ven.

The attempts which were made, at no distant period, by the enemies of religion and social order, to discredit, and, if it had been possible, to exterminate, the Holy Scriptures, are in the recollection of all; and the influence of the malignity and violence with which they were pursued was more or less felt in every portion of the globe. It was during this period, that the British and Foreign Bible Society stood forth, to proclaim the divine autho rity and supreme importance of the Inspired Volume; and, if an argument were wanted to demonstrate more completely the duty of its dissemination, both the fact and the consequences would abundantly supply it.

Stimulated by the impulse which your Institution has given, the Nations of Europe are now rapidly retracing the steps by which they had departed from the Standard of Truth; and doing public homage to that Holy Word, the neglect or contempt of which, formed the principal source of their delusion, and the worst feature in their guilt. Both Rulers and people have found, in the Bible, a guidance and consolation, which a spurious philosophy had veiled from their view; and they agree to regard and to value it, as their best instructor and their dearest possession.

In the MEANS resorted to for accomplishing the end, a Constitution has been adopted, which gives to the Society a peculiar character of simplicity and conciliation. The principle on which this constitution is founded, is perfectly consonant with the spirit of the Bible and the circumstances of the world; and, while it offers every thing which may invite the approach of the liberal and zealous, it contains nothing which ought to shock or re

To the influence of this principle must, in a great measure, be ascribed the facility with which the various and divided members of the great Family of Man have been brought to concur in the promotion of the common design. The interchange of good offices and the reciprocation of amicable correspondence among the different States and Communities of the World, and the association of them all in one vast undertaking of benevolence and piety, are the best comments on the principles and means of that practical system, by whose operation these ends have, to so great a degree, been already accomplished. In fact, the system is calculated for union and efficiency. By recognizing nothing as essential to the compact required, but a willingness to aid in the dissemination of the Bible, it lays a foundation for a good understanding and neighbourly intercourse among those individuals and bodies of men, whom a variety of circumstances have separated, and even alienated, from one another; and diffuses that feel ing of kindred and fraternity, which is the cement and the glory of human society.

With such principles to guide, and such results to encourage them, your Committee anticipate, in those who may be appointed to succeed them, a course of labour and a series of results, surpassing, in extent and importance, what it has been their privilege to execute and to witness. The spirit of the Bible is gone forth among the Nations of Christendom: and they seem to be preparing, with one consent, to revive the light wherever it had become obscured among themselves; and to impart it, 'in all its purity and strength, to those who are sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, that it may guide their feet into the way of peace. In the prospect of exertions so congenial with the precepts and the predictions of that Book to whose circulation they are directed, your Committee feel emboldened to depend on the Highest Aid, and to expect the grandest events; and, in this confidence, they would adopt, as expressive of their prayers and their hopes, the lofty strains of Divine Inspiration

them. In such a district, the most favourable opportunity could not but be afforded, of trying their disposition towards Christianity, and of scattering the seeds of instruction among them.

The result of their observations and endeavours is thus communicated, in a Letter from Mr. Solomon, received soon after the last Anniversary Meeting:"I am happy to tell you, that what we have witnessed among the Jews, during our abode in Poland, has exceeded all my expectations; and, in some instances, quite overwhelmed me with astonishment. Their old prejudices against the very name of Jesus, which have so long darkened their minds, and have been a bar against all in quiry and reasoning, are now marvellously dispersed; and they are inclined, and even desirous, to speak about the Christian Religion with every possible freedom. It was truly pleasing to see the avidity with which they received the Hebrew Testament from our hands, and the thirst which they uniformly manifested to know its contents. Wherever one was granted them, numbers of Jews were immediately after seen in the streets in rings, and one of them reading it aloud. Where we remained awhile, they used to surround me in the market-places, or come to the inn in numbers, asking explanations of some passages, or making objections to others. All were patient for an answer; and whilst some times a person stood up against it, others at the same time heard gladly, and even manifested joy in their countenances at what I had to say to them of Christ and His Gospel."

Your Committee have since received Mr. Solomon's Journal of that part of the tour to which the preceding Letter refers, drawn up for the use of his Excellency Mr. Basil Papoff, President of the Tutelary Committee for the Jews, at St. Petersburg. Some extracts from this Journal will be heard with interest by the Meeting.

"The first place on this road (from Smolensk to Minsk), where the Jews are settled as a community, is a little town called Ljaddy; which we happened to pass by, the post-house being a little way out of town: meeting, however, with a Jewess going into Ljaddy, we begged that she would send out to us an intelligent Hebrew, with whom we might enjoy a short conversation: she went; and, in less than half an hour, we were gratified to see a venerable Elder of the Synagogue, with eight or nine of his brethren, walking into our room successively. The elder, who was the Mercurius of his company,

was possessed of good sense and piety, unstained by bigotry. He read the Hebrew Gospels fluently; and observed that this book was entirely new to him, but that it appeared to be founded on Moses and the Prophets." An amicable conversation then took place on the subject of Christianity, to which "the byestanders listened with attention; and some of them desired to have Testaments, and promised to study them, and judge of their contents for themselves."

At Minsk, a principal city of Poland, containing a great number of Jews, an unexpected opportunity of usefulness presented itself. By the advice of the Governor's Secretary and the Luthe ran Minister of the place, they sent notes to the chief Jewish Families in the town,' inviting them to come to their house the following day, for the purpose of conversation on the subject of religion." At the appointed hour," says Mr. Solomon, "the Jews began to assemble in numbers at our house; and, in about the space of half an hour, an upper room was filled' with about two hundred of the choicest and most respectable in the community. I read to them Jer. xxxi. from the 31st to the 35th verse, in the Hebrew Language. In commenting on that passage, I re-' minded them, first, of their former privileges and enjoyment of God's peculiar favours - shewed them the reason why God has made a New Covenant with them-pointed out the difference between the Old and New Covenant, and that the latter consisted in forgiveness of sin first," and then the Law written on their hearts by the Spirit of God. For above half an hour, I was allowed to proceed, when the profoundest silence prevailed, all being extremely attentive; and some even, with Hebrew Bibles in their hands, took notes' of all that I said." It was not, however,' to be expected, as Mr. S. justly observes, that no spirit of opposition should manifest itself against the plain truth of the Gospel. Accordingly, when he came to speak of the" means of forgiveness consistent with the holiness and justice of the Deity, and to shew that such a Saviour as Jesus Christ was necessary for us, some could not refrain from breaking out into the usual objections. No individual, however, choosing to take upon himself the management of the controversy, Mr. S. was permitted to conclude with some remarks on Isaiah liii. and Dan. ix. "As soon as I had finished," he adds, " Mr. Way distributed; above twenty Testaments among those, who were assembled. Two of our objectors retired with us afterward into an

adjoining room; where we conversed more privately on many religious topics, and parted in much friendship and good-will." In the evening, many poor Jews applied for Testaments-some said they came "to hear the English Gentlemen," as they could obtain no entrance in the afternoon. "In the town of Mozir, where we stopped but a few hours, we witnessed another very interesting scene. On our arrival at this place, we called first on the Rabbi. I conversed with him, for a considerable time, on the subject of Religion and of Messiah, in the audience, as it were, of a little Synagogue of Jews; and as hie did not scruple to receive a copy of the Hebrew Testament in their presence, many of them came to our inn, and asked for more copies, for their private perusal; and, in compliance with their request, we left five among them. But, what was peculiarly gratifying in the spirit of that people, was, their extreme eagerness to discover its contents, and their zeal to examine its authority: for, no sooner had they obtained the books, than they hastened to their homes, and set about reading; and, not content with the mere indulgence of empty curiosity, some of them returned in about the space of two hours, with the Testaments in their hands, arrested me in the market, and pointed out some passages which they conceived objectionable, and others which they said were above their comprehension. As we entered upon the discussion of these subjects, the audience increased to such a degree, that I was obliged to retire with them into a room, and address them at length."

At Zytomir, although, in compliance with the wishes of the chief magistrate, they abstained from publickly attempting

to call the attention of the Jews to their object, yet, as soon as it became known that they had Hebrew Testaments in their possession, many applications were made for them and, in a few hours, they distributed several copies among the applicants, and forwarded others to Borditchev, a very considerable Jewish residence in the neighbourhood. "Some of them," Mr. Solomon adds, "were found reading the Gospel in the streets, and in their houses, to companies of their brethren who surrounded them."

DR. PINKERTON ON THE STATE OF THE
POLISH JEWS.

Dr. Pinkerton has confirmed these representations. He has communicated to the Committee the following remarks, as the result of his observations while travelling

a second time in Poland, in prosecution of the objects of the British and Foreign Bible Society.

After speaking generally of the favourable intimations in the state of the Jews, he says

During my late tour through Poland, I had many opportunities of gaining information, and making observations which tend to illustrate and corroborate these statements. I no where found the Jews unwilling to converse with me on the subject of Christianity. I distributed about seventy copies of the Hebrew Testament among them, which were always well received. I repeatedly entered their Synagogues and Schools; and, with the utmost possible freedom, argued the points at issue between them and us: and I never found the smallest interruption; but, on the contrary, a great desire, in many of the people, to hear and to read.

After giving various instances of recent baptisms of Jews, many_of them by Roman Catholics, Dr. Pinkerton adds

where frequent instances of Jews entering Nor is there a town of Poland almost, Christian Communions are not to be met with. What I have already stated, plainly proves that there is a favourable change of sentiments in many of the Polish Jews toward the Religion of Christ; and URGENTLY CALLS on those who long for the conversion of the Ancient People of God, to use means for furnishing them with Salvation. CORRECT KNOWLEDGE of the Gospel of

APPOINTMENT OF THE REV. B. N. SOLOMON AS A MISSIONARY TO THE POLISH JEWS.

In reference to these statements, the Report adds—

Yet, even under such auspicious cirbeen constrained to pause, before they cumstances, your Committee might have exposed Mr. Solomon to the dangers with which his Mission to Poland would, in all probability, have been attended; had it not pleased that Gracious Being, who fashioneth the hearts of all men, to put it into the heart of the Emperor Alexander to take him under his immediate protection.

Protection and Authority granted him, The following is a copy of the Letter of early in last year, by His Excellency Prince Alexander Galitzin, in the name