Commissioners for Foreign Missions. It was formed at Phila delphia, April, 1814. The Convention holds its sessions triennially, and is composed of delegates from Missionary Societies, State Conventions, Associations and other religious bodies, and of individuals, of the Baptist denomination, who contribute to its funds. The payment of $100 entitles a delegate or individual to a seat and vote in the Convention, on his first becoming connected with the body; and the payment of $300 at or before each succeeding triennial meeting thereafter, to a seat and vote at such meeting; and in the same ratio for additional seats and votes; but no member of the Convention is entitled to more than one vote.

The officers of the Board are (1838-9) a President, fifteen Vice Presidents, three Corresponding Secretaries, (Home, Foreign and Financial,) a Recording Secretary, a Treasurer and an Assistant Treasurer, and forty Managers. The Board have an annual meeting for mutual advice, and a monthly meeting at their Missionary Rooms in Boston, for the transaction of business requiring immediate attention. At the annual meeting, eleven constitute a quorum and at the monthly meetings, five.

The Board have under their charge twenty-three Missions -twelve among the Indians of this country; three in Europe, to Germany, France, and Greece; one in Africa, to the native tribes in and around Liberia; and seven in Asia, to the Burmans, and Karens, Siam, China, Arracan, Assam, and the Teloogoos. Connected with these are seventy stations and out stations, one hundred missionaries and assistants sent from this country, and nearly one hundred native preachers and assistants, fifty schools, and five printing establishments, with fifteen printing presses. The number of pages printed at Maulmein, Burmah, in 1837, were more than 17,000,000. Thirty-eight churches have been organized, numbering two thousand members, about five hundred of whom were added to the churches in 1836-7.

The annual expenditure of the Board is about $100,000.

Officers of the Board for 1838-9, the Rev. Jesse Mercer, D. D., President-the Rev. Lucius Bolles, D. D., Home Secretary, the Rev. Solomon Peck, Foreign Secretary, the Rev. Howard Malcom, Financial Secretary, and the Hon. Heman Lincoln, Treasurer.

The official publication of the Board is the "American Baptist Magazine," issued monthly.

The Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America was established in 1819. The Society has a President, five Vice Presidents and a Board of Managers consisting of thirty-two members. The Society supports mis

sions in Africa, among the Indian tribes, and more extensively domestic missions in various parts of the United States. In 1838, it had 182 missionaries, 34 teachers, 818 scholars, 2 physicians, and 2 mechanics. Its receipts for the same year were $90,105.

The Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church in a sense was formed in 1820, though it has since been greatly modified. In 1838, it had nine ordained missionaries, one printer, nine female assistants, two male assistants, twenty native teachers, 1,145 scholars, one press, printed in five years six and a half millions of pages. Its receipts were $27,193. Rev. John A. Vaughn, is Secretary and General Agent, and Charles J. Aldis, Treasurer. Its seat of operations is New York.

The Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church was established in 1837. Its receipts as reported in 1838 were $44,748. It has missions in China, Northern India, Western Africa, and among the Western Indians. Its number of missionaries is 38. Hon. Walter Lowrie is Corresponding Secretary, Rev. John Breckenridge, D. D., General Agent, and James Paton, Esq., Treasurer.

(D. p. 122.)

Jews Societies.

The London Jews Society was formed in 1808-9, and has been an efficient and useful society. According to its Report for 1831, it has, besides three missionaries in India under the inspection of the Madras Committee, thirteen missionaries, in the ten following places and countries, namely, two in England, two in France, one in Hamburg, one in the country adjacent to the Lower Rhine, one in Bavaria, one in Frankforton-the-Maine, one in Dresden, one in Dublin, two at Malta, and one at Smyrna. The Society has printed an edition of the Hebrew Bible, and an edition also of the German, corresponding to it. It has also translated the Bible into JudeoPolish. The receipts of the society for 1831, are reported to have been £14,144 7s. 2d.

The Philo-Judean Society was formed in 1827. It is an English society, and has for its object the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Tracts among the Jews, and diffusing religious information among Hebrew children and adults.

The American Society for meliorating the condition of the Jews was formed at New York in 1820. Considerable was expected from it for a time by some, but it seems on the whole not to have accomplished much. It had funds at one time to the amount of $30,000, but these had become reduced in 1827 to $15,900 60. The Society purchased a farm of five hundred acres for $6,000, at New Paltz, on the west side of the Hudson, opposite Hyde Park, but whether it still possesses it and what its operations are, is not known. The Rev. Dr. Rowan was employed as an Agent of the Society for some time.

The Female Jews Society of Boston and its Vicinity, was formed June 5, 1816, and for several years paid over its funds to the London Jews Society. Of late, it has employed its funds differently; and at present it supports one missionary, the Rev. William Schauffler, under the direction of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Its income is understood to be about $500 annually. It has a permanent fund of more than $2,000. It has had auxiliaries in different parts of New England.

It is a striking and affecting fact, that after the lapse of many centuries, the Jews are beginning to return to Palestine, the land of their fathers. In a late "New York Evening Star” it is said, "Within a few years great numbers have gone thither they amount now to 40,000, and are increasing in multitude by large annual additions. In the first day of the month a large number of Israelites from the States of Morocco, arrived at Marseilles, in order to embark there for the coast of Syria, and proceed thence on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem."

(E. p. 140.)

Home Missionary Societies.

The Connecticut Missionary Society is one of the oldest Home Missionary Societies. It originated in the following manner. The General Association of Connecticut petitioned the Legislature in 1792, for a contribution to be taken throughout the State, for Missionary purposes. The petition was granted for three years successively. The General Association sent Missionaries to New York, Vermont, and Pennsylvania. On June 21, 1798, the General Association formed themselves into a Missionary Society. The name of the Society was the Missionary Society of Connecticut. The

General Association was that Society. Its object as announced was, "to Christianize the heathen, or Indians in North America, and to support the Gospel in New Settlements." The Hon. John Treadwell, LL. D., was appointed Chairman, and Rev. Abel Flint, Secretary of the Board of Trustees. The General Assembly in October, 1798, upon application, made a grant of a contribution in the several Ecclesiastical Societies. The contribution for the first year was £382 98. 14d. This was considered a very great contribution for the whole State. One of the principal fields of labor by the Society, has been from the first that part of Ohio called New Connecticut, or the Western Reserve. It has been the means of establishing about 400 churches.

The Massachusetts Missionary Society was established at Boston, May 28, 1799. It is stated in the preamble to the Constitution, that the object of the Society is "to diffuse the knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, among the heathen and others in destitute places." In 1816, the Domestic Missionary Society of Massachusetts was formed. The former, being an incorporated Society the latter was united with it in July, 1827. The united Society is now a State Society, auxiliary to the American Home Missionary Society. Its efforts have been principally within Massachusetts, though they have been more or less extended to other States, particularly Maine. The churches that have been assisted are from 60 to 70 annually, and the number of Missionaries employed rising of 50. The Society has an annual sermon in connection with the meeting of the General Association of Massachusetts, when a collection is taken up in aid of the Society. The funds raised by the Society the year 1838, amounted to nearly nineteen thousand dollars. The first officers of the Society were Rev. Nathanael Emmons, D. D., President; Rev. Samuel Austin, D. D., Secretary; Deacon John Simpkins, Treasurer; Rev. David Sanford, Rev. Daniel Hopkins, D. D., Rev. Ezra Weld, Rev. Samuel Spring, D. D., Rev. Joseph Barker, Rev. Samuel Niles, Rev. John Crane, D. D., Rev. Samuel Austin, D. D., and Rev. Jonathan Strong, D. D., Trustees.

The present officers of the Society are Rev. Leonard Woods, D. D., President; Rev. Richard S. Storrs, D. D., Secretary; John Punchard, Esq. Treasurer; and Mr. Benjamin Perkins, Assistant Treasurer. Besides these officers there are a number of Vice Presidents, a Board of Trustees, and an Executive Committee, of which the Rev. John Codman, D. D., is Chairman.

Besides those already mentioned, there are efficient Home Missionary Societies in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire,

Years.

and some other States. For want of documents a more particular account of these cannot be given.

The General Assembly appointed a Standing Committee of Missions in 1802 to manage all their Missionary operations.

The Board of Missions of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church was formed in 1818. In 1838 it had 275 Missionaries, 20,000 children in Sabbath schools, 4,500 in Bible classes and 4,500 members of the Temperance Society. There were added to the churches aided 3,010 members. The receipts for the year were $38,000. The Rev. William A. McDowell, D. D., is the Corresponding Secretary, and William Nassau, Sen. Esq. Treasurer.

The American Home Missionary Society is a national institution and was formed at New York May 10, 1826, by a convention of one hundred and thirty clergymen and laymen, chiefly delegates from ecclesiastical bodies and Missionary societies previously existing, from fourteen of the United States, and belonging to the Presbyterian, Congregational, Reformed Dutch, and Associate Reformed churches. Though of later origin than some of the limited local Societies having in view the same object, it was formed with their concurrence generally, and now sustains the character of Parent Institution to most of them. The particular Society to whose place it succeeded, was the United Domestic Missionary Society of New York. The object of the Society is, "to assist congregations that are unable to support the gospel ministry, and to send the gospel to the destitute within the United States." It has prosecuted its object with great success. The results of its operations in several particulars are exhibited following table.

in the