BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF THE SCRIPTURES IN INDIA. WE lately noticed the attestation of Archdeacon Corrie, to the beneficial effects of the distribution of the Scriptures in India. The Rev. T. T. Thomason, late secretary of the Calcutta Auxiliary Bible Society, having returned to England, has furnished to the committee of the Bible Society the following statements, which fully agree with the favourable report of Archdeacon Corrie. "After a residence of more than seventeen years in Bengal, I have left that country with a deep conviction that much good has been already done there, and that the beginnings of a very extensive and permanent improvement are visible among the Europeans as well as natives. Many societies have been successively formed, which, in various ways, co-operate, and produce the improvement alluded to; but the impulse was given by the British and Foreign Bible Society. The commencement of those labours, which are now so vigorously conducted for the melioration of India, may be traced to the period when a Bible society was formed in Calcutta. When I arrived in Bengal, no public organized association for the good of the natives existed in that country: the Baptist missionaries had indeed led the way, and had been, for some time, quietly proceeding with their Christian work: but they were supported from home, and were rather secretly countenanced in India by the very few friends of missionary exertions who were then thinly scattered over the presidency, than openly recognized. It was considered imprudent, and even dangerous, to attempt the conversion of the natives. "At the memorable meeting in the college of Fort William, for the formation of the Calcutta Auxiliary Bible Society, the gentlemen present seemed to be surprised at their own boldness. We met, not without considerable apprehension as to the effect which might be produced on the public by an association for the avowed purpose of cherishing and extending Christianity in India; and some months elapsed, before the promoters of that important measure felt quite at ease about the stability of their plans. It pleased God, however, to crown their labours with remarkable success: the new society was very liberally supported throughout the Bengal presidency, and gradually extended to other parts of India. Auxiliary institutions were formed, successively, in Ceylon, Bombay, Madras, and Penang; and what was once whispered as a suspicious and dangerous attempt, was soon generally countenanced, and openly patronized. "The attention of the Calcutta Society was first directed to the supplying of professed Christians, and then to the preparing of new translations for the natives. Some parts of this magnificent plan have been happily realized: the rest are in a very hopeful progress. "European Christians are now amply supplied with copies of the sacred Scriptures, through the instrumentality of this society, and of those which have been since formed. When I first arrived in Calcutta, copies of the English Scriptures were scarce, and very dear: very few were to be found among his majesty's regiments, and none could be obtained but with great difficulty and at an enormous price. All the principal stations of the army are now furnished with depôts, under the management of the chaplains; the Scriptures are accessible to all: and, by means of the different associations and their branches, every soldier in his majesty's regiments may now possess a copy of the Bible, if he pleases. It is a subject of great thankfulness that the society is thus doing its direct and appropriate work throughout our Indian possessions. In every place the fair front of the society may be now seen; and, by its secretaries or au thorised agents, its treasures are distributed throughout the country. So far, therefore, as the English Scriptures are concerned, our wishes are realized. The societies have now only to keep up those supplies which they furnish, and to take care that their stores be not exhausted. "With respect to the native Christians, very great progress has been made toward the accomplishment of our wishes. Large editions of the sacred Scriptures have been printed and distributed in the Tamul, Cingalese, and Malay languages: abundant supplies in the Portuguese have been obtained from home; and the Bible is nearly complete in Malayalim, for the Syriac Christians of Travancore. In addition to these versions (which were first required because of the number of Christians who speak these languages), the Calcutta Society has been occupied in preparing others, far too numerous to specify, for distribution among the natives at large. It aims at supplying the natives with the Scrip. tures in all the considerable dialects of the country; and if the work proceeds as it has done, the time cannot be far distant when the missionary will be furnished for his work in whatever district he may choose to labour. The Calcutta Society possesses a noble depository in the heart of that city; in which are above 40,000 copies of the sacred Scriptures, or parts of the sacred Scriptures, in the languages of Europe and Asia'; and from this depository the depôts at a distance are regularly filled. The title Bible Repository,' painted in large black letters on the outside, proclaims to the throng of passengers the wonders of British benevolence; or rather the mercy of God, in visiting that dark country, and blessing the inhabitants-with the light of His truth. "The late Rev. Mr. Brown often expressed his wish, that such a depository might be formed; and he laid the foundation of it before he was removed. His wishes are fulfilled. That important machine is in full operation. The missionaries, when they proceed to their destinations, supply themselves out of the depository; and thus the land is enriched. These facts are very encouraging: they establish the direct influence of the society. But for the encouragement received from this country and the funds supplied by this society, the labours above mentioned could not have been conducted. The committee of the parent society met every demand with magnificent liberality: donations in money, books, and printing paper, were annually voted; and thus our translators were paid, presses kept in motion, and our editions matured. The contributions of the public in India, though liberal, were very inadequate to the demands of such a cause: what is now a wide and deep stream, would have been an insignificant brook, if we had been left to our own resources. Having long witnessed the operations of the society, and assisted in the distribution of its bounty-having seen with my own eyes the delight of the missionary when he has been furnished with the Scriptures out of our depository, and participated in his joy-I cannot but record, with the deepest thankfulness, my conviction of the good which has been done and is still advancing in that interesting country, through the British and Foreign Bible Society. "I must not omit to add, that the Scriptures, printed at the expense of this society, now supply a multitude of schools, where the native youth are instructed in the Gospel of Christ: full 6000 children in the presidency of Bengal are constantly taught out of the Gospels from our depository; this is surely a subject of lively congratulation. I have myself examined several thousands of the Bengalee youth; and can solemnly aver that I never witnessed such proficiency in the knowledge of Scripture, in our Eng lish schools, as I have seen in the village schools of Bengal. It cannot be contemplated without the deepest interest, that these boys should be annually returning to their families, well taught out of the sacred Scriptures of truth; and carrying with them those convictions or prejudices in favour of Christianity which we know, from experience, always arise from a course of patient and judicious education: and our collectors, as well as secretaries of the associations, may well rejoice that their labours of love are fraught with such manifest blessings to a people who are sitting in darkness and the shadow of death. "In adverting to the indirect influence of the society, the subject opens surprisingly. Its effects on the public mind cannot be adequately conceived, except by those who know the apathy and prejudice which once prevailed in India, and opposed every attempt to enlighten the natives. The formation of the Calcutta Auxiliary Bible Society broke, as it were, the ice: in no long time, the Church Missionary Society began to assume a public character: then followed the auspicious introduction of our own church, in its maturity of Episcopal government: bishops, and societies in immediate connexion with our long-established church societies, have since added their weight of influence. Christians of other denominations have entered the field. These all have their presses, seminaries, and schools: and Calcutta now presents to our delighted eyes the same varied combinations of societies and ministers which we see in our own country; with this differ ence, that, in India, the natives themselves now bear their full proportion of labour. We have now societies formed by Europeans alone; others, in which Europeans and natives are associated; and others, again, in which natives act alone : these all, in different ways, labour for the intellectual or religious improvement of the natives: they directly or indirectly aim at the downfal of ignorance and superstition: possessed themselves of different views, they yet labour (many of, them unconsciously) for the same end. The fabric of idolatry is assaulted even by idolaters themselves; who, while they unite for the introduction of the English language, arts, and sciences, know not how widely they open the door to Christianity. In the mean time, new missionaries are arriving, new presses, are established, new books are in a course of publishing and distribution; and Bishop's College is actively preparing new missionaries and schoolmasters, taken from among those born in the country, to bear their parts successively in this great work. "These are the beginnings of good-some of them very recent ;; but all, taken together, must be considered as a magnificent seedtime; to be followed, we may reasonably hope, by a blessed and extensive harvest. The Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him! The vision is for an appointed time; but, at, the end, it shall speak and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it, because, it will surely come: it will not tarry." BIBLE SOCIETIES ON THE CONTINENT. THESE are fifty-two in number. The Wurtemburgh Bible Society, instituted at Stutgardt in 1812, has circulated 135,941 Bibles or Testaments. The Ratisbon Bible Society has circulated 65,000 Testaments; the Frankfort 69,700; the Hanover (since 1804) 35,000 German Bibles; the Prussian Bible Society, 200,000 Bibles and Testaments; the Saxon, instituted in 1805, 105,500; the Russian, 705,881; the Swedish, 223,870; the Danish, 36,000; the SleswigHolstein, 64,000; the Paris, 61,400. Altogether, the fifty-two European Societies are known to have circulated considerably above 2,302,274 copies of the New Testament, with or without the Old Testament.In addition to these exertions of societies, three Catholic clergymen have published above 60,000 copies of the German New Testament. RECEIPTS OF RELIGIOUS AND CHARITABLE SOCIETIES. WE close our volume with the following brief, but interesting and appropriate document, taken fromthe Missionary Register, of the Receipts for the year of the chief Missionary, Bible, Education, and Tract Societies for the last year. Gospel Propagation (includ www Merchant-Seamen's Bible National Education Naval and Military Bible £544 7 1 1472 13 7 3659 4 10 13418 19 10 586 13 0 37164 1 0 547 1 0 2615 7 1 4863 8 4 1672 7 1 375 15 5 Prayer-Book and Homily 2251 15 6 Scottish Missionary 12637 15 0 5966 18 5 3067 0 8 4551 19 10 10590 5 9 45766 1 1 LADIES' SOCIETIES. Birmingham, &c. for relief ing parliamentary grant) 32916 18 7 Calne, &c. in aid of Negro 907 18. 0 99 4 3 1937 4 2 714 5 6 Total £494,039 16 11 How can we sufficiently congratulate our readers, how can we be sufficiently grateful to the Author of all mercies, for the vast extension of pure and undefiled religion, as indicated in such a document as this, compared with the meagre efforts of Christians to promulgate the knowledge of their Saviour, even a quarter of a century since, when first we commenced our humble attempt to promote and to record these triumphs of Christian benevolence! Yet, great as are these efforts, what are they compared with the spiritual wants of the world, or even compared with the resources which might and ought to be called into exercise for its benefit. Let us not then be weary of well-doing; assured that we shall reap in due time, if we faint not; and let our efforts be united to our prayers to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that his kingdom may come, and his will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Amen. |