SOCIETY. 



ditors, a chaplain, reader at the chapel and fecrctary, two 

 preachers, a phyfician, furgeon, apothecary, fuperintendant, 

 and fteward. 



Society, Philological, comprehends a fchool for general 

 inftruction and clothing of the fons of poor clergymen, naval 

 and military officers, reduced tradcfmen, and mechanics. 

 It was initituted in the year 1792, under the patronage of 

 the duke of York, by Mr. Thomas Collingwood of Upper 

 Titchiield-llreet, Mary-le-bone. This fociety has adopted 

 u plan of education more liberal than is ufually provided for 

 in common fchools of charitable inltitutions. The fchool is 

 eftablilhed at Liilbn Green, Paddington. The committee, 

 confiiling of five members, meet every month, and a general 

 court 15 held once a year. The officers are his royal highnefs 

 the duke of York, a prefident, eleven vice-prefidcnts, three 

 truftees, a committee of twenty, a fecretary, feveral mafters, 

 a folicitor, phyfician, furgeon, apothecary, and colledlor. 



Society, called the African Injlitutitn, was eftablifhed 

 for the important objeft of attempting the civilization of 

 Africa, and of educating Africans. See African Insti- 

 tution. 



Society of Friends, for Amirican Indian CivilizatioK, 

 was inlhtuted by the Friends in the year 1795, and the ob- 

 jeft of it has been profecuted vs'ith their cultomary affiduity 

 and perfeverance, and with fuch fuccefs, that the northern 

 tribes of American Indians have been confiderably influenced 

 to adopt the arts of cultivation, as a prelude to their being 

 capable of receiving the truths and bleffings of religion. 

 The whole fraternity of Quakers interell themfelves in the 

 promotion of thefe objefts. 



Society, Briti/h and Foreign Bible, This fociety, which 

 has been extremely fuccefsful in promoting the circulation 

 of the holy fcriptures, was eftablifhed in the year 1804; 

 and almoft as foon as it was embodied, lord Teignmoutli 

 became the prefident, and the bifhops of London, Durham, 

 Saliftjury, and St. David's, with feveral noblemen and 

 gentlemen of high refpeftability, accepted the office of vice- 

 prefidents. Thus conftituted and patronized, from the po- 

 pularity of Its plan, and the exertions of its coiiduftors, it 

 obtained a rapid eftablifhment in the world, and may be 

 confidered as pofleffing a larger and more efficient operation 

 than was ever acquired by an inftitution for charitable pur- 

 pofes to be met with on the page of hiilory. Upon its 

 appearance before the public, Wales and Scotland diftin- 

 guifhed themfelves by individual, congregational, and aftb- 

 ciated contributions to its funds ; and rivalled each other, 

 and their fellow-citizens in England, by the promptitude of 

 their fupport. Ireland alfo joined in the work. The con- 

 tinent of Europe felt the impulfe which London had excited, 

 and evinced the effefts of it in local ailociations for prole- 

 cuting the fame common purpofe. Afia difplayed a limilar 

 fpirit, and Calcutta became the feat of a correfponding com- 

 mittee, profeffing, in the name and chiefly by tlie funds of 

 the fociety in London, to aid and encourage tranflations of 

 the fcriptures into all the vernacular dialects of tlie Eaft. 

 In fome parts of America there was a fimilar union of 

 Chriftians upon kindred principles, and with the fame ob- 

 jeCi in view. Several of thefe adociations have been affilted 

 by voluntary donations from the Britifh and Foreign Bible 

 Society. " Thus," fays the hiftorian of this inilitution, 

 " the flame which was kindled in London has been propa- 

 gated generally over more tiian three-fourths of the world, 

 and is on its way for a Hill more extenfive and particular 

 diffufion." 



The feat and centre of this inilitution is London : its 

 larger component parts are to be traced in auxiliary focieties, 

 formed under its encouragement, and contributory to its 



objeft and operation, in feveral of the moft confiderablt 

 towns throughout the united kingdom, in all the villages 

 about the metropolis, and in confpicuous ftations through- 

 out the other portions of the world, already enumerated. 

 Its auxiliaries within the united kingdom are more than 150, 

 ar.d they comprehend fome of the moft important and com- 

 manding pofitions. On the continent it has three auxiliaries 

 of great aftivity, and afting under very refpcclable patron, 

 age, in Stockholm, Berlin, and Bafle. Thefe ftation.i, 

 from their local fituation, and tlie conveniencies with which 

 they abound, are peculiarly favourable to the objedl of fup- 

 plying the inhabitants of Europe with the fcriptures, in 

 their feveral languages. The Calcutta fociety, confifting 

 of Chriftians of different denominations, and patronized, in 

 a meafure, by the exifting government, will be able in time 

 to furnifli bibles to the native Chriftians, faid to amount to 

 a million in number, and to produce correft verfions of the 

 fcriptures in the various languages of the Eaft, and to open 

 channels for their circulation among millions of people who 

 have never yet heard of the divine miffion of Jefus Chrift. 

 In America the fociety is affifted in the profecution of its 

 objeft by the Bible Societies of Philadelphia, New York, 

 Connefticut, Maflachufetts, New Jerfey, &c. ; all produced 

 by the example of the London fociety, aided by its funds, 

 and afting in avowed communication and harmony with it. 

 " In addition to thefe regular and organized bodies, the 

 fociety has correfpondents of various defcriptions in dif- 

 ferent parts of the world, adlively engaged in promoting its 

 defigns, by difperfing, at its expence, the facred oracles of 

 divine truth to men of every nation under heaven." 



In the firft fix years of the cxiftence of this fociety it had 

 iilued from its depofitory in London more than 325,000 

 copies of the fcriptures, independently of thofe whicli had 

 been printed under its aufpices, beyond the limits of the 

 united kingdom. In England it has printed the fcriptures, 

 at its ov.'n expence, in the Englifli, Welfli, Gaelic, French, 

 Spanifh, Portuguefe, Italian, Dutch, Danilh, Mohawk, 

 Efquimaux, Modern Greek, Manks, and native Irifh lan- 

 guages. On the continent it has largely aided the printing 

 of them in nearly twenty different languages. In Afia it 

 has promoted, by liberal contributions, the tranflation and 

 publication of them in a great variety of languages and 

 diaktts. 



The objeft of this fociety, which has already expended 

 feveral hundred thoufand pounds, is diftinftly and cxclufively 

 to promote, in the largeft prafticable extent, the circulation 

 of the holy fcriptures, without note or con-.mcnt, both at 

 home and abroad. By a fundamental law and rei:;ulation of 

 the lociety, the copies circulated in the language of the 

 united kingdom are thofe of the authorized verfion only. 

 The conftitution of tlie fociety comprehends all denomina- 

 tions of Chriftians, who profefs to regard the holy fcriptures 

 as the proper ftaiuhird of religious truth. The members of 

 the fociety, be their fubfcriptions wijat they may, provided 

 they are not lefs than one guinea annually, are entitled to 

 purchafe bibles and teftament.s at reduced prices, to five 

 times the amount of tlieir annual fubfcription. For a far- 

 ther account of this fociety, we refer our readers to its 

 annual reports, which are now grown to the fize of a mo- 

 derate oftavo volume. 



Ten guineas conltilute a member for life, and one guinea 

 an annual member, five guineas an annual governor, and 

 fifty pounds a governor for life. Its officers are a prefident, 

 treafurer, affiftant fecrctary, coUeftor, and bookfeller. 



An auxiliary Bible Society was cftabliflKd for the county 

 of Surrey in 1S12. Its officers are a prefident, twelve vice- 

 prefidents, a treafurer, and two fccretaries. 



Ff 2 SOCIKTV, 



