only say that the tracts were very cordially received, and have been carefully read by the teachers, (who are a numerous and influential class), and that about five hundred tracts have been lent to the scholars, among whom are two thousand capable of reading in the New Testament: these scholars are enjoined to read the eight tracts to the members of their respective families. And as your Committee fully expect that this injunction will, in every instance, be complied with, it will follow that if each scholar read the tracts to his parents only, the contents of the five hundred tracts now in circulation will thus be known to at least six thousand persons in humble life, exclusively of the teachers." Your Committee strongly recommend this excellent plan to the attention of other auxiliaries. It is sowing the seed in the right place and the right time, from which, through the Divine blessing, much good may be expected. The principles of peace have also been advocated from the pulpit at Bath during the last year, an example which we would be glad to see followed in every town in the kingdom. No Report has been received from the Bristol Auxiliary; but from recent communications, it appears that their exertions in the cause of peace continue undiminished. A letter has been lately received from Swansea, informing us that a course of Lectures, on the views and object of the Peace Society, are about to be commenced at the Town-hall in Swansea. Your Committee believe this will be the first attempt at this popular mode of advocating your principles in this country, but they hope it will not be the last. From the Report of the Birmingham Auxiliary, it appears that their attention continues to be directed to the important object of diffusing the principles of peace into the minds of the rising generation. This is a subject which has engaged the attention of your Committee, and

they hope to be soon able to afford aid to their Auxiliaries in this interesting portion of their labour, by supplying them with tracts suitable for juvenile readers.

A new Tract is in the press, under the title of "Historical Illustrations of the Origin and Consequences of War," by the author of Tract No. 8. New editions of Tracts, Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, with the Fourteenth Annual Report, and The Herald of Peace, have been published, making within the year 19,271, comprising a total of 488,571 that have been published since the establishment of the Society. The sales and distributions this year have been 20,416. amount of subscriptions, donations, &c. this year is 5771. 9s. 6d.

The

The zeal and activity of our American coadjutors in the cause of peace continue unabated. The Second Report of the American Peace Society, and the Fourteenth of the Massachusetts, and the Fourth of the Windham County Peace Societies, have been received. From the Second Report of the American Peace Society, it appears that they have employed the Rev. Asa Mead as an agent; he travelled from Maine to New Jersey, and into the western parts of the state of New York. He was out in this journey a little more than three months, and formed six new Peace Societies, one at Newark, New Jersey, and the others in the state of NewYork, at Troy, Ulica, Auburn, Rome, and Whitesborough; and in other places he laid the foundation for Peace Societies. Besides those formed by Mr. Mead, Peace Societies have been established at Camden, New Jersey, at Bangor Theological Seminary, and at Pownal, in the state of Maine. An attempt has been made in America to ascertain the public feeling with respect to a proposal of a "reference of all international disputes to a court of nations," and the proposal has met with the ready and full approbation of several members of the legislature,

and of persons of all classes in so ciety. *

In this review of their labours and prospects, your Committee have dwelt principally upon the latter, it being the subject upon which they are chiefly interrogated, and often in a distrustful manner, implying a doubt, if it be not directly avowed, of the efficacy of their labours. It may be urged that causes, independent of the agency of the Peace Societies, have operated to produce in Europe and America the present disposition to prevent any thing from interrupting the state of peace that now prevails between the different leading powers of the world. Such vague objections are difficult to be met; the only influence your Society professes to exercise is on public opinion, by infusing into it more correct sentiments on the subject of war than have hitherto prevailed. Their influence on governments is consequently only indirect, through the medium of this corrected public opiThat other causes may also have co-operated to produce the present change in the opinions and conduct of governments, is not denied; such as the public and private distress, the sufferings, bloodshed, and crimes that always follow in the train of war; but then these are no novel effects, they have always been concomitant with war; the question therefore returns, what has made them at this period produce an effect they never before produced upon the councils of nations? The answer is, an improved moral principle, which has changed men's views with respect to the lawfulness of war. To this principle we have appealed, it has been avowed by ministers of state, by members of legislatures; and as these avowals have been made in countries where the Peace Societies have disseminated their publications, which expose war in its true character, it is unreason

nion.

See Appendix, No. II.

able to deny to these Societies any influence towards effecting this great change in favour of peace.

The evil which you oppose, whether we consider its repugnance to the letter and spirit of the Gospel, or the sufferings it inflicts on the human family, gives you a claim upon all Christians for their co-operation and support, equal, if not superior, to that of any other existing Institution; for many of the minor evils which these were established to remove, may be traced to war as their prolific source. The very magnitude of the evil forbids any sanguine expectation of its speedy removal; for deep-rooted customs which flatter the pride and ambition of man, will not yield to a slight and feeble opposition; it must be strenuous and persevering to give any hope of ultimate success. Such opposition every Christian is called upon to make to the flagitious and desolating custom of war; and your Committee hope that this appeal to them will not be in vain; that they will no longer suffer your labours to be circumscribed for want of sufficient funds, but actively aid your efforts to establish peace and good-will among men. But while we call to our aid subordinate means, let us never forget that upon the influence of Christian principle only, which subdues the turbulent passions that no less disturb the peace of families than that of nations, can we safely depend for the establishment of permanent peace upon the earth. We are therefore loudly called upon not to relax in our efforts to inculcate this Christian principle among men, confident that however clouds and darkness may, for a time, envelop our labours in obscurity, they will, through the Di vine blessing on our prayers and exertions, at no very distant period, produce abundant fruit to the glory of the Creator and beneficent Father of mankind.

APPENDIX. No. I.

Volume.] No. II.

4. That the same do pass.

REPORT.

In presenting a Report of proceed ings for the past year, although your committee may have but little appa rent progress to record, their conviction remains unchanged, that the more fully the object of this Society forcible will be found its claim to the is examined into, the more just and cause of religion, morality, and human support of every well wisher to the happiness.

that every friend to the cause of peace Your Committee are also anxious, may evince more fully, by the language of example, that his love to it is not mere profession. They bethis respect, would have a powerful lieve that consistency of conduct in influence on the public mind.

Your Committee contemplate, with feelings of gratitude, the continuance of peace in this country; and, in looking at the events of the past year they admit of the pleasing conclusion, that our government has uniformly tain a state of tranquillity, and a manifested the disposition to maindesire has been evinced, in our intercourse with foreign powers, to promote harmony and good-will. It is also a striking feature of the influence of the pacific principle, that the united voice of the country has been raised against any manifestation of a warlike interference with other states; and this trait in the national character affords an additional ground for the hope of continued peace.

The efforts of the Society have been directed, as heretofore, to the circulation of the tracts and pamphlets approved by the Parent Institution. Some further calls have also been made on the masters of schools, for the purpose of inviting their attention to the introduction of them into their seminaries; and it would

*

66

tians to obey the pacific precepts of the gospel, they treat them as a dead letter, or consider them as speculative, rather than practical; with respect to international war, they obtrude sentiments in favour of what is called defensive war; unsupported by Christian authorities, their ipse dixit" cannot satisfy the serious inquirer. It has been asserted, that there have been wars, and that there will be wars to the end of the world; which shews lamentable inattention or prejudice still remaining under the Christian name, contrary to the examples of the early Christians, who suffered rather than contend in war: instance Maximillian, &c. These were sensible of the pacific character of the gospel, faithful to their convictions, and suffered martyrdom in obedience to Christ, rather than bear arms to promote the destruction of their fellow-creatures. This antiChristian system has received a shock, however partial, we trust it will never recover; and which, under the" Prince of Peace,” Jesus Christ, will extend to the extermination of all war; notwithstanding the suggestions of the adversaries of the "gospel of peace," who are, as they conceive, interested in the prosecution of war, rather than have recourse to the wise and rational expedient of reference, to prevent expensive warlike establishments among the nations. Many who approve of the principle of universal peace, observe that the Peace Society has not yet made much impression on governments, that it is vain to oppose the torrent of national custom and prejudice; to these, is submitted that though in the world the friends of peace are comparatively obscure, yet, the great and noble cause has advanced by the accession of numbers of pious persons in different nations; with the prospect of the community at large being imbued with the principle, to learn war no more!" We are not to wait till the world is agreed

66

* See the Peace Tract, No. 3. VOL. VIII. NEW SERIES.

on this important subject: let every individual do his duty as a Christian, act upon conviction in the hope and expectation, that the truth will prevail, be great, and above all things! In addition to the instances of conversion to this blessed principle before reported, we have a recent public testimony for permanent and universal peace at Geneva, where there is now a Peace Society. At their first meeting, December 1st, 1830, as appears in the last Herald of Peace, M. Comte de Sellon addressed the meeting, from which is selected the following:- "Encouraged by this progress of opinion, I have considered myself authorized to address the public, to repel, by my wishes, the most cruel of all scourges; that which the gospel virtually condemns in every page, * to repel that barbarous conduct, which Voltaire called murder and crime openly committed with uplifted and waving banners; and I come forward to ask the combination and assistance of men distinguished by their sentiments, and their enlightened minds, to elict the different means by which the end may be obtained."

In the small efforts the Society has made in waiting upon the inhabitants of Southampton to disseminate this important principle, there appears a disposition to patronize so excellent an institution, for which the Society feels grateful, and is encouraged to persevere.

Eighth Annual Report of the Ross

Auxiliary Peace Society..

IT is the will of Him, who first created order out of chaos, to employ

The savages of the Sandwich Islands, after having heard a Christian missionary, sought all their arms, and gave them to

him, doubting not that the effusion of blood

was henceforth forbidden. Do not these

people comprehend the gospel better than the partizans of war? This fact is the more striking, as the missionary had not, in the first instance, himself inculcated the sentiment."