Images de page
PDF
ePub
[blocks in formation]

ON READING THE FOLLOWING STANZA IN A RECENT PRODUCTION OF LORD BYRON.

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

INTELLIGENCE.

CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE MASSACHUSETTS PEACE SOCIETY AND THE EMPEROR OF RUSSIA AND PRINCE GALLITZIN.

From the Corresponding Secretary to the Emperor.

SIR,

Brighto", (near Boston,) April 9, 1817.

[ocr errors]

THE friendly disposition which you have manifested in favour of the Christian religion and the peace of the world, has encouraged this address. The very week in which the Holy League of the three sovereigns was officially announced in Russia, a society was formed in Boston, by the name of the Massachusetts Peace So ciety, the object of which is to disseminate the very principles avowed in the wonderful alliance, and to do whatever may lawfully be done to prevent the recurrence of war, and to promote peace on earth and good will

among men.

I take the liberty to present a copy of all the publications which have been circulated by the society. From these you may obtain information of the state of the society, the number of its members at the close of the first year, and its prospects. The first Annual Report, and the list of officers and mem. bers, are contained in the seventh Number of the Friend of Peace. Many members have since been added -a new society has been formed in the state of New-York. At least four Peace Societies have been organized in the United States,-others are about forming. Besides these, we have in our country nearly one thousand congregations of Friends or Quakers, which we regard as so many Peace Societies by profession and practice.

The pamphlets your Majesty will be pleased to accept, as a token of the veneration and esteem in which your character is held by the friends of peace in this country.

In behalf of the Massachusetts Peace Society.

NOAH WORCESTER, Cor Sec. His Majesty, Alexander, Emperor of all the Russias

SIR,

The Emperor's Answer.

YOUR letter in behalf of the Massachusetts Peace Society, with the books accompanying it, were received. The object which this Philanthropic Institution has in view, the dissemination of the principles of peace and amity among men, meets with my cordial approbation. My endeavours to promote peace and good will among the nations are already known; and the power and influence which Al mighty God has committed to me, shall ever be employed, I trust, in striving to secure to the nations the blessings of that peace which they now enjoy.

Considering the object of your society, the promotion of peace among mankind, as one so eminently congenial to the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I have judged it proper to express these my sentiments respecting munication to me on this subject. your labours, in answer to your com

ALEXANDER.

[blocks in formation]

YOUR name is known and revered in America as the President of the Russian Bible Society. The confidence which your excellent official letters have inspired, induces me to send for your perusal all the publications which have been circulated by the Massachusetts Peace Society. Similar copies will accompany these for your worthy Emperor. The noble ground which he has taken in the Holy League has greatly encouraged the hearts of the friends of peace in this country. As the pamphlets will give you information of the prospects of the Peace Society. I shall only express the hope which is entertained, that your name will be enrolled among the avowed friends of peace, and there shine with as great lustre as it has done

among the Presidents of National Bi- Society will be gratified, and, it is ble Societies. hoped, that the cause of peace will be promoted.

NOAH WORCESTER,

Cor. Sec. M. P. S. His Excel. Prince Alexander Gallitzin.

SIR,

Answer of Prince Gallitzin

A

I RECEIVED Yyour letter of the 9th April with the Numbers of the Friend of Peace accompanying it, by the hands of Mr. Parsons; for which I return you my hearty thanks. The object, which your society has in view, is of great importance to the well-being and happiness of the human race. Indeed, it seems to me to be almost the same as that of Bible Societies; for it is only in proportion as the divine and peaceable principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ prevail in the hearts of men, that lasting and universal peace can be expected blessed period is promised in the word of God, when men shall learn the art of war no more. This period I understand to be the same as that in which, it is prophesied, that all men shall know the Lord, even from the least unto the greatest, and that the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord. These latter promises seem to be daily fulfilling, in every quarter of the world, by the exertion of Bible and other Christian Societies, to disseminate among men the saving and pacific principles of Jesus Christ. They are preparing the way for your society's gaining its object-peaceuniversal peace-when men shall learn the art of war no more. Most earnestly praying for every blessing to accompany your labour, in promoting peace on earth and good will among men, I shall reckon it a peculiar honour to be among the members of such a humane society. I remain, sir, your most obedient servant.

PRINCE ALEX. GALLITZIN. To the Rev. Noah Worcester, Y Sec. of the Mass. Peace So. S

St. Petersburg, July 4, 1817. At a meeting of the Trustees of the Massachusetts Peace Society, September 25th, the foregoing correspondence was communicated, and by them ordered to be published. If the Editors of news-papers shall see fit to republish it, the officers of the Peace

LETTER FROM MR. ROBERT PINKERTON.

St. Petersburg, July 5, (O.S. ) 1817. DEAR SIR,

WITH much satisfaction I have read of the labours of the Peace Society in Boston to farther the best interests of the human race; and as Mr. Parsons is just setting off, I embrace the opportunity of sending you the last Report of the Russian Bible Society, whose progress will afford you and all the friends of the kingdom of Jesus Christ real pleasure. I remain, dear sir, your very humble servant.

ROBERT PINKERTON. The Rev. Noah Worcester.

The Report of the Russian Bible Society is published in the German language. We hope, however, that some part of it may be translated for the next Number of the Disciple. A concise account of the meeting of the Russian Bible Society and of the Report was published in French in the Court Gazette of St. Petersburg. By the favour of Mr. Theophilus Parsons, mentioned in the letters from Russia, we have obtained a copy of the Gazette and the following translation.

Annual Meeting of the Russian Bible Society.

LE CONSERVATEUR IMPARTIAL.

(The Court Gazette.) St. Petersburg, June 13th, (N. S. J

May 31st, (Old Style.}

SATURDAY, the 26th, at 11 o'clock, A. M. the Russian Bible Society held its fourth general meeting at the Fauride Palace, Prince Alexander Gallitzin, opened the meeting by a very eloquent discourse in which His Excellency directed the attention of his auditors to the rapid progress of the word of God in the interior of the empire and elsewhere,-he reminded them of the unappreciable benefits which the Emperor never ceases to shower upon the society, and observ. ed upon the general and spontaneous disposition which every one evinced to co-operate in a work so salutary and consoling; His Excellency concluded

by remarking how vain were the efforts of those who would put limits to the rapid course of this vivifying wa ter, and who do not recognize the hand of him who has given the divine word.

Monsieur the actual counsellor of of state Popoff, secretary, read the report, of which, the result is as follows:

In 1813, 14, and 15, the voluntary contributions amounted to 412,277 rubles.

In 1816, to 167,818 rubles 86 copeks. The money received to print the holy scriptures in 1813, 14, and 15, produced 45,223 rubles, 46 copeks, and in 1816, 30,160 rubles, 84 copeks.

In 1813, 14, and 15, have been sold and distributed 19,915 copies, and in 1816, 19,431 copies.

The expense of the three first years has amounted to 297,642 rubles, 47 copeks, and in 1816, to 227,770 rubles, 73 copeks.

There is now remaining in the treasury for the current year the sum of 130,027 rubles, 31 copeks. Since the establishment of the society there have been printed and are now printing 43 editions in 17 different languages, 196,000 copies.

Afterwards, Monsieur Tourgueneeff, the actual counsellor of state, second secretary, read an interesting exposé upon the progress of the foreign Bible Societies in the different parts of the world; the extract from it follows:

In the British possessions, there have been formed 558 principal and affiliated societies; 1,728,635 copies of the bible have been printed in 66 different languages. The expences

amounted to more than 10 millions of rubles; last year's expense to more than 3 millions.

In Germany within the space of a year, there have been established Bible Societies at Brunswick, Osnabruck, Konigsfield, Nassau-Hombourg, Frankfort, Neuwied, Eisenach, and in many other places. The influ ence of these societies extends itself not only upon the Protestants but also upon the Catholics, for whom there have been published at Marbourg, Ratisbon, and Munich, three translations of the scriptures to the number of 120,000 copies; and in the low countries, the society of Amsterdam,

under the immediate protection of His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange, reckons already 60 affiliated societies. In Sweden and Denmark, besides the existing societies, others have been opened within the present year. In Asia, the societies of Calcutta, Bombay, Columbo, Batavia, Amboyn, and elsewhere, occupy them. selves particularly with the translation of the Bible into the different dialects of the country. The zeal of the Missionaries of Serampore has been very remarkable in translating the scrip tures into 28 different languages. Three editions of the New Testament translated into Chinese by Mr. Morrison, have been already printed. In Africa, besides the societies which existed in the isles of Maurice, Bourbon, St. Helena, Caledonia, another has been formed at Sierra Leone, from which that at London, has received £150 sterling, a part of which was given by the negroes.

In America have been established more than 150 societies, 13 of them by ladies. Christophe and Petion ask for St. Domingo, the scriptures in French and English. The Esqui maux possess the gospel in their own language. Jamaica and Antigua have also Bible Societies. Although we have not yet the complete list of all the existing Bible Societies, they may be reckoned at about 1000, of which more than 700 are in Europe, and more than 200 in the other parts of the world.

[ocr errors]

The assembly composed of the clergy of the first rank of the Greek ritual-of His Eminence the metropolitan of the Latin ritual-the pastors of the Protestant church, and a great number of persons of distinction, was terminated by reading the list of the Vice-Presidents, Directors, and Secre taries of the society.

EXTRACT FROM DR. MASON'S SPEECH BEFORE THE LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

"PERMIT me to press upon the minds of this Christian audience, one of the singular, original honours of this Institution. I believe, sir, it was in the bosom of the London Missionary Society that the gospel spirit of Catholic love and fellowship originat

ed. If my memory does not deceive me, till that period, Christians were looking at their different peculiarities through a very thick mist. And we all know what a fog is every man knows that if he see an object through a mist it has a vast and imposing appearance but when he comes up to it, it dwindles into nothing. The light and warmth issuing from this society have driven away this mist; and Christians that were jangling about a variety of little things have found that they were not worth the pains and trouble. They have discovered, with great surprise, that they are practically one in Christ Jesus. Out of that Catholic spirit of gospel benevolence that unites believers to the Son of God, whatever be their external forms, have proceeded unquestionably, in a very great degree, all the other forms of noble munificence in this country. Had there been no Missionary Society, there would have been no British and Foreign Bible Society; and I cannot help marking with particular care and tender feeling the march of the Divine Providence."

These are noble sentiments; and they are the more remarkable as coming from Dr. Mason If he has be come duly aware of the pernicious influence of that "thick mist" through which Christians of different names have seen each others characters and sentiments; we may hope that the liberal views which he has expressed at London, will be retained by him till he returns to this country,-and that he will be an instrument of dispelling the fog which has occasioned such unchristian animosity in NewYork as well as in other places.

LONGEVITY IN THE SOCIETY OF

FRIENDS.

IN the Philanthropist for April, 1815, we have an article entitled Hints for improving the condition of the poor, in which we have the following observations:

"In the course of their speculations some of our philanthropists have noticed, with admiration not unmixed with surprise, the competence enjoyed by the lower orders of the Society of Friends. Finding that the poor of this persuasion are maintained exclu

sively by contributions raised within the society, and that the indigent members are comparatively few; these benevolent writers have been ready to suspect the existence of some valuable nostrum, some secret cause of so strange a phenomenon. The following facts were collected for the purpose of elucidating this difficulty, and at the same time of illustrating those general principles by which a lone one of the most difficult and important of all political problems can be solved."

The writer then exhibits, from the Register of the Society of Friends and from bills of mortality, several tables, shewing the probabilities of life among the members of this society; these he compares with other tables, and bills, and makes out the following result :In the counties of Surrey and Sussex, half the number born of the Society of Friends live to 57 years of age: In Bristol, half the born live to 43 years: In London and Middlesex, to 40 years.

According to the accounts of Dr. Price, half the born live in London 2 years and 9 months-In the Pays de Vaud to 41 years-In a Country Par ish in Brandenburg to 25-In the parish of Holy Cross near Shrewsbury to 27-In Vienna to 2-In Berlin to 2 1-2 years.

By the tables relating to the Friends it appears that in Surrey and Sussex 1 in 8 1-2 or 2 in 17 live to 80 years of age-In Bristol in 9-In London and Middlesex 1 in 13 1-2 or 2 in 27. The accounts of Dr. Price give 1 in 40 for London-1 in 41 for Vienna,and 1 in 37 for Berlin, who live to that age.

The writer further inquires relating to the number of births and marriages in the Society of Friends compared with the community at large, and says: "To sum up the whole it appears then that fewer deaths take place in infancy among the members of this society than among other persons,that their superior longevity is not accompanied by any rapid increase of numbers,--that the number of persons in the helpless state of infancy must therefore be peculiarly small,-that this satisfactorily accounts for the greater degree of competence which they enjoy and lastly, that such a state of things does of necessity imply

« PrécédentContinuer »