 Chaldaic Gospels . • • • • • • 2,000 ... 2,000 Chinese . 5,000 ... 101,629 ... 106,629 Portions of 0. & N. T. 6,500 ... 22,006 ... 28,506 Chippeway, St. John. • • • • • • 1,000 ... 1,000 Coptic & Arabic, Ps. & Gos. 2,014 ... 2,000 ... 4,014 Dajack . • • • • • • 1,500 ... 1,500 T>anish. 15,848 ... 125,934 ... 141,782 Dutch . 133,395 ... 586,104 ... 719,499 Psalms . 15,500 ... * • • • • • 15,500 Enghadine . • • • • • • 2,000 ... 2,000 English, various editions, 7,380,066 Psalms. 393,243 . .8,244,759 ..15,624,825 393,243 Gospels and Acts • • • • • • 5,198 ... 5,198 Esquimaux. • • • • • • 4,000 ... 4,000 Portions of Old Test. 4,025 ... • • • • • • 4,025 Esthonian. • • • • • • 5,000 ... 5,000 Ethiopic, Psal. & New Test. 2,100 ... 2,020 ... 4,120 Finnish. 10,000 ... 112,500 ... 122,500 Test, and Psalms. Flemish. 5,000 French. . 393,372 and English. & German Test. & Psms. ... Portions of O. & N. Test. 65,363 Gaelic. 65,696 German. 414,919. Portions of Old Test... 54,198 Testament and Psalms In Hebrew Character. Greek, Ancient & Modern Ditto, Gospels . Modern... 11,120 Mod.PortionsofO.&N.T.116,923 Greek, Ancient. Ancient and Latin. Greenlandish Ps. and N.T. 1,200 Hebrew. 91,539 Pentateuch & Psalms . 57,858 Hebrew and German ... 8,083 Portions of Old Test. 38,462 Hindustani or Urdu. .. 5,000 .. 70,350 ..2,631,021 ,.. 10,060 3,030 .. 150,526 ,.. 77,949 ..1,013,755 > • • • • • .. 368,815 1,600 .. 45,294 2,030 .. 75,445 ... 1,010 ... 11,982 3,250 2,000 .. 13,312 10,000 VERSIONS. BIBLES. Hungarian. 59,300 Test, and Psalms Indo-Portuguese, Portions of Old and New Test. 6,000 New Testament. • • • • 7,000 ... 7,000 Irish, in Roman Character 10,000 . 5,050 ... 15,050 Genesis & St. Matthew 5,000 .. 10,000 ... 15,000 In Irish Character... 5,000 .. 79,473 ... 84,473 Gospels and Acts.... • • • • 3,020 ... 3,020 Italian. 88,399 .. 174,190 ... 262,589 5,000 .. 75,350 , .3,024,393 .. 10,060 .. 3,030 .. 215,889 .. 143,645 ..1,428,674 ,. 54,198 .. 368,815 1,600 .. 45,294 2,030 .. 86,565 .. 117,933 .. 11,982 3,250 3,200 .. 104,851 .. 57,858 8,083 .. 38,462 .. 10,000 15,160 10,000 5,000 Ps. Prov. Eccl. & Isaiah, 5,000 and Latin Psalter. 2,000 Judseo-Arabic,Four Books ... Judeeo-Persic, Gospels. Judseo-Spanish. Lithuanian Test.&Psalms Malagasse Por.ofO.&N.T. New Testament. Malay, in Rom. Character, in Arabic Character, Malayalim Portions of N.T. ... Mandingo, St. Matthew. Manchou. Manks. 5,000 Mexican, St. Luke. Mohawk, St.John. Mongolian. Negro Dialect, Surinam.. NewZealand,Pent.&Josh. Psalms, and Tests. Persian, Portions ofO.T. New Testaments ... Piedmontese. and Italian Psalms.... & French, Luke & John Polish. 14,000 Test and Psalms. Portuguese. 18,042 Portions of O. & N. T. Rarotongan. 5,250 Russ, Modern Psalms. 1,000 Samoan. Sichuana, Test. & Psalms Servian . Spanish. 53,869 and Latin. 1,000 Portions of O. & N. T. 38,600 10,120 20,200 16,097 Swedish. 142,730 • • • 401,284 ... 544,014 Test. & Psalms • • • • • • 24,140 ... 24,140 Psalms. 51,500 • • • • • • ... 51,500 Syriac. 4,000 • • . 14,126 ... 18,126 and Carshun. • • • • • • 2,000 ... 2,000 Tahitian... 8,046 • • • 6,054 ... 14,100 Pent.& Gospels & Acts 3,030 • • • 3,020 ... 6,050 Tartar(Trans.Cauc.)St.Matt_ • • • 1,014 1,014 Turkish. 5,000 • • • 7,000 ... 12,000 Genesis and Psalms 4,030 • • • • • • 4,030 In Greek Character.. 2,500 • • • 5,000 7,500 Ditto, Por.ofO.&N.T. 4,000 ... 1,000 5,000 Yaudois&French,Luke&John .. Wallachian. Welsh. 379,115 and English. Wendish. Hungarian,Test.&Ps. Yoruba Portions of N.T. TESTS. 27,000 11,000 1,000 TO I A L. 86,300 11,000 7,000 2,020 . 1,000 . 3,000 . 5,113 , 1,018 , 11,116 12,000 10,000 7,065 500 1,000 2,250 250 2,000 2,015 3,000 76,020 14,850 1,000 5,000 2,000 2,020 1,000 3,000 5,113 16,178 11,116 22,000 15,000 7,065 500 1,000 7,250 250 2,000 2,015 3,000 10,120 96,220 16,097 14,850 1,000 1,010 • • • • • • 1,010 • • • • • • 2,030 2,030 14,000 • •. 74,000 ... 88,000 • • • • • • 5,000 ... 5,000 18,042 . . . 55,040 ... 73,082 5,000 • • • 1,000 6,000 5,250 10,100 ... 15,350 • • • • • • 2,140 2,140 1,000 • • • • • • ... 1,000 ... • • • 15,200 ... 15,200 5,050 4,000 168,897 * 11,140 5,050 4,000 222,766 1,000 49,740 3,020 10,000 437,644 1,986 8,000 5,000 1,000 3,020 10,000 816,759 1,986 8,000 5,000 1,000 10 Issues by tbe JUrttisj) antr jfom'p iStble Society .Jfrom Hontton. ©n tf)c Continent. BIBLES. March 7, 1804, to (None issued, the completed their Sept. 17,1805, to March 31,1808, to March 25, 1809, to Feb. 16, 1810, to March 25, 1811, to Feb. 21, 1812, to Dec. 31, 1812, to Year ending. Issued previous to Year ending. Sept. 17, 1805. Universities not having Stereotype Editions .) March 31,1808, March 25, 1809, Feb. 16, 1810, March 25, 1811, Feb. 21, 1812, Dec. 31, 1812, March 31,1814, March 31, 1815, March 31,1816, March 31, 1817, March 31,1818, March 31, 1819, March 31, 1820, March 31, 1821, March 31, 1822, March 31, 1823, March 31, 1824, March 31, 1825, March 31, 1826, March 31, 1827, March 31, 1828, March 31, 1829, March 31,1829, , March 31, 1830, March 31, 1831, March 31, 1832, March 30, 1833, March 31, 1834, March 31, 1835, March 31, 1836, March 31, 1837, March 31, 1838, March 30, 1839, March 31, 1840, March 31, 1841, March 31, 1842, March 31, 1843, March 30, 1844, March 31, 1845, March 31, 1846, March 31, 1847, March 31, 1848, March 31, 1849, March 30, 1850, March 31, 1851, March 31, 1852, March 31, 1853, 16,544 35,910 18,662 33,609 35,690 81,319 167,320 126,156 138,168 92,239 89,795 123,247 115,775 104,828 118,766 123,127 123,197 116,539 110,963 127,142 137,162 164,193 140,593 157,556 160,701 140,295 132,764 240,634 221,642 195,820 188,255 205.357 272,577 288,091 285,096 293,123 298,293 273,609 492,693 515,638 373,893 403,107 373.358 401,303 414,529 458,348 TESTS. ... 64,613 ... 41,362 ... 45,806 ... 69,009 ... 70,733 ... 121,261 ... 185,249 ... 123,776 ... 110,068 ... 100,782 ... 104,306 ... 136,784 ... 141,108 ... 142,129 ... 136,973 ... 136,723 ... 167,298 ... 164,116 ... 175,439 ... 166,864 ... 199,108 ... 201,231 .*.’.’ 184,860 ... 191,729 ... 182,444 ... 168,362 .. 155,427 ... 284,888 ... 191,229 ... 182,977 .. 181,509 ... 211,919 ... 265,882 ... 349,764 ... 299,448 ... 434,707 ... 378,331 ... 331,991 ... 612,094 ... 593,586 ... 463,468 ... 399,026 ... 409,845 ... 386,770 ... 390,652 ... 382,204 BIBLES. TESTS. TOTAL 221,059 21,706 15,991 32,954 28,977 13,498 20,509 21,888 23,740 37,650 37,773 38,714 39,720 34,659 39,776 37,301 44,225 50,894 42,935 51,640 55,124 76,712 73,310 76,061 59,734 ... 893.228 ... 87,263 ... 105,653 ... 207,789 ... 199,207 ... 92,211 ... 107,573 ... 124,083 ... 139,306 ... 186,984 ... 203,019 ... 199,187 ... 223,337 ... 196,348 ... 214,454 ...' 230,106 ... 265,986 ... 285,970 ... 267,124 ... 235,066 .. . 250,261 ... 276,780 ... 276,234 ... 273,400 ... 268,508 ... 81,157 ... 77,272 ... 64.468 ... 102’618 ... 106,423 ... 202,580 ... 352,569 ... 249,932 ... 248,236 ... 193,021 ... 194,101 ... 260,031 ... 256,883 ... 246,957 ... 255,739 ... 259,850 .. 290,495 ... 280,655 ... 286,402 ... 294,006 ... 336,270 ... 365,424 ... 1,114,287 ... 434,422 ... 470,929 ... 583,888 ... 536,841 ... 393,900 ... 653,604 ... 558,842 ... 541,843 ... 594,398 ... 658,068 ... 776,360 ... 900,912 ... 815,551 ... 982,060 ... 944,031 ... 915,811 ... 1,441,651 ... 1,419,283 ... 1,124,067 ... 1,107,518 ... 1,136,695 .. 1,137,617 ...1,154,642 ...1,168,794 Total 9,127,626 10,437,850 1,196,550 5,809,077 26,571,103 EXPENDITURE OF THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. During First Year, £ 619 10 2 Brought up.. £ 907,876 1 6 Brought up . .£2,332,296 3 8 Second . .... 1,637 17 5 Eighteenth . 90,445 6 4 Thirty-fourth... 91,179 14 11 Third. .... 5,053 18 3 Nineteenth. 77,076 0 10 Thirty-fifth.... 106,509 6 4 Fourth. .... 12,206 10 3 Twentieth. 89,493 17 8 Thirty-sixth- 110,175 8 5 Fifth. .... 14,565 .... 18,543 10 7 Twenty-first_ 94,044 3 5 Thirty-seventh.. 133,934 18 9 Sixth. 17 1 Twenty-second.. 96,014 13 7 Thirty-eighth... 90,968 9 5 Seventh .... .... 28,302 13 7 Twenty-third ... 69,962 12 3 Thirty-ninth.... 86,964 84,669 85,817 10 6 Eighth . .... 32,419 19 7 Twenty-fourth.. 86,242 9 8 Fortieth. 8 3 Ninth. . .. 69,496 13 8 Twenty-fifth_ 104,132 6 11 Forty-first...... 15 9 Tenth. ..,. 84,652 1 5 Twenty-sixth... 81,610 13 6 Forty-second ... 105,851 2 9 Eleventh ... .... 81,021 .... 103,680 12 5 Twenty-seventh. 83,002 10 9 Forty-third. 128,525 3 3 Twelfth .... 18 8 Twenty-eighth.. 98,409 10 9 Forty-fourth ... 105,042 19 1 Thirteenth.. .... 89,230 9 9 Twenty-ninth... 88,676 1 10 Forty-fifth. 88,831 1 2 Fourteenth . .... 71,099 1 7 Thirtieth. 70,404 16 7 Forty-sixth .... 97,246 2 0 Fifteenth... .... 92,237 1 4 Thirty-first. 84/249 13 4 Forty-seventh.. 103,543 10 10 Sixteenth... .... 123.547 12 3 Thirty-second... 107,4S3 19 7 Forty-eighth.... 103,930 9 10 Seventeenth. .... 79,560 13 6 Thirty-third.... 103; 171 5 2 Forty-ninth. 95,507 2 6 Carried up.. £907,876 1 6 Total Expenditure, fi Carried up. .£2,332,296 3 8 'om the commencement of the Institu tion.£3,950,993 7 5 11 TABLE OF LANGUAGES AND DIALECTS, IN WHICH THE DISTRIBUTION, PRINTING, OR TRANSLATION OF THE SCRIPTURES, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, - HAS BEEN PROMOTED BY THE ant? jfomgu kittle EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY. Tliosc printed in Italics are New Translations : the rest are Reprints of former Versions. Those marked (§) wereprinted indirectly at the expenseof tlieSociety, or in some measure assisted by it. All the rest were printed directly for the Society—with the exception of eleven, published by the American Bible Society, of two by the Danish, of one by the Norwegian, of one by the Basle, and of one by the Netherlands Society ; which are introduced here, in order to complete the View of Languages into which the Holy Scriptures have been translated. To each of these the i*) is prefixed. The letters R. and S. denote the Versions of the Russian Bible Society, and of the Serampore Mission ; both of which have been aid ed, in former years, by large grants from theSociety. Versions. What printed. i BRITISH ISLES. 2$$0SlCU\ 1 English ; Authorised Version . The entire Bible . 2 Welsh. Ditto. ! 3 Gaelic . Ditto. 4 Irish ; in native characters Ditto . j Ditto ; in Roman ditto .... Ditto . . . . ) 5 Manks. Ditto. FRANCE. G French; the three versions of Martin, Ostervald, and De Sacy. | The entire Bible | 7 Breton , or Armorican (Old Test, translated, but not printed) . . ^ New Testament. . 8 French Basque. Ditto .... | SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. 9 Spanish; Scio’s version . . . The entire Bible ) Ditto ; Enzinas’ ditto . New Testament S 10 Catalan (Pentateuch and Psalms not yet printed) ..... | New Testament. . 11 Spanish Basque , or Escuara . Gospel of St. Luke \ 12 Judceo-Spanish . New Testament . * Ditto with Hebrew in parallel columns (by American Society) | Old Testament . . 13 Portuguese; the two versions of Pereira and Almeida | The entire Bible . Northern Europe. 14 Icelandic. The entire Bible . 15 Swedish. Ditto. 16 Lapponese. New Testament . Quanian ,or Norwegian Lapponese, \ "NTpw TV«:tampnf (by Norwegian Bible Society) . 17 Finnish. The entire Bible . 18 Danish. Ditto. * Faroese, or Ancient Icelandic (by Danish Bible Society). . | St. Matthew . . | (Central lEuropc. 19 Dutch ; States-General Version . The entire Bible . Ditto ; Luther’s and Schurin’s do. New Testament . . 20 Flemish.. The entire Bible . Where circulated, or for whom designed. British Empire, &c. Wales. Highlands of Scotland. Various parts of Ireland, particu¬ larly the Provinces of Munster and Connaught. Isle of Man. France, Switzerland, and French Colonies. Province of Brittany. Departments of the Pyrenees, and Province of Navarre. Spain generally, and Spanish Co¬ lonies. Prov. of Catalonia and Valencia. Provinces of Biscay, Guipuscoa, and Alava. Spanish Jews in Turkey, &c. Ditto. Portugal, Sc Portuguese Colonies. Iceland. Sweden. Russian and Swedish Lapland. Norwegian Lapland. Finland. Denmark and Norway. Faro Islands, between Shetland and Iceland. Holland and Dutch Colonies. Ditto. Belgium. 12 BRIEF VIEW OF THE PLAN AND OPERATIONS Versions. What printed. Where circulated, or for whom designed. Central l£urope— continued. 21 German; Luther's version • The entire Bible . Protestant Germany, Prussia, &c* Ditto : two versions — Gosner | New Testament ) and Kistemaker . • • For Rom. Catholics in Germany. Ditto : Van Ess’s version . • • Ditto and Psalms ) German & Hebrew (in columns) Old Testament . } For German .Tpwa German, in Hebrew characters . New Testament . S 22 Lithuanian. The entire Bible . Province of Lithuania. § 23 Samogitian . New Testament . In three Districts of Wilna. 24 Polish . The entire Bible . Poland, Posen, Silesia, Sc c. Judceo-Polish .... New Testament . For Polish Jews. 25 Wendish, Upper • * The entire Bible . . Saxon Lusatia. 26 Ditto, Lower .... • • Ditto. Prussian Lusatia. 27 Bohemian. Ditto .... | For Tschehs of Bohemia, and Slovaks of Hungary. 28 Hungarian .... Ditto . . . . | New Test. & Psms. ^ Magyars of Hungary and Tran¬ sylvania. For the Protestant Vandals in 29 Hungarian Wendish . . • • Hungary and Carniola. gboutlmn Europe. ITALY AND SWITZERLAND. 30 Italian ; two versions — Diodati and Martini. j The entire Bible . Italy. 31 Latin. Ditto. Chiefly for Ecclesiastics. 32 Romanese. Ditto. In the Grisons of Switzerland. 33 Ditto Lower, or Enghadine • • Ditto. On the borders of the Tyrol. 34 Piedmontese . New Testament . Ditto (with Italian) • • Psalms . . . . > Piedmont. Ditto (with French) • • Gospels . ... J 35 Vaudois (with French) • • St. Luke Sc St. John For the Vaudois, or Waldenses. GREECE AND TURKEY. 36 Greek, Ancient .... • • New Testament . For Students. § Ditto, ditto. . R. The entire Bible . For the Greek Churches. 37 Greek, Modern .... o • Ditto. For the Greek People in general. 38 Albanian (with Modern Greek) . New Testament . Province of Albania, on Adriatic. 39 Turkish . The entire Bible . Turkey in general. Ditto, in Greek characters • • Ditto .... | For Greek Christians using Turk¬ ish lang. with Greek characters. * Ditto, in Armenian characters Ditto, ditto (by American Soc ) New Testament. . \ Old Testament . . ) For Armenian Christians using the Turkish language with Ar- j menian characters. § 40 Moldavian, or Wallachian . R. The entire Bible . S Moldavia, Wallachia, and part of Ditto. New Testament. . ^ Transylvania. 41 Servian , or Serbian . R. New Testament. . S In Servia and some bordering Ditto (by Wuk S. Karadschitsch) Ditto.£ Austrian States. 42 Turkish Provinces E. and S. of Bulgarian . Ditto . ... ^ Russia. Hungary. § 43 Slavonic, ancient and ecclesiastical language. R j The entire Bible | For the purposes of the Russian Church. 44 Russ, Modern . R. S Octateuch, Ps., } l and New Test. . S j Russia generally. § Slavonic and Modern Russ (in lumns). co- R. | New Testament . Ditto. 45 Dorpat Esthonian.... R. New Test. Sc Psalms Southern part of Esthonia. 46 Reval Esthonian .... R. The entire Bible . Northern do. on Gulf of Finland. § 47 Lettish, or Livonian . R. Ditto. Provinces of Livonia Sc Courland. § 48 Karelian . St. Matthew . . | For a Finnish tribe in the go¬ vernment of Tver. § 49 Zirian, or Sirenian . R . Ditto. Ditto, in government of Vologda. OF THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY 13 Versions. 50 § 51 § 52 § 53 § 54 $ |55 56 57 53 59 * 60 61 62 63 64 65 Mordvinian, or Morduin Tscli ere mission Tschmvaschian Orenburgh Tartar Karass , or Turkish Tartar veral other Books of the Testament translated). . Crimean Tartar . Whut printed. Where circulated, or for whom designed. IRussin— continued. For aFinnishTribeon banks ofOka R. New Testament . ) ( and Volga, in governments of Nische-Novogorod and Kasan. Ditto on the banks of the Volga R. New Testament. . ) ( and Kama, in the governments of Kasan and Simbersk. For a Finnish Tribe of the moun- R. The Gospels . . . ) tains in Kasan, Nische-Novo¬ gorod, and Orenburgh. R. New Testament. . $ \ * For Tartars in the vicinity of (se- Old Orenburgh. > Ditto Sc Psalms . | For Tartars in the government of R. R. Astrachan. Genesis. . . . | For the Caraite Jews of the Cri¬ mea, by way of trial. (Caucasian anti <23ortier (Kountms. Ossitinian (in the Russian de¬ pot) . R- Georgian (in Kedvuli, or Ecclesi¬ astical characters) . . . R. Ditto (civil, or common characters) Armenian, Ancient . . . R. Ditto. Ditto, Modern (with Anc. in cols.) Ditto, Modern (by Amer. Bib. Soc.) Ararat Armenian . Trans-Caucasian Tartar Gospels (but never } circulated) . . $ | New Testament Ditto .... The entire Bible . New Test. & Psalms ( New Testament . j Old Test, printing New Test. & Psalms St. Matthew . . Semitic ^Languages. Central regions of the Caucasus. Georgia, S.W. of the Caucasus. Armenia Proper ; but also pre¬ pared for the Armenians of Constantinople, Calcutta, &c. Around Mt. Ararat, S. of Georgia. Grusinia. Hebrew. Arabic. Judoeo-Arabic (Arabic brew characters) . in He- 66 67 68 69 Syriac.. Syriac and Carshun, in paral. cols. Carshun (Arabic in Syriac cha¬ racters) . Syro Chaldaic (Syriac in Nesto- rian characters). Persic (H. Martyn). Ditto (Archdeacon Robinson) . . Ditto (Dr. Glen). Ditto (Mirza Ibrahim) . Ditto (Mirza Jaffier) . Judceo-Persic (Persic in Hebrew characters). Pushtoo , or Afghan . . . S Belochce, or Bulochee . . . S. Old and New Test. . The entire Bible . \ I'our Books of i S New Testament i The entire Bible . | Ditto ... . | New Testament 1 | Gospels | Persia. New Testament. .) Old Testament . . S Ditto. \ Isaiah . . . . > Genesis. . . . ) | Four Gospels . Hist. Books and N. T. S Sanskrit , or Sungskrit Three Gospels . Jntita. I S. The entire Bible Hindustani , or Urdu (H.Martyn) Ditto (Mr.Thomason, and others) Ditto (Serampore version) * I New Testament. The entire Bible Ditto :) For the Jews, and for Students. For Mohammedans everywhere. For Jews in Yemen, Egypt, Syria, and Mesopotamia. Forthe Syrian Church in Travan- core, and parts of Syria. Mesopotamia, Aleppo, and other parts of Syria. Mosul, Djezira, Tolamisk, and country West of Kurdistan. For the Mohammedans, Parsees, and Persians of India. Persia Proper. For Jews in Persia. Afghanistan. Belochistan, South of the Indus, on the Arabian Sea. The sacred & learned language of the Brahmins throughout India. For the Mohammedans of India and others; the language being generally understood in all the larger towns. 1 14 BRIEF VIEW OF THE PLAN AND OPERATIONS Versions. Wliat printed. Where circulated, or for whom designed. TsTortfjern antt (Central UnUta. § § 70 Bengali . S. 1 The entire Bible . \ Ditto , two versions —Ellerton and Yeates. | New Testament 1 Province of Bengal. Ditto (in Roman characters) . Ditto.| Ditto (with English) . Ditto. J Province of S. Beliar, now part of the province of Bengal. § 71 Maghudha . S. Ditto .... | 72 Uriya , or Orissa . The entire Bible . j Province of Orissa, the greater part attached to Bengal. § 73 Hinduwee , or Hindooee Ditto .... | For Hindustan, or the upper provinces of the Bengal Presi¬ dency. Ditto , (called Hindee , by Ser. Trans.) both in the Nagree and > Ditto .... I Kythee characters S. ) ' Dialects of the Hinduwee. ( A district between the province § 74 Bughelcundee . S. New Testament. . ^ of Bundelcund and the sources of the Nerbudda River. § 75 Bruj , or Brij-bhasa . . . S. Ditto. Province of Agra. § 76 Canoj , or Canyacubja . . S. Ditto. In the Doab of Ganges & Jumna. § 77 Kousulu , or Koshala . . . S. Do. for Central India, or Rajpoot States. St. Matthew . . . Western part of Oude. § 78 Harrotee . S. New Testament . A province W. of Bundelcund. § 79 Oojein , or Oujjuyunee . . S. Ditto . Province of Malwah. § 80 Oodeypoora . S. Province of Mewar, or Oodeypoor. § 81 Mar war . S. New Testament . | Province of Joudpoor, or Mar- war, North of Mewar. § 82 Jnyapoora . S. St. Matthew . . j Province of Joypoor, E. of Mar- war, and West of Agra. § 83 Bikaneera . S. New Testament . | Province of Bikaneer, North of Marwar. § 84 Buttaneer , or Virat . . . S. Ditto . Prov. of Buttaneer, W. of Delhi. § 85 Sindhee . S. Province of Sindh,E. of thelndus. $ 86 Moult an, or Wuch, or Ooch . S. New Testament . j N. of Sindh, between the Indus, Chenaub, and Gharra Rivers. § 37 Punjabee, or Sikh . ... S. The entire Bible . Province of Lahore. § 88 Dogura, or Jumboo (Mountain Punjabee) . S. | New Testament | Mountainous, or Northern dis¬ tricts of Lahore. § 89 Cashmerian . S. {Pentateuch,Hist. ) i Books, & N.T. S Cashmere, North of Lahore. Gorkha Dialects: § 90 Nepalese, Khaspoora, or Parbutti, S. New Testament . S Kingdom of Nepaul, about Kat- Ditto (Rev. W. Start) St. Luke and Acts. 1 mandha. § 91 Palpa ....... S. Ditto .... | Small States N. of Oude, below the Himalayas. § 92 Kumaon . S. Ditto . Province of Kumaon, W. of Palpa. 93 Gurwhal, or Schreenagur . S. Ditto .... | ^outljern UnUta. Province of Gurwhal, West of Kumaon. MADRAS PRESIDENCY. 94 Telinga, or Teloogoo .... Pentateuch & N. T. 5 Northern Circars, Cuddapah, 8 Ditto (Vizagapatam version) . $ N. T. Sc large part' ^ of the Old Test, j Nellore, and greater part of Hydrabe-d, or Telingana. 95 Karnata , or Canarese .... New Testament . ( Throughout the Mysore, also in 1 S | Ditto (Bellary version) .... The entire Bible . j the province of Canara, and as far north as the Kistna River. 1 1 96 Tamul, or Tamil .. Ditto . The Carnatic, & N. part of Ceylon . 1 97 Malayalim . Ditto . Travancore and Malabar. 1 * Tuln (by Basle Bible Society) . . New Testament . Canara, westward of the Mysore. OF THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 15 Versions. Wliat printed. Where circulated, or for whom designed. § 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 * 108 109 no in 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 * 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 BOMBAY l’KESIDENCY. Kunkuna .... Mahratta .... Ditto (Bombay version) Gujerattee .... Ditto (Surat version) . Cutchee , or Catchee l J ali (in Burmese characters) Singhalese . S. s. Indo-Portuguese (Old Testament preparing). Pent. & New Test. | 'I’lie entire Bible . ^ Ditto . S New Testament . } The entire Bible . S S N. T. preparing, ^ £ somepart printed S (Region. ^ New Testament . ) The entire Bible . . j S Pent., Psalms, Sc 1 \ New Testament | 5n&o-(JDjjt'nm Countries. The Concan, chielly the S. part, among the common people. The Concan, and throughout the Mahratta territory. Surat, and province of Gujerat. Province of Cutcli, between the Gulf of Cutcli and the Indus. Sacred and learned language of Ceylon, & Indo-Chinese nations. S. part of the island, from Batty- cola on the E. to the R. Chilaw on the W. and in the interior. For Portuguese settlers and their descendants in Ceylon and va¬ rious parts of the Indian Seas. Assamese . S. Munipoora . S. Khassee (New Test, translated) Burmese (by Dr. Judson, for American Bible Society) . Siamese ,or 77m?/(N.Test. transl.) Chinese (Morrison’s version) . Ditto (Marshman’s ditto) Ditto (Board of Revisors) Manchou Buriat, or Eastern Mongolian Calmuc, or Western Mongo¬ lian . B. The entire Bible . New Testament . Four Gospels Sc Acts | The entire Bible St. Luke Sc St. John Contuse Empire. The entire Bible . Ditto .... Ditto .... New Testament . The entire Bible . | New Testament Assam, subject to Bengal Presid. Munipoor, on South of Assam. KhassuCountry,E.ofGarrowHills Burmese Empire, and Arracan. Polynesia. Malay, in Roman characters . Ditto, in Arabic characters . Malay , Low . Javanese (Old Test, preparing by the Netherlands Society) Dajak, or Dyak . Japanese, New Test, translated. Loochooan . Hawaiian (byAmerican Society) Tahitian . Rarotongan . Marquesan .^ Tongan (Old Test, preparing) Maori or New Zealand . Malagasse . Samoan .= Feejeean . Mare . .| New Caledonia . Papuan . The entire Bible Ditto .... New Testament | Ditto. Ditto . . . . . St. John. Luke Sc Acts printing. JfurtiKr Polynesia. The entire Bible. Ditto. Ditto. Someportionsgiven, } version preparing S New Testament . Pent., Josh., Ps., N.T. The entire Bible . Pent., Psalms, & N.T. New Testament . Portions given, ver- ) sion preparing . . S Ditto. St. Matthew printing. Kingdom of Siam. China Proper, Sc numerous Chi¬ nese in Indian Archipelago. Manchuria: it is also the Court language of Pekin. For the Buriats about Lake Bai¬ kal in Siberia, and for the Kalka Tribes of Mongolia. For Calmucs of the Don Sc Volga, in Russia; &Eleuths, Calmucs, and Soungars, of Mongolia. For the Moluccas, and Eastern part of the Archipelago. MalayPenins.; sea-ports&coasts of Sumatra, Java,&other islands Batavia and its neighbourhood. Island of Java. Borneo. Japan. Loochoo. Sandwich Islands. Georgian&other islands in S.Sens. Hervey Islands, ditto. Marquesan Islands, ditto. Tonga Islands, ditto. New Zealand. Madagascar. Navigators’ Islands. Feejee Islands. Island of Mare. New Caledonia. New Hebrides. 16 BRIEF VIEW OF THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. Versions. What printed. Where circulated, or for whom designed 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 * * * % # 148 149 150 and Coptic (with the Arabic) Ethiopic (Ecclesiastical) . Amharic (Vernacular). . Kinika (St. John, Romans, Ephesians translated) . Berber (Four Gospels and Ge¬ nesis translated) Bullom (with English) Mandingo (Four Gospels transl.) A ccra . Yoruba . Grebo (by American Bible Soc.) Namacqua . Sechuana . Caffre Sesuto (Gospels printed by the French Missionary Society) . NORTH. Greenlandish.• Africa. Psalms and Gospels . N. Test. Sc Psalms . . The entire Bible . j Gosp.of St. Luke . j- Part of St. Luke j St. Matthew . . Ditto. St. Matth. 8c St. John Six Books of New Test. Genesis and St.Luke . St. Luke, 8c c. . S N. Test. 8c Psalms, ( Prov.Eccles.&Isaiah {New Test.and por-} l tions of Old Test.} Esquimaux . Mohawk (Pent. 8c Psal. trans.) Mic-Mac Chippeway or Ojibway Ditto,ditto, (byAmericanSociety) Delaware (by ditto) . Choctaw (by ditto) . . . Dakota (by ditto). Creolese (by Danish Society) SOUTH. Negro Dialect of Surinam . Negro Dialect of Curasao (by Netherlands Society) . Aimara (with Spanish) Mexican . £ Psalms printing. America. } N. Test, and large ^ \ portion of Old T. } \ Gen., Ps., Prov., ) ( Prophets, New T. S S Isaiah, St Luke, } l and St. John . S S St.Matt.,St.Luke ( & Acts printing . St John.... | New Testament . / Epistles of St. John ) New Testament . PortionsofO.&N.Test. New Testament . New Test. 8c Psalms . | St. Matthew . . St. Luke . Ditto . For the Copts of Egypt. For the Church in Abyssinia. Abyssinia. Wanika Tribes, Eastern Africa. The Oases of the African Deserts from Mount Atlas to Egypt. About Sierra Leone, on W. coast. Mandingo country S. of GambiaR. Gold Coast, Western Africa. Yoruba Tribe, W. Africa. For Grebos, in Western Africa. N. of Orange River, S. Africa. | Bechuana, East of Namacqua. Caffraria, Eastern coast of South Africa. For the Basutos in South Africa. Greenland, for the Moravian Missions. Labrador, ditto. Indian Nations, West of the Falls of Niagara. For the Mic-Mac Indians in Nova Scotia. For the Chippeway or Delaware Indians. For Choctaw Indians. Dakota Indians. Danish West-Indian Islands. Surinam, Dutch Guiana. Island of Curasao. Bolivia. Mexico. RECAPITULATION. Of these 150 Languages or Dialects, the Distribution, Printing, or Translation of the Scriptures, in whole or in part, has been promoted by the Society, Directly.in 99 Languages or Dialects } T Indirectly.51 . . . ditto.$ lota1, 15U< The Number of Versions (omitting those which are printed in different characters only) is 177. Of these, 123 are Translations never before printed. FORM OF A BEQUEST TO THE SOCIETY. I give and bequeath to “ The British and Foreign Bible Societyinstituted in London , in the year 1804, the sum of Pounds Sterling, to be paid to their Treasurer for the time being , whose Receipt shall be a sufficient discharge for the same. And, I direct the said Legacy to be paid out of my pure personal Estate, applicable by Law to the payment of Charitable Bequests. And I further direct, that, if necessary, my Assets shall be marshalled, so as to leave such pure personal Estate, or a suf¬ ficient part thereof, applicable to the payment of the said Legacy, and any other Charitable Bequests I may give. And I hereby charge all my personal Estate not applicable to Charitable Bequests, and in aid thereof my real Estate, with the payment of my Funeral and Testamentary Expenses and Debts, and all Legacies and Payments given or directed by this my Will, or consequent thereon, (except Charitable Legacies ,) in express exoneration of my aforesaid pure personal Estate, so far as may be necessary for securing the payment in full of the said Legacy to the British and Foreign Bible Society, and of any other Charitable Bequest , but not further or otherwise. PRINTED liY WILLTAM MAYOR WATTS, ORIENTAL TYPE-FOUNDER, CROWN COURT, TEMPLE BAR.