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successive revolution in France has been characterized with less of sanguinary ferocity than the one preceding, and has been accompanied with a more encouraging prospect of unqualified religious freedom. The evident tendency is, beyond the limits of toleration, to the christian liberty which permits every man to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience. A far sounder code of morality, and a healthier condition of the elements of society, exist in France than at the period of the Grand Revolution. While this may in part be justly regarded as resulting from the diffusion of general intelligence, it must be mainly attributed to the direct and collateral influences of the Sacred Scriptures. The hundreds of thousands of copies which have been circulated of late years, and which have been eagerly sought and read by multitudes, have not only been blessed to the salvation of many souls, but have been made the means of elevating the tone of morals, cherishing the domestic and social virtues, and spreading a broad and sure foundation of principle, in extensive communities where but comparatively few have been brought to embrace the whole truth "as it is in Jesus." Such facts furnish to the christian and philanthropist additional reasons for exertion and liberality in giving the truth to the world.

There has been no want of diligence in prosecuting the purposes of the Society with reference to the French Scriptures. A competent scholar was early appointed by your Board to correct and prepare for the press a version of the French Testament. The version of De Sacy was selected, on account of the idiomatic and popular character of the style, and also because of the probabilities of its favorable reception among Romanists, and the corrections have been made exclusively from the original Greek. It is believed that if the book thus corrected, should be found in any respect defective, such defect will not consist in the inculcation of religious error. While passing through the press, it is undergoing careful examination, and when the first edition is printed, copies will be placed in the hands of eminent French scholars in Europe and this country, for criticism, in order that its deficiencies, if any, may be discovered and corrected before it is stereotyped. In printing, the paragraph form has been chosen, as best adapted to set forth and impress upon the mind of the reader the meaning of the inspired writers. The book is expected to be issued in a few months.

ITALIAN SCRIPTURES.

A happy concurrence of the most remarkable providences, has engaged in the service of the Society for the translation of the Italian Scriptures, a scholar eminently qualified for so important and responsible an undertaking. The following testimony to his competency, is one out of numerous testimonials received from persons whose judgment and integrity justify reliance upon their state

ments:

"He writes his own language with all the elegance of the most refined taste, accompanied with remarkable energy and perspicuity; and while his style is, as I observed, elegant and refined, it is also concise and altogether devoid of any unnecessary ornament-qualifications. I should think, very desirable in a translator of the holy volume. He is known to be a first rate Italian scholar. He is a good Greek scholar, and is acquainted not only with the Hebrew, but also with the Syriac and Chaldee languages. I can speak freely of his character as a christian, which is of no small importance in such a work; and I can conscientiously assert, that he is a person of such exalted integrity, and so sincere and single minded in the work he has before him, that he would not be capable of undertaking any work that he did not feel perfectly convinced he could accomplish faithfully."

GREEK SCRIPTURES.

We had hoped, ere this, to receive intelligence of the correction and publication of the Modern Greek Testament, of the commencement of which enterprise information was given in the last Report. But circumstances of a peculiarly embarrassing character retarded the operations of Bro. Buel. In a letter dated Piræus, Dec. 10th, 1847, he states,

"The gospel of Luke was waiting its final revision some two months since."

But the difficulties in which the mission began to be involved by the local authorities, as early as August, subsequently so increased, as to cause a virtual suspension of such labors, until the 29th of December, when Bro. Buel sustained his trial before the Court of Appeals, which reversed the judgment of a local tribunal, and granted him an honorable and triumphant acquittal. The state of his feelings, both antecedent and subsequent to this happy

deliverance is thus expressed in a letter to the Secretary, dated December 29th, 1847:

"But to come to our religious experience during these scenes, it seemed to be the kind of treatment that we most needed. It is a good thing to be shut up unto prayer; to have every earthly hope and prop wrested from us; to trust in God alone. We had nearly come to the Red Sea, the mountains on either hand, and the Egyptian host behind. The issue of the prosecution, involving the liberty of opening our mouths for God and his truth, was left to the caprice of men who apparently had every motive to pass an unfavorable judgment.

"The beauty and appropriateness of the Psalms never before appeared in a light so distinct and striking. We could feel an unwonted delight and comfort in communion with "the man who had seen affliction." And when the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. We felt that our deliverance was in answer to the prayer of the righteous man that availeth much."

Since his acquittal, Bro. Buel has recommenced his work, and we hope that he will not be again interrupted before its completion.

DOMESTIC OPERATIONS.

In the early history of the Society, when the union of domestic with foreign operations was established as the fundamental basis of its policy, the position of the Board in respect to its auxiliaries, was peculiar and difficult. From the terms employed by the Society in respect to the English version, the Board conceived themselves bound to confine their issues to accurate copies of the authorized edition of 1611. These, it was found, did not give satisfaction to the auxiliaries, and subsequently a more expansive policy was approved by the Society, and adopted and prosecuted by the Board. Numerous improvements and corrections were immediately made in the plates of Scriptures then in use, and in the year 1843-'44, an octavo small pica Bible was stereotyped, imbodying these and other important improvements, adding greatly to its accuracy and value. The length of time and critical care and attention expended in preparing this for the press, encouraged the hope that it might serve as a standard for the subsequent publications of the society. This hope has not been disappointed. The examination of years to which it has been subjected, has led to the detection of a smaller number of errors than its most san

guine friends anticipated, and the Board have finally adopted it as the standard; errors, as they may be discovered, to be excepted and corrected. A resolution has also been passed to correct the plates of our other books as it can be conveniently and economically effected, so as eventually to secure a desirable uniformity in our publications.

But in order that such uniformity be complete, it is requisite that all our issues should be made from our own plates. The necessity of supplying auxiliaries with a competent variety of sizes, compelled the Board early to have recourse to purchase, or to procure the printing of editions from plates in the possession of others. But the purpose is ever steadily prosecuted, gradually to substitute plates of our own for each needed description. Of course such substitution can only be slowly accomplished. On the one hand the policy of the Society will not permit it to incur debt, and on the other, the wants of the foreign field necessarily absorb a very large proportion of its limited income. The Board have this year, however, the pleasure of announcing that, while they have done far more than last year in foreign operations, they have also made larger additions to the stock of stereotype plates. They have under way, and have partly finished, and paid for, plates for a duodecimo nonpariel Bible, and also for a duodecimo reference Bible for Sabbath schools. They hope before the close of the year now commencing, to have both completed and in use.

It is pleasurable to be permitted to record the fact, that the number of auxiliaries sustaining depositories, has greatly increased within the year. At the same time the views of the Society, in reference to depositories and the sale of books, begin to be more generally understood and approved. But as too wide circulation cannot be given to them, the Board deem it proper that some distinct expression of them should occasionally appear in the Annual Report.

It is contrary to the policy of the Society to establish a depository in its own name, or dependent upon it for support or supervision, except at the Bible Rooms in New York city; but it is its interest and desire to have them established by auxiliaries in every county in the United States. And the Board esteem the enterprise seldom difficult and never impracticable, where members or decided friends of the society can be found.

It is especially desirable that associations should adopt measures for the organization of county societies, with their respective depositories. Each county depository should keep on hand a full assortment of our books. A frequent correspondence should be maintained with the Rooms, and so far as practicable, cash should be paid for all purchases. If a portion of the books are purchased on credit, that credit ought not to exceed three, or at most, six months. It is directly infringing the rules of the society for credit ever to be extended beyond six months. Cash payments are always most serviceable to the cause of benevolence. In no instance are books sold by the American and Foreign Bible Society on commis

sion.

DOMESTIC APPROPRIATIONS.

The Scriptures gratuitously appropriated for the home field, since the date of the last report, amount in value to $1359 27. Of this sum, $690 18 is for books drawn by members and directors.

PUBLICATIONS.

The Publications of the year amount to 17,018 Bibles and 33,877 Testaments. Total, 50,895. The whole number hitherto published by the society at the Depository, is 262,734.

ISSUES.

The Issues of the year have been 14,157 Bibles and 29,662 Testaments. Total 43,819.

BOOKS ON HAND.

On the 6th of April, the stock of books at the Depository, amounted to 13,145 Bibles and 16,934 Testaments. Total, 30,079. Of the Bibles 267 were German, and 1076 Welsh; Testaments 1170 German, and 1001 Welsh.

LIBRARY.

Fifty-one volumes have been added to the Library since the 1st of May, making the whole number contributed from the origin of the Society, 1544.

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