Churches, and a number who have been recommended to us by Rev. Mr. Piggott, the Wesleyan agent. I regard it as indispensable to the success of our enterprise, that the school should sustain a character above all sectarianism, and that no liturgy or denominational creed should be imposed upon our students.

A young man, when admitted to the school, is examined with regard to his scientific and literary attainments, and also his piety and purpose to preach the Gospel. To be received, he must be a member of some evangelical church, and be recommended by the church to which he belongs, as well as by the pastor or evangelist of that church. It is indispensable that he gives good evidence of being a truly converted man, and manifests an earnest desire and purpose to consecrate himself entirely to the work of preaching the Gospel.

It is intended that the course of study shall embrace at least three years; yet, in the beginning of our enterprise, such is the very great want of evangelists in every part of our country, and so urgent are the calls, we have been forced to send some forth as evangelists, with a shorter course of study and training. Though three years have not yet elapsed since this school was opened, there are at present seven young men who have been trained in it laboring successfully as evangelists. Thus in a very brief period of time, we are reaping abundant fruit. Some of these young men occupy important positions, and have charge of growing churches or congregations. Others are itinerant evangelists, who visit cities, towns and villages, where are found friends of the truth, and are laying the foundation of future churches.

We can say in truth that God's blessing has attended the work of our hands, in thus endeavoring to furnish Italy with an institution where her own sons may be trained to preach the pure. Gospel of Christ. But in order to give this institution a permanent character, and make it such as Italy, in her present religious condition, absolutely needs, a greater amount of funds is necessary.

In the first place, a permanent building should be secured, either by purchase or rent, for a series of years. We have been compelled till now, for the want of funds, to confine the school to one room; but this is impossible for a longer period, for with from twenty to twenty-five students, and four professors, with their various classes, we are subject to the greatest possible inconvenience. We absolutely need at least two halls for giving instruction. It is necessary, also, that there should be an establishment or building in connection with the school, sufficiently large to accommodate, with board and lodging, all the pupils of the institution, and at least one of the professors. The pupils have as yet generally hired their own rooms in different parts of the city, and obtained their food at restaurants, or cheap eating houses, but this practice is bad for the health, and its influence unfavorable to the reli

gious character of the students, and the order and discipline of the school.

With five thousand dollars, such an establishment could be secured for ten years, and sufficiently large for all the above purposes, and furnished also, and kept in operation for the same period of time.

In the second place, the present amount pledged by the Society (five hundred dollars a month in currency), is inadequate. With four professors, at the expense of nearly 10,000 francs, and from twenty to twenty-five students, at seventy francs a month each, with expenses of books, maps, fuel, light, etc., at least five hundred dollars a month, in gold, is absolutely necessary, and this sum we beg the American and Foreign Christian Union to grant.

From such an institution as we have above indicated, permanently established here, where these young Italian men could be trained, who are now so desirous to preach Christ to their people, it is impossible to estimate the spiritual benefits that would result to this country. There is every reason to believe a very extensive, thorough, and permanent religious reform would be effected throughout the land, and we might hope to see the Italians become an active, influential, and evangelical people.

The City of Mexico-a Mission Begun.

In the city of Mexico, a mission has been undertaken, in the interest of Protestant civilization and Christianity. The Rev, H. C. RILEY, a gentleman eminently fitted for the position, is now in the city of Mexico, charged with the inauguration and direction of the enterprise. Mr. R. is the first ordained Protestant clergyman ever sent to labor permanently in Mexico.

There can be no question that the Christian citizens of the United States owe the first duty (outside their own borders) to that nation which is nearest to them in position, and most akin in form of government. Heretofore, that duty has been unattempted, chiefly because of the unsettled political condition of Mexico. Now the duty can be met, and it has been undertaken.

From Mexico, Mr. Riley sends these thoughts and points for consideration:

"There is a perfect hurricane of Protestant feeling raging against the Roman Church. I feel much as if I had suddenly found myself in the time of the Reformation. The great thing for us to do is to plant Christian churches and institutions here as rapidly as possible.

"Long have these native Christians looked to their brethren in the United States, in hope.. May they now have their hopes realized. If the American Church will make an effort worthy of the opportunity Christ has

given them in this land, Mexico might write one of the brightest and most deeply interesting pages in missionary history, in the course of the next few years.

"The influence of the evangelical thought and liberal ideas of the United States, has been gradually leavening this country with an intense desire for something like American civilization to take the place of the idolatry, fanaticism, immorality, tyranny, avarice, pride, false teaching of the Romish priesthood. At length the Liberal party, writing the words “liberty of worship and entire severance of Church and State," in its constitution, has nationalized the Roman Church property, worth about two hundred millions of dollars; emptied and abolished all convents, and scattered friars and nuns to the four winds; prohibited processions and ecclesiastical robes in the streets; declared civil marriages to be lawful, and branded the Roman Church with the name of traitor, for having brought in the French intervention to prop up her crumbling power. To-day, beside these two parties, a third, formed of earnest evangelical Christians, counting already its martyrs, has been raised up by God's blessing, through the circulation and reading of the Bible.

"Called of God to come and inaugurate the first Christian Mission in the city of Mexico, I plead for funds to obtain a church building; to meet the expenses of public worship; to publish the New Testament, and give it a wide gratuitous circulation; to publish and circulate a Christian paper, tracts and books; to enable preachers (and there are many able, educated Christian natives that can be soon prepared for that object) to devote all their time to Christian work; in a word, to begin the establishment of Christian institutions, which alone can, and which, by God's blessing, in the end shall make Mexico prosperous, a worthy sister Republic of the United States. A prominent Mexican official writes under date of Feb. 5, 1869:

"The Rev. Henry C. Riley comes to Mexico with a very important mission. It will afford me great and sincere pleasure to do all I can for Mr. Riley, from whom I expect great good for this country. He has communicated to me freely his views, and it is my opinion that he will succeed here.

A gentleman who has been laboring for some time as agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society, thus greets Mr. R.:

"You have arrived in Mexico at a propitious moment, when the fabric of Rome is crumbling, and the Gospel may be preached to immense advantage. You have already seen enough to form a judgment of what may be done in this city. The provinces are in nowise behind the capital; some parts of them are even in advance of it. Many good books have been circulated with excellent effect. It is very desirable that the living voice be heard, and that congregations be gathered, with faithful men over them. Mexico is more ripe for the change now than Europe was in Luther's time. You and I were witnesses of what happened last Sunday, when a most intelligent Mexican, the director of a college, famed as the best teacher in the city, knowing

only the creed and discipline of Rome, came to our meetings out of mere curiosity, or perhaps to criticise. Hearing nothing but the pure Gospel, and seeing so much simplicity and zeal for Christ, he felt constrained to confess publicly that we were in a road with which he was not acquainted; at the same time expressing a hope that the day was not distant when he should be with us." From Zacatecas, Dr. J. M. Prevost (U. S. Consul), of Philadelphia, appeals to Mr. Riley, in behalf of the interior country :

"What I have seen confirms me in the conviction that, out of Mexico itself, there is no point in the whole country which so urgently demands immediate attention as this. In Villa de Cos, a day's journey from here, there is a congregation of sixty or seventy persons, in regular attendance on worship. The services are held at present in a private house, but that is no longer sufficient to accommodate the numbers who attend, and this week a small church has been commenced, to hold comfortably about 300 persons. The members are mostly poor people, but very earnest and enthusiastic. Some contribute to the object with money, and some with personal labor. I hope that within three months the edifice will be complete-at least sufficiently so to hold service in it. Does not such zeal as this deserve encouragement ?"

EDITORIAL NOLES.

SERMONS, in behalf of the American and Foreign Christian Union, were preached during Anniversary week in several of our large cities. The Rev. Samuel W. Fisher, D. D., of Utica, preached in Rev. Dr. Budington's Church, in Brooklyn, in the morning, and in Rev. Dr. William Adams' Church, Madison Square, in the evening.

Rev. Herrick Johnson, D.D., of Philadelphia, represented the Society in Rev. W. H. H. Murray's Church, Park-street, Boston. Rev. Wm. H. Goodrich, D.D., of Cleveland, performed a similar service in the first Presbyterian Church, Chicago; the Rev. Arthur Mitchell, of Chicago, in the first Presbyterian Church, Cleveland; and the Rev. Samuel M. Campbell, D.D., in the Central Church of Rochester.

Discourses were delivered in other places, reports of which will be given hereafter.

WE give on the following pages interesting items from the Annual Report of the American Bible Society, and short sketches of the stirring addresses at the Anniversary of the American Tract Society. We have during the year been aided in our work by both these noble institutions.

American Bible Society.

INTERESTING FACTS FROM THE FIFTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT.

THE RECEIPTS have been larger than in any previous year but one, viz : $731,734. 73; of which there were from sales, $431,213 95; legacies, $88,161 23; gratuitous contributions, $179,832 24; rents in the Bible House, $32,527 31.

THE PUBLICATION DEPARTMENT also exhibits a notable increase.

BOOKS PRINTED at the Bible House, 1,081,820 volumes; in foreign lands, 261,982 volumes. Total printed, 1,343,802 volumes.

BOOKS PURCHASED abroad for foreign circulation, 15,510 volumes.

BOOKS ISSUED from the Bible House, 1,059,686 volumes, viz.: 339,595 Bibles; 668,536 Testaments; 51,090 Portions of the Bible; 465 volumes for the Blind. Total value of these issues, $545,501 63.

FOREIGN ISSUES AND CIRCULATION, total, 326,920, aside from special grants from the Bible House, in about fifty-two languages and dialects, being a large advance over any preceding year.

The sum total of issues and circulation during the year is 1,386,611 volumes, and the ENTIRE NUMBER of volumes issued in fifty-three years, is 25,241,731.

THE GRATUITOUS DISTRIBUTIONS AND APPROPRIATIONS amount in value to $181,881 58, of which sum $72,912 53 were for foreign fields. No well authenticated and proper application for aid in books or money has been declined by the Board of Managers.

The Board of Managers report with pleasure, that the restoration of the American Bible Society, throughout the Southren States, may now be regarded as accomplished. Its Agents, occupying every State, report 856 Auxiliaries and Branches under their charge, of which 117 were newly formed, and 31 reorganized during the year. The receipts from these States, with the District of Columbia, were $75,569 74; being an advance of $9,961 28 over those of the year before.

THE FREEDMEN have had the constant and increased attentions of the Society. By the rules of the Board, no discrimination is made between the destitute white and colored people, and the plans of the Managers for promoting this great work of supply, for all readers alike, are faithfully observed. A number of colored colporteurs have been successfully employed by various Auxiliaries, and several Freedmen's Bible Societies are doing good service.

THE RESUPPLY OF THE WHOLE COUNTRY with the Bible has been carried forward with vigor and success. Within the year, 474 Auxiliaries have canvassed their fields entirely or in part; 647,733 families have been visited, of which 64,113 were found destitute of the Scriptures, and 37,720 were supplied, besides 15,939 private individuals, 10,866 soldiers and sailors, and 1,558 Sabbath and Mission schools, exclusive of those which received our grants through the American Sunday School Union and similar Societies and Boards (33,713 volumes.) Of the progress of this work, for three years, 1866-69, the following statement is made:

The report announces that important plans are now in hand for the enlargement of the work of the Society at home and abroad, for which Providence has opened the way, and the continued support of friends and patrons is confidently expected.