Whitney, Raymond, Bridgeport, Ct. Whitman, Seth S., Belvidere, Ill. 66 Williams, Edward, Trenton, N. J. Wilson, John F., Society Hill, S. C. PREAMBLE AND CONSTITUTION OF THE AMERICAN AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. WHEREAS, the inspired Scriptures, the Hebrew of the Old Testament and the Greek of the New Testament, are the only authoritative Divine standard containing the revelation of God for the whole human family: And whereas, the Council of Trent, in 1546, declares that a Latin translation, called the Vulgate, "shall be held as authentic, and that no one shall dare or presume to reject it under any pretence whatever," and the Rheimish Testament was translated from the Vulgate into English, in 1582,-the translators declaring that the Vulgate is not only better than all other Latin translations, but than the Greek text itself in those places where they disagree;" which assumptions have been generally repudiated by all enlightened Christians, not in the Romish Church: And whereas, the American Bible Society, in 1836, approved of the following resolution, viz.: "Resolved, That in appropriating money for the translating, printing, or distributing of the Sacred Scriptures in foreign languages, the Managers feel at liberty to encourage only such versions as conform in the principle of their translation to the common English version; at least so far as that all the religious denominations represented in this Society can consistently use and circulate said versions, in their several schools and communities." The remonstrants against this resolution, believing it to be a virtual abandonment of the great principle of Protestantism, and the adoption of that of the Council of Trent, as well as a departure from the basis of the original compact of the Society, which states their object to be "the dissemination of the Scriptures in the received versions where they exist, and in the most faithful where they may be required," and having in vain taken every Christian measure to prevent its passage and enforcement, were constrained to form, provisionally, in 1836, and fully organize, in 1837, THE AMERICAN AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY: FOUNDED UPON THE PRINCIPLE that the originals in the Hebrew and Greek are the only authentic standards of the Sacred Scriptures; and that aid for the translating, printing, or distributing of them in foreign languages, should be afforded to such versions only as are conformed as nearly as possible to the original text; it being understood that no words are to be transferred which are susceptible of being literally translated. CONSTITUTION. ARTICLE I. The name of this Society shall be, THE AMERICAN AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. ART. II. It shall be the object of the Society to aid in the wider circulation of the Holy Scriptures IN ALL LANDS. ART. III. Each contributor of three dollars annually shall be a member; each contributor of thirty dollars, a member for life; and each contributor of one hundred and fifty dollars, a director for life. Life-directors shall have the privilege of participating in the deliberations of the Board. ART. IV. All Bible Societies agreeing to place their surplus funds in the treasury of the Society, shall be auxiliaries, and the officers of such Societies shall, while in office, have the privilege of life-directors. ART. V. A Board of twenty-five Managers residing in the city of New-York, or its vicinity shall be annually elected to conduct the business of the Society, with power to fill their own vacancies. ART. VI. The President, one Vice-President, the Secretaries and Treasurer, shall be members of the Board. ART. VII. The Managers shall meet monthly, or oftener, if necessary, at such time and place as they shall adjourn to, a majority of whom shall be a quorum. ART. VIII. The Managers shall have the power of appointing such persons as may have rendered essential services to the Society, either members for life or directors for life. ART. IX. The Annual Meeting of the Society shall be held at New-York, on the day after the Second Thursday in May in each year, or at any other time or place, at the option of the Society; when the accounts of the Treasurer shall be presented, and a President, Vice-Presidents, Secre taries, Treasurer, and such other officers as they may deem necessary, together with a Board of Managers, shall be chosen for the ensuing year, by the members entitled to vote on the Treasurer's books the beginning of the said month. The Board of Managers shall have power to fill all vacancies that may occur in the executive offices during the year. ART. X. The President shall, at the written request of six members of the Board, call a special meeting of the Board of Managers, causing at least three days' notice of such meeting to be given. He shall also, on the certified request of the Board of Managers, call special meetings of the Society, giving one month's public notice thereof. ART. XI. The whole of the minutes of every meeting shall be signed by the Chairman and Secretary. ART. XII. No alteration shall be made in this Constitution, except by the vote of two-thirds of the members of the Society present at an annual meeting. Ir has been customary at this season of the year to call the special attention of the friends of the Society to its condition and wants, for the purpose of maintaining a general familiarity with its operations and promoting contributions to its treasury. In conformity with that custom, and to promote those ends, the members and friends of the Society are now addressed. While this Society has never been unmindful of the wants of our own country, and has endeavored to perform its share in the work of circulating the Sacred Scriptures at home, its chief design and labor have been to circulate those Scriptures in foreign and more destitute nations. Indeed, its distinctive existence and work originated in the necessities of that foreign labor, necessities which cast upon Baptists the imperative duty of sustaining their own translators and translations in heathen countries. In fifteen years the Society has expended in circulating the Scriptures in foreign tongues $218,887 01, an average of nearly $14,600 per year during the Society's whole existence. This money has been expended in translating, revising, printing, and distributing. Those whom it has reached and blessed with the light of life dwell upon every continent and upon the islands of the sea. The distant Chinese, the Siamese, the Burmese, the Peguans, the Talings, the Karens, the Assamese, the inhabitants of Hindostan speaking several dialects, have been reached by its benefactions, and thus to multitudes emerging from heathenism through missionary labors, the Scriptures have proved an inestimable blessing. The Society has done likewise a vast work in Europe, specially in Germany, under the wise and energetic labors of Mr. Oncken, where numerous churches have sprung up, in which are gathered thousands of converts illustrating a primitive Christianity and primitive ordinances. And these efforts to spread the light of life go on still, enlarging by every success, and demanding more and more the energy of Christian zeal and devotion. Translators, revisers, printers, and distributors are engaged at this moment in all these countries, sustained by the funds of this Society; and even while the eye of the Christian reader rests upon this page, the precious gift which the Society dispenses, by the labors of colporteurs and missionaries, is perhaps falling for the first time into the hands of benighted souls whom it will make wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. The impossibility of carrying forward the missionary enterprise without the accompanying work which this Society performs, is matter of frequent consideration among the friends of missions. While it is true that the conversion of the world could not be expected under a system of labors which should be confined to the circulation of the Scriptures without oral instruction, it is true on the other hand that oral instruction without the circulation of the Scriptures would be as little likely to attain that result. What God hath joined together man may not put asunder. He that sent forth his disciples to preach the gospel, himself bade the people "search the Scriptures." In the midst of the zealous missionary labors performed by the Apostle of the Gentiles, that inspired teacher declared the Sacred Scriptures to have been given "that the man of God might be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." The rule of Christ seems to be that the preacher of the gospel should bear the Scriptures with him, as the source and authority of his own doctrines, and communicate them to those whom he teaches, that they too may be established in the faith. Setting at naught this rule, the Romish Church proposes to the heathen a semblance of Christianity, and makes impressions easily, it may be, upon minds which feel the need of something better than heathenism, but works no permanent spiritual benefit, for the reason that she withholds the Word of God. Here lies the secret of her missionary failures in the East, in Canada, Mexico, and South America. Protestant missions remain permanently beneficent in their effects, because they bear to the heathen the Scriptures,-God's revelation to all men. The progress of Christianity in the English race attests in like manner the general truth here stated. Our fathers advanced in Christian character and in social elevation precisely in proportion as the fountains of divine truth were unsealed and permitted to pour out their sanctifying floods upon the people. A free Bible made a Christian and free people. The labors of Missionary Societies and Bible Societies are therefore conjoint labors. Neither can dispense with the other. In Europe this Society carries on its work in part independently, through its own agents, but in the more distant countries of the East it avails itself of missionary laborers. In pursuance of the divine plan, it enables the preacher to follow up his oral teachings with the distribution of the Word of God. The Society has sometimes reached the heathen with its benefactions through English Baptist missionary operations in India, but its main work has been carried on through the missionaries of the American Baptist Missionary Union. Through these missionaries it expended last year $14,750, supplying the full amount required by the necessities of that body in the department of Bible operations, and enjoying, as one of its labors for the year, the high honor and privilege of providing the whole Karen Scriptures for that singular and most interesting people. But the work of the Society is sadly incomplete. The day still remains in the far distance when every man shall possess, faithfully translated into his own tongue, God's revelation of mercy to sinners. Millions will descend to the grave unblessed with its light, uncheered by its hopes, before that day dawns. It is the work of this Society to bear some part in hastening its dawning. To enable it to do so, it makes this appeal to its friends. Year after year they have sustained the work which it has in hand,-the same work which the Society has always performed it is still performing, with the same scrupulous regard to the fidelity of translations, with even more urgent calls, and with the accompanying blessing of God. This work is strictly a practical one;-its sole design is to give God's Word to those who are perishing for the lack of it. It cannot be doubted that those who love Christ will find their hearts in sympathy with such a work, and it is hoped that their contributions to the treasury will be early and abundant. S. S. CUTTING, Cor. Sec. 350 Broome Street, New-York, Sept. 17, 1851. Wants of the Year. AMERICAN BAPTIST MISSIONARY UNION. The Home Secretary of the American Baptist Missionary Union, under date of Sept. 13, informs the Board that the necessities of the Union for the year, in the department of Bible operations, will be about as last year. Some of the reports have not reached the Mission-rooms, and yet, from the information already gained, he has "no hesitation in saying that the following sums will be needed during the current financial year: “For Translating, Printing, and Distributing Scriptures in Chinese,. $3,000 1,250 1,000 He says, "You will regard this list as including the wants already ascertained," and anticipates that this amount will be considerably increased on the receipt of further intelligence. Particular attention is requested to the above schedule, as it indicates the specific objects for which funds are appropriated to the Missionary Union by this Society. It will be observed that the schedule embraces TRANSLATING, REVISING, PRINTING, and DISTRIBUTING. The Society pays the salaries, as translators, of Rev. Dr. Dean and Rev. Mr. Goddard in China, Rev. Mr. Brown in Assam, Rev. Dr. Jones in Siam, and Rev. Mr. Mason in Burmah. The matter of printing includes the heavy cost of paper, as well as the process of printing and binding. The whole work of the Society, as a coöperator with the Missionary Union, is therefore one of indispensable necessity, and if the Union fails to receive the necessary appropriations for Bible |