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HE title of our New Quarterly Paper sufficiently declares its object. It is to

ΤΗ be a record of the work of the Religious Tract Society at home and

abroad. Like other Missionary Societies, the Religious Tract Society is to have, in
addition to the annual report, a periodical, in the pages of which will be recorded
details of what is attempted by it for the extension of the Kingdom of Christ,
and of the results which show that the Divine blessing rests upon these efforts.

For the Religious Tract Society is a Missionary Society whose operations
are vast in extent, and deeply interesting in character. This fact appears to be
too often overlooked and forgotten. Very inadequate views are formed as to
the nature of its work, and, consequently, its real claims on the sympathy and
support of Christian people fail to be acknowledged as they ought. Some, literally
interpreting the honoured name which it has borne from its first formation,
seventy-seven years ago, think of it as though it were still a society having
for sole object the production and circulation of English Tracts, and to them
its work appears too small and limited to call forth much interest, or to need
much help. Others are more correctly informed as to the extent of its operations
as a Publishing Society, as to the size of its establishment, and the position it
occupies in trade; and to them it seems simply a large, well-managed, self-
supporting business, which cannot require help. They acknowledge, probably,
the excellence of its books or its periodicals, and rejoice at its prosperity, but do
not regard it as a society which, like other Missionary Societies, asks for and

needs their support, as engaged in spreading the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ throughout the earth. Even of those who do recognize its claims, few, comparatively, it may be safely said, are aware of the varied character and wide extent of the work which it is carrying on. It will be the aim of this RECORD to call special attention to this aspect of the Society--to show, by an account of what is being done by it, that it strengthens the hands, and makes more efficient the work, of those who, in every country, are, as Christ's soldiers, contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints-to show that it may be truly said of its works published in 125 different languages, "their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world."

Established on the same Catholic principles as the Bible Society, like it, the Tract Society aids the missionary everywhere, by supplying him with weapons for his warfare, by bringing the agency of the Press to supplement that of the living voice, by publishing the great doctrines of the Cross in a form which all sections of the Christian army can use alike. It helps the missionary in heathen and Mohammedan countries by grants of printing paper and money, as he labours not only to scatter seeds of truth, but to form a Christian literature for the still feeble, yet growing Christian churches. It assists, in Roman Catholic countries, the bands of Protestant Christians, comparatively so few, and often so poor, by enabling them to undertake the production of sound Gospel-teaching books. In Protestant countries, too often, alas! spiritually darkened by a cold and worldly rationalism, it, in the same way, cheers and encourages the faithful few who hold fast to the truth as it is in Jesus. The tracts it is the means of publishing in these various foreign mission fields penetrate often to places which the voice of the living evangelist never reaches. Its almanacks and periodicals, by their popular and attractive forms, convey Christian truth into many a house which could hardly otherwise be entered. The larger works-which, but for its aid, our brethren abroad could not venture to put forth—are valuable helps in the training for the ministry and the building up of Christian churches. Let it suffice to mention but a few of such works now in progress or recently completed, to show how widely the Society's influence is felt. The translation of its Annotated Testament into four of the languages of India; a Bible Handbook, in Hungarian ; the "Pilgrim's Progress," in Icelandic; Trench on the Miracles, in Italian; a Commentary on the Gospels, in Greek; a Hymn Book for the Islanders of the South Seas; a Manual of Devotion, in Lettish; the "Holy War," in Turkish; "Peep of Day," in the Basuto language; "Praxis Pietatis," in Bohemian; Dictionary of the Bible, in Malagassy; Keith on the Prophecies, in Arabic, bear witness to the varied ways and fields in which the Society is helping to extend the knowledge of the Scriptures which are able to make men wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Such is the work of the Society abroad: of its work at home so much need not be said; it is better known, but not less varied. Its tracts and periodicals, its books for young and old, are known to all. But here again it will be the object of this Quarterly Paper to call attention to the specially missionary side of its work. In one sense, no doubt, all its work is meant to be of a missionary

character. Every publication of the Society teaches, directly or indirectly, the leading truths of the Gospel, and directs its readers to the life-giving Word. The increase of the trade operations of the Society is therefore itself a cause for thankfulness. But the work to be recorded in these pages is that of its more directly missionary operations; of the grants of tracts and books made free or at a reduced price, to fit Christian workers for their conflict, or to assist them in it. The Christian Minister, the Evangelist, the Scripture-reader, the City Missionary, the Bible-woman, the Colporteur, the Schoolmaster, the Theological Student, and the Sunday-school Teacher are helped in their several spheres by grants of tracts in their active work, or by libraries, in their preparation for it. Children are specially thought of. Much is done for our soldiers and sailors, and the emigrant is not forgotten when he leaves our shores. Christians of all ranks in their private capacity are encouraged and assisted in their efforts as tract distributors quietly to do their part in extending their Master's kingdom.

The benevolent income of the Society is by no means adequate to the demands thus made upon it. Were it not largely supplemented from the profits of trade, it would be utterly insufficient. As missionary enterprise extends and prospers the need for a more extensive Christian literature will be more and more felt. The assistance of the Society is sought increasingly day by day, and new openings are continually presenting themselves, of which the Committee are most anxious to avail themselves. The grants for the present year exceed by a very large amount those made in the same period last year. The missionary receipts have not by any means kept pace with the general progress of the Society, as might have been hoped, and the Committee believe that this to a great extent arises from the ignorance which prevails as to the real demands upon its funds implied in the missionary operations described above. To remove as far as possible this ignorance, is one great object of this Paper, and it may be an additional encouragement to those whose interest is awakened or revived by what they read to remember that as all the expenses of management are met out of the trade receipts of the Society, every contribution, in whatever form given-subscription, donation, or collection-is applied, without deduction, to directly missionary objects.

But this will not be its only object. Surely all the Lord's people will be glad to know more of what He is pleased to do by this instrumentality; surely it will fill their hearts afresh with thankfulness to read of the efforts being made for the wider distribution of the truth; and the Paper, which is a record of missionary work at home and abroad, may itself, by the blessing of the Divine Spirit, do missionary work, carrying home to its readers' hearts the Word of which it testifies.

THE

SPECIAL APPEAL FOR SERVIA.

HE Committee of the Religious Tract Society lately requested the Rev. Dr. Craig, their Continental Agent, when in Hungary, to make inquiries as to the openings for the production and spread of religious literature in Servia, and among the other Servian-speaking people in South-eastern Europe.

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