Society, in Massachusetts, of which you are Treasurer; and I now communicate an extract from the letter accompanying this liberal donation.

"The enclosed sum of two thousand dollars the writer wishes to present through you to the Massachusetts Evangelical Missionary Society, to be appropriated by them, in the manner they shall judge most beneficial to the cause of liberal Christianity, which, the writer trusts, is the cause of pure and undefiled religion."

I doubt not that the friends of the Evangelical Society will unite with me in thanks to HIM, from whom all good purposes proceed, for this act of Christian liberality, and I trust that it is a pledge of future benefactions to that excellent institution. I would also take this occasion to express my gratitude to the unknown donor for the happiness and honour which he has conferred on me in making me the instrument of communicating his bounty.

As to the application of this fund, I will take an early opportunity of expressing my views to the Trustees, only observing at present, that I would recommend that it should be kept as a distinct fund, under the name of "the donation of an unknown friend," or any other appropriate title.

With great regard,

BENJAMIN GUILD, Esq.

Your friend and servant,

WILLIAM E. CHANNING.

In the month of May last, at a meeting of several gentlemen, desirous of promoting the circulation of works adapted to improve the public mind in religion and morality, it was resolved to circulate the following constitution for subscriptions:

ART. 1. The Government of the society shall be vested in a Treasurer, Secretary, and Publishing Committee of three, who together shall form a Board of Trustees and be elected at a meeting of the society, which shall be holden annually on the first Wednesday of June.

ART. 2. The Treasurer shall be the depositary of the society's funds, which he shall pay out only on a vote of the trus

tees.

ART. 3. The Secretary shall keep the records of the society. He shall also conduct that part of its business which relates to purchases and sales, and shall keep accounts thereof by regular double entry, so that his books may at all times show the course

and situation of the society's pecuniary transactions; rendering semiannually to the Treasurer, an abstract or account current thereof, by whom it shall be examined and submitted to the Trustees: But as this may require more manual labour than the Secretary can conveniently bestow, he is authorized to employ any necessary assistance at the society's expense.

ART. 4. The Publishing Committee shall select, or obtain the books to be printed, and correct the press, taking care to choose those which inculcate an enlightened christian piety and pure morality.

ART. 5. The Trustees shall meet quarterly, supply any vacancies which occur among the officers between the annual meetings, make such rules and regulations as the good of the society requires, (not infringing this constitution,) direct the payment or investment of monies and appoint agents to vend and distribute their publications.

ART. 6. The funds of the society shall be raised by an annual subscription by the members of not less than two, or a life subscription of not less than twenty dollars, by donations and the profits of sales.

ART. 7. The Trustees may direct the gratuitous distribution of a moderate amount of Tracts; but the remainder shall be sold, if practicable, at such an advance from the cost, as to defray the expenses of the society and add to the capital stock an interest of six per cent annually.

ART. 8. No change shall be made in the constitution of this society without the assent, by ballot, of three fourths of the members present at an annual meeting, and the principle of making the capital an accumulating fund shall not be abandoned, until it has been tested by ten year's trial.

The undersigned subscribe to the above articles, and agree to pay the sums set against our names. It being understood, that two dollars paid per annum or twenty dollars paid in advance, constitute us members of the society.

Boston, June 6, 1821.-A meeting of the Subscribers to the Publishing Fund was holden, and the following officers were

chosen :

GEORGE BOND, ESQ. Treasurer.

JOHN S. FOSTER, Secretary.

Rev. J. TUCKERMAN,

Rev. J. G. PALFREY,

GEORGE TICKNOR, ESQ.

Publishing Committee.

Boston, June 25, 1821.-A meeting of the Trustees of the Publishing Fund was holden this afternoon, and the following

regulations were adopted for the government of the Society's affairs:

1st. The publications of the society shall be on a 12mo. page, with a fair type of the kind used by Wells & Lilly in publishing the Christian Tracts.

2d. They shall be stitched in a neat coloured cover, the last two pages of which shall contain advertisements of books approved by the Committee.

3d. Persons desirous of procuring the publication of a useful tract, are requested to submit the same to the committee, and to name such aid as they propose to give, either by taking part of the edition, or by donation.

4th. The Publishing Committee shall be supplied at the Society's expense with such books as are necessary to enable them to select for publication.

5th. The Secretary is authorised to agree with Cummings and Hilliard as general agents, and also with a Printer, for printing the tracts on equitable terms.-Adjourned.

The Publishing Committee request the attention of their friends to the third regulation above recited, and will feel indebted for any suggestions which may assist them in their selections of tracts to be published.

Massachusetts Bible Society.-The annual meeting of this institution was held at Chauncey Place on Thursday June 7. The discourse was delivered by the Rev. Joseph Tuckerman, of Chelsea. The Executive Committee made report, that "there had been distributed during the past year

71 large Bibles, 1091 small do.

1729 Testaments.

2891.

And that there are now on hand at the depository, 79 octavo bibles, 104 minion do. and 2 testaments. That their efforts to diffuse the scriptures have been as gratefully acknowledged as in times past, and new evidence has accumulated that the labours of the Society have not been in vain." The officers of the last year were re-elected, except that the Rev. Dr. Channing having requested to be excused from further labours in the executive committee, the Rev. Benjamin B. Wisner was appointed in his stead.

The following report of the executive committee was accepted, and the votes adopted according to the recommendation. Report of the Executive Committee, June 7, 1821.-The Executive Committee of the Massachusetts Bible Society, to whom it was referred to consider "whether any further regulations are expedient in regard to the distribution of Bibles and Testaments, and if any what,"-beg leave to Report ;

That it appears to them that both the trouble and the responsibility of distribution have too much rested upon the single gentleman who keeps the depository, and that it would be an act of justice to him, and probably better subserve the interests of the institution, if the heavy burden of hearing and judging of applications for bibles were taken from him and shared by the other officers of the society. In this view, which they think accords with the opinion of the trustees, they recommend the passing of the following regulation:

"No bible or testament shall in future be given to any applicant, except upon a written order from one of the trustees.".

Your committee have also, according to order, "taken into consideration the expediency of altering the time of the annual meeting." They are of opinion, that the holding of this meeting, as it is now held, is not doing justice to the claims and objects of the institution. As it takes place immediately after election week, when our fellow christians are wearied with occasional services; and at eleven o'clock in the morning, when they are engaged in the busy occupations of life; the consequence has been that it is very thinly attended, excites no interest, and produces but a trifling contribution to the funds. With the wish to remedy these evils, your Committee recommend the following vote;

"The annual meeting shall in future be held on the evening of the first Thursday in May."

The place and hour of the meeting are to be appointed by the Trustees.

The donations to the society during the past year have

Donation from Young Ladies' Reading Society in

Sherburne, by Shearjashub Townshend
S. T. Armstrong

collected by H. Wenzell, Esq.

20

2

Barnstable County Bible Society

45

3

Brought forward

Bequest of Mrs. Lydia Sparhawk, by Rev. Dr. Bald

win, her Executor.

Donation by Rev. Francis Parkman, from a Friend deceased

from Romanius Emerson

J. Lovell, Esq. of Medway, by Rev. J.
Pierce

Malden Branch Bible Society, by Rev.
Aaron Green

574

20

5

5

230

1

23

the Dover Female Bible Society, by
Rev. Ralph Sanger

Female Cent Society in the West Parish in Dedham, by Rev. John White Collection by Rev. Mr. Jenks, from Seamen

NEW PUBLICATIONS.

Protest against proceedings of the first Church in Worcester. By Samuel Austin, D.D. Member and formerly Pastor of said church.Pp. 16.

This paper was read to the church for the purpose, it would seem, of obtaining two votes which were designed to correct certain irregularities, and by a spontaneous acknowledgment to repair the wrongs which in the judgment of Dr. A. had been done to some of the brethren. Failing in this, the protest is published.

Natural Theology; or a demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God, from his works of Creation. By William Enfield, M.A. Hartford.

Pure Religion recommended as the only way to happiness or dangerous prevailing errors exposed and gospel truths vindicated; in a series of dialogues. By Rev. J. Thornton. Boston. pp. 250. This we perceive from the advertisement to be a calvinistic work, but are sorry not to have had an opportunity of acquainting ourselves with its contents and merit.

A Historical Sketch of the Convention of the Congregational Ministers in Massachusetts, with an account of its funds, its connexion