have already been attended with beneficial effects, and which, in future, promise still greater blessings. But with pleasure they inform the Society, that adequate assistance will be furnished to the people of Ellsworth, to enable them to prosecute their plan; and they will devoutly rejoice at the genuine effects of Christian charity, through whatever hand it may flow.

The Trustees have appropriated one hundred dollars towards the support of Mr. Warren, the present year. In consequence of the release of the payment of any part of the salary of Mr. Nurse, the Trustees would gladly have taken a new field of Missionary labours; but they were not able, in season for the present year, to fix upon the most eligible place, nor to obtain the suitable candidate. But several applications for assistance have recently been made, and there is a fair prospect, that the Trustees of the ensuing year may successfully attempt the formation of a Christian Church and Society, among a people to whom the gospel is not preached.

The Trustees view schools, and the distribution of religious and school books, as objects of high consideration, they have accordingly appropriated sixty dollars to schools, and thirty-eight dollars for books. The school money has been equally divided between the towns bordering on Ellsworth, under the direction of Rev. Mr. Nurse; and the plantation of Jackson and Washington. These are exclusively designed to aid in the maintenance of female instructors, and for the instruction of young children.

The following books and pamphlets have been distributed, viz. To Jackson, under the care of Rev. Mr. Warren, six copies of Nos. 3, 5, 8, and 10, of the Christian Monitor; four copies of Doddridge's Rise and Progress; ten copies of Por

teus' Evidences; four dozen copies of Worcester Catechism; twenty copies of the seven first numbers of the Christian Disciple, for 1814. To Ellsworth, under the care of Rev. Mr. Nurse, six copies of Nos. 5, 6, and 10 of the Christian Monitor; four copies of Doddridge's Rise and Progress; ten copies of Porteus' Evidences; four dozen copies of Worcester Catechism, and twenty copies of the seven first numbers of the Christian Disciple, for 1814. To the Rev. Mr. Mason of Castine, six copies of numbers 3, 6, and 8 of Christian Monitor; four copies of Doddridge's Rise and Progress; four copies of Porter's Evidences; two dozen copies of the Worcester Catechism; and ten copies of the seven first numbers of the Christian Disciple, for 1814.

The whole fifty copies of the seven first numbers of the Christian Disciple, for 1814, were presented to the Society by the Rev. Noah Worcester, of Brighton.

Forty-seven dollars, the donation of individuals in Ellsworth, remain on hand, appropriated to schools, but to be expended under the direction of the Society,

The pecuniary concerns of the Society will appear from the following statement, from the Report of the Treasurer this day exhibited.

While Christians, in every region and of every considerable sect, are now strenuously engaged to disseminate the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ among the idolatrous nations of the earth, and are united in exertions to send the word of life to those, who are perishing for lack of vision, while the friends of Christianity through the world manifest this active endeavour to extend the glorious gospel in its purity and efficacy, the Trustees congratulate the Society on being partakers of the same spirit, and engaged to effect the stated preaching of the Gospel in places, where it has seldom been heard, and to furnish destitute people with the means of improvement in Christian knowledge, and attainments in Christian virtue. And they unite with them in sentiments of devout gratitude and praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for this general revival of the Christian spirit, and

these encouraging presages of the approach of the promised triumphs of the gospel, in every section of the inhabited globe. Although our means and efforts have been humble and limited, they have not been without salutary and encouraging effects. By the blessing of God, we have cause to rejoice in success, and to be animated to perseverence in similar exertions.

EZRA RIPLEY, Vice-Pres.
Attest,

S. RIPLEY, Cor. & Rec. Sec'ry.

At the late annual meeting of the Society, they chose for their officers, the ensuing year,

Hon. Christopher Gore, Pres.
Rev. Ezra Ripley, D. D. V. Pres.
Rev. Samuel Ripley, Cor. and
Rec. Sec'ry.

Hon. Benjamin Heywood, Treas.
Rev. Francis Parkman, Assistant
Treasurer.

Trustees.
Rev. Aaron Bancroft, D. D.
Hon. Joseph Allen
Deacon John White
Rev. John Foster, D. D.
Deacon Moses Coolidge
Rev. Asa Packard
Thomas W. Ward, Esq.
Rev. Richard R. Eliot
Rev. Nathaniel Thayer
Isaac Fiske, Esq.
Rev. Isaac Allen
Mr. Josiah Bridge.

The Society will hold their next annual meeting at Templeton; in the County of Worcester. The Rev. Wilkes Allen is the first, and Rev. Jonathan Osgood the second preacher,

FROM a tract kindly presented by the Editor of the Panoplist, entitled " Summary view of the pro

ceedings of the Missionary Society," we have collected the following important facts.

The Society was formed in 1795, on the liberal principles of admitting serious Christians without any distinction of sect or denomination, and of leaving it to the heathen, "whom God may call into the fellowship of his Son, to assume for themselves such form of government as to them shall appear most agreeable to the word of God."

"The first efforts of the Society, were directed to the Islands of the South Pacifick Ocean." The missionaries were called to endure many trials and discouraging circumstances; but by perseverance they gained an establishment.

In

1812 Pomare, the king of Otaheite, avowed himself a Christian. "Since that time many of the natives have followed his example, and diligently attend the ordinances of religion, and are distinguished by the name of the praying people. About three hundred attend the worship of God, and nearly as many attend the adult school. Several chiefs in adjacent islands have also joined them, and wish instructors to be sent to their people."

In 1798 several missionaries were sent to Africa. A flourishing Church of converted Hottentots has been formed consisting of several hundred persons Among a people who were savage, ignorant, and idle, a settlement is now established in Caffraria which "consists of nearly 1200 people, with a large quantity of cattle."

From year to year other settlements in different and distant parts of Africa have been formed. There are now more than twelve different places in which religious instruction is offered to different nations of Africa.

The exertions of this Society have extended to India, China, Can

ada, Newfoundland, and the WestIndies.

In about fifty different stations, the Society employs seventy or eighty missionaries.

Their Missionary, Mr. R. Morrison, has translated the whole of the New Testament and some parts of the Old, into the Chinese tongue; two editions of which have been

printed and widely circulated through different parts of the empire.'

Those who believe in the truth and value of the Christian religion, and who read with candor what has been actually effected by missionary exertions, will lay aside their doubts, as to the utility of the efforts to spread the gospel throughout the world. The liberal ground adopted by the Society in London is truly commendable; and the less there is of Sectarian dogmas and prejudices associated with missionary exertions, the greater, in our opinion, will be the prospects of real advantage both at home and abroad. By a letter published in the Recorder, October 8, it appears that the missionary exertions at Otaheite have been wonderfully blessed and prospered, that "the Taheitan nation have changed their false gods for Jehovah the true God;" that "the majority of the people of Eimeo, near a thousand, have renounced their idols and professed themselves worshippers of the true God;" that in one school there is six hundred and sixty scholars; that the " 'priests publickly burn their gods; the chiefs destroy their Morais, pull down their sacred altars, and cook their victuals with the materials ;" and " group after group" are seen flocking to the missionaries, giving themselves up to the Lord."

I HAVE to acknowledge the receipt of the case of books, containing fifty Arabick Bibles and one hundred Modern Greek Testaments; also, two hundred and fifty Armenian Testaments.

I have had an interview with the Armenian Patriarch, and presented him with a copy of the Armenian Testament. Having stated to him the nature and objects of the Society, and my hopes that it would meet both with his approbation and co-operation, it gave me great satisfaction to hear him answer, "I am a Christian; as such I cannot bnt approve of the object of such a Society."

When I last wrote to you, I was on the point of setting out on a short excursion into Asia Minor. As I distributed the few books of the Society which I was able to carry with me, I think it necessary to give some account of the course I took.

From the conversations I had with the Greek Bishop and his clergy, as well as various well informed individuals, I am led to suppose that if the population of Smyrna be estimated at one hundred and forty thousand inhabitants, there are from fifteen to twenty thousand Greeks, six thousand Armenians, fifty thousand Catholicks, one hundred and forty Protestants, and eleven thousand Jews.

After Smyrna the first place I visited was Ephesus, or rather (as the site is not exactly the same) Aisalick, which consists of about fifteen poor cottages. I found there but three Christians, two brothers

Constantinople, Jan. 10, 1816.

who kept a small shop, and a gardener. They are all three Greeks, and their ignorance is lamentable indeed. One of them I found able to read a little, and left with him a New-Testament in ancient andimodern Greek.

My next object was to see Laodicea. In the road to this is Guzelhisar, a large town with one Church, and about seven hundred Christians. In conversing with the priests here, I found them so little acquainted with the Bible, or even the NewTestament in an entire form, that they had no distinct knowledge of the books it contained, beyond the four Gospels. I have sent thither three copies of the modern Greek Testament since my return.

About three miles from Laodicea, is Denizli, which has been styled, but, I am inclined to think, erroneously, the ancient Colosse. It is a considerable town, with about four hundred Christians, Greeks, and Armenians, each of whom has a Church. I regret, however, to say, that here the most extravagant tales of miracles, and fabulous accounts of angels, saints, and relicks, have so usurped the place of the scriptures as to render it very difficult to separate in their minds, divine truths from human inventions.

Eski-hisar, close to which are the remains of ancient Laodicea, contains about fifty poor inhabitants, in which number are but two Christians who live together in a small mill, unhappily neither could read at all. The copy, therefore, of the NewTestament, which I intended for

this Church, I left with that of Denizli, the offspring and poor remains of Laodicea and Colosse. The prayers of the mosque are the only prayers which are heard near the ruins of Laodicea, on which the threat seems to have been fully executed, in its utter rejection as a Church.

I left it for Philadelphia, now Alah-shehr. It was gratifying to find at last some surviving fruits of early zeal; and here, at least, there is still the form of a Christian Church; this has been kept from the hour of temptation, which came upon all the Christian world. There are about one thousand Christians, chiefly Greeks; twenty-five places of publick worship, five of which are large regular Churches. To these there is a resident Bishop, with twenty inferiour clergy. A copy of the modern Greek Testament was received by the Bishop with great thankfulness.

I quitted Alah-shehr, deeply disappointed at the statement I received of the Church of Sardis. I trusted that it would not have been suffered to perish utterly; and I heard with surprise, that not a vestige of it remained. With what satisfaction, then, did I find on the plains of Sardis, a small Church establishment! The few Christians who dwell around modern Sart, were anxious to settle there, and erect a Church, as they were in the habit of meeting at each other's houses for the exercise of religion; from this they were prohibited by the Turkish governour, and, in consequence, about five years ago, they built a Church upon the plain within view of ancient Sardis, and there they maintain a priest. The place has gradually risen to a little village, now called Tartar-keny; whither the few Christians of Sart, who amount to seven, and those in its immediate vicinity, resort for

publick worship, and form together a congregation of about forty.

There appears then still a remnant, "a few names, even in Sardis," which have been preserved. I cannot repeat the expressions of gratitude with which they received the copy of the New Testament in a language with which they were familiar. Several crowded about the priest to hear it on the spot; and I left them thus engaged.

Ak-hisar, the ancient Thyatira, is said to contain thirty thousand inhabitants, of whom three thousand are Christians, all Greeks, except about two hundred Armenians. There is, however, but one Greek Church and one Armenian. The superiour of the Greek Church, to whom I presented the Roman Testament, esteemed it so great a treasure that he earnestly pressed me, if possible, to spare another, that one might be secured to the Church, and free from accidents, while the other went round among the people for private reading. I have, therefore, since my return hither, sent him four copies.

The Church of Pergamos, in respect to numbers, may be said to flourish still in Bergamo. The town is less than Ak-hisar; the number of Christians is about as great; the proportion of Armenians to the Greeks nearly the same, and each nation also has one Church. The Bishop of the district, who occasionally resides there, was at that time absent; and I perceived, with deep regret, that the resident clergy were totally incapable of estimating the gift I intended them. I therefore delivered the Testament to the Lay Viear of the Bishop, at his urgent request; he having assured me, that the Bishop would highly prize so valuable an acquisition to the Church. He seemed much pleased that the benighted state of his na