Stratford. Under his exertions the Mission greatly prospered. In 1726, a Schoolmaster was also appointed for this Mission; and in 1727, it was reinforced by another Missionary, at Fairfield, where a Church was subsequently built, and the members of the Church of England greatly increased.

In Rhode Island, where the puritan spirit most strongly prevailed, and the people had not assembled for public worship according to the form of the Church of England for four years previous, the Society sent a Missionary in 1704, agreeably to the request of some of the inhabitants, and one not being found sufficient, another was sent in 1712, to some adjacent towns on the main land. About the same time also it sent Missionaries to Narraganset; to Marblehead, in the colony of Massachuset's Bay; to Newbury, in the same colony; and to Boston, where the Rev. Dr. Cutler, who had resigned the Presidency of Yale College, by conforming to the Church of England, was appointed to Braintree ;-to New Bristol. Thus, under the fostering protection of the Society, the number of Churches in the government of New England, were increased to twelve. The Society also distributed there above 1100 volumes of books, and small tracts to a much greater number.

In Newfoundland, the Society at first contributed towards the support of two clergymen; sending over also books of devotion for distribution; and in 1729, the inhabitants of TrinityBay, having petitioned for a resident Missionary, and engaged to pay 30%. towards his support, as well as to build a church, Mr. Kirkpatrick was appointed to that station.

In Virginia the Society only assisted some of the Clergy with gratuities, there not being so absolute a need of Missionaries there, as that colony had a regular Clergy, under the superintendence of Dr. Bray, as the Bishop of London's Commissary.

Dr. Bray's exertions in Maryland also superseded the necessity of Missionaries being sent there whilst the wants of other places were more urgent; but the officiating Clergy were encouraged by gratuities from the Society.

Thus within the period of thirty years after its incorporation, the Society had effected, to a considerable extent, the establishment of the public worship of God, and the maintenance of true religion throughout the British Colonies of North America. The local authorities in some places assisted its endeavours, but the chief burthen of the expense devolved upon the Society. To meet this great demand upon their resources, the members of the Society first contributed liberally themselves, and then deputed several of their own body to receive the benefactions of others. They obtained also, at successive periods, the royal authority for soliciting contributions throughout the kingdom;

first from the founder of the Society, King William, shortly afterwards from Queen Anne, and in 1718, from George I., when the sum raised amounted to about 37001. Their designs were also assisted by donations of Bibles, Common Prayers, and books of devotion, presented to them at different times. Among such donations, was a munificent gift from the King of Sweden, in 1711, of 20 Bibles, in folio, 300 Psalm-books, and 24 copies of devotional works, in the Swedish language, for the use of the Swedish Church in Pennsylvania; and a like noble gift from Bishop Robinson, who in 1716, took upon himself the whole charge of printing an edition of the Liturgy in the German language, which the Society had undertaken principally for the use of the Palatines, under the care of Mr. Hagar, in the New York go

vernment.

Still the exhausted state of their finances obliged them to restrain themselves within limits far from adequate to their wishes. Their expenditure at this time amounted to 24001. exclusive of gratuities to Missionaries, and other incidental charges; whilst their certain annual income, inclusive of the yearly subscriptions of their members, was only 8821. It may well astonish us, even allowing for the greater value of money in those days (about 1730) that so much should have been done with so little.

(To be continued.)

ON THE ATTEMPTS MADE TO CONVERT THE IRISH TO THE PROTESTANT FAITH, BETWEEN A.D. 1551 AND 1711.

THE following notes, illustrative of the history of the Irish Protestant Church, and of the Irish version of the Holy Scriptures, commonly called Bishop Bedell's Bible, are selected from a work entitled, "An History of the Attempts that have been made to convert the Popish Natives of Ireland to the Established Religion," by John Richardson, Rector of Arrah, in the diocese of Kilmore, in Ireland, the second edition of which was printed in 1713.

"In the year of our Lord 1551, 5 Edw. VI., the Book of Common Prayer was printed in Dublin, in English, by the order of the Lord Lieutenant and Council, and was publicly read in that city, there being many there who understood that language. English Bibles were sent over to Ireland by Queen Elizabeth, to be distributed amongst the common people; and the Reformed Religion was established, which Queen Mary had overthrown.

"This alteration occasioned a great ferment among the Roman Catholics, and disgusted the native Irish, whose interest was not re

garded, for no care was taken to instruct them in their own language, and they understood no more the English Service-book than they did the Latin Mass.

"1563. In order to force people to comply with the Reformed Religion, a tax was levied upon every housekeeper who omitted to come to church on Sunday-the churches were filled, but no real reformation produced. The compelling the Irish to hear English prayers and sermons, and hindering them from receiving any instruction in their own tongue, made few or no converts, and those that were made apostatized at the first opportunity.

"The Reformation evidently gaining little ground, Queen Elizabeth provided at her own charge a fount of Irish types, and other instruments of the press, in hope (as William Daniel, Archbishop of Tuam, relates, in his dedication of the Irish New Testament, to King James I.) that God would in mercy raise up some to translate the New Testament into their mother tongue.

"Sir James Ware, in his Annals of Ireland, 1571, 13 Elizabeth, relates, that the Irish characters for printing were first brought into Ireland by Nicholas Walsh, the Chancellor, and John Kearney, the Treasurer of St. Patrick's. And it was ordered that the prayers of the Church should be printed in that character and language, and a Church set apart in the chief town of every diocese, where they were to be read and a sermon preached to the common people. Many persons were by these means converted,

"This John Kearney composed a Catechism in Irish, which was the first book printed in Ireland in that character: and Nicholas Walsh, after he was promoted to the Bishoprick of Ossory, began to translate the New Testament, but did not live to finish it. The like work was commenced by Mr. Kearney and Nehemias Donnellan, afterwards Archbishop of Tuam, undertook the same work, and it was completed by Archbishop Daniel, who published the New Testament in 1602, the charge being borne by the Province of Connaught and Sir William Usher. Archbishop Daniel also translated into Irish the Common Prayer Book, and printed it A.D. 1608, with a dedication to the Lord Deputy.

The good effects of this work were interrupted by various causesby the unsettled state of the kingdom-by the exertions of emissaries from the newly erected Congregatio de propaganda fide at Rome, and by the death of the clergy and gentry who were zealous in the work of conversion.

"In the injunctions of James I. Feb. 1623, there is the following clause: And we do also command that the New Testament and Book of Common Prayer, translated into Irish, be hereafter frequently. used in the parishes of the Irish, and that every non-resident there do constantly keep and continue one to read service in the Irish tongue.'

"The attempts made by Bishop Bedell in the succeeding period, as detailed by Mr. Richardson, have been already given in the life of Bishop Bedell, The following is a canon of the Convocation at

Dublin, 1634.

VOL. VII. NO. V.

Rr

"For the instruction of the natives, part of the service shall be read in Irish, when half or most of the congregation is Irish. When most of the people are Irish, the churchwardens shall provide at the charge of the parish a Bible and two Common Prayer Books in the Irish tongue. When the minister is an Englishman, such a clerk shall be chosen as shall be able to read those parts of the service which shall be appointed to be read in Irish.'

"In 1652, there was printed a Catechism called 'the Christian Doctrine,' having one column English, the other Irish.

"In 1680 Mr. Boyle, at his own charge, cast a fount of Irish type, and printed the Church Catechism in Irish. Soon after he resolved to reprint the New Testament at his own expence, which was published in 1681. And, in 1685, the Old Testament also was printed by the joint exertions of Mr. Boyle and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

"The troubles in Ireland during the period of the Revolution stopped the progress of the work of conversion, at the time that the imminent danger which threatened the very existence of the Protestant Religion in Ireland, gave the strongest proof of the necessity of bringing the natives to renounce their superstitious adherence to the Church of Rome.

"That it was practicable at that period to convert the Irish, was proved by the success which attended the labours of the Rev. Mr. Brown, who was Rector of a parish in the diocese of Clogher; and in the space of four or five years converted several Catholics to the Protestant faith.

"The following letter will explain the course which this worthy man pursued :

"TO THE REV. MR. JOHN RICHARDSON, AT BELTURBET.

"Enniskillen, Jan. 24, 1711-12.

"Rev. Sir, "I had the favour of your's by your brother, wherein you desired me to signify to you what I knew of Mr. Brown's endeavours to convert the Irish Papists in this country, which I frequently heard him speak of, and will relate to you as justly as I can. He had intimation given to the Irish hereabouts, that he intended to read Divine Service in the Irish tongue, and appointed a time and place for that purpose. Several of them came to hear him, and seemed to be much surprized at but well pleased with what they heard, and ingenuously confessed that they did not expect such prayers and discourses, and that they were better than their own. The prayers he used were those in our Common Prayer Book, especially in the Communion Service; and the discourses he read were the Epistle and Gospel for the day, our Saviour's Sermon on the Mount, and other select portions of the Holy Scriptures. This made such an impression on them, that they intreated Mr. Brown to meet them again, which he did on several Sundays so successfully, that the congregation increased more than he expected, and attended him daily, till the Popish priests in the neighbourhood being alarmed at it, used some means to take them away

notwithstanding this there was a pretty good congregation whenever he was able to go to them. Had not a load of distempers which he laboured under, confined him to the house, a long time before he died, I doubt not but his attempts in bringing over the Irish would have been successful, for he was a man of an exemplary life and conversation that understood the Irish tongue, and had abilities and inclinations to do good service that way. I waited on him several times in his last sickness-he was pleased to communicate to me his thoughts about the conversion of the Irish, which he seemed to have a most tender concern for, and told me that if the Convocation would be pleased to take it into their consideration, and could prevail on the Parliament to encourage the building of churches, and to establish Irish preachers and schoolmasters in every diocese in the kingdom, he did not doubt but that the success would be great within a few years, to which he thought the translation of some choice books into Irish would be conducive. "Yours, &c.

"WILLIAM GRATAN." "March 3, 1703. The following resolution was sent from the lower to the upper House of Convocation.

"Resolved that the endeavouring the speedy conversion of the Papists of this kingdom is a work of great piety and charity, in order to which it is the opinion of this House, that preachers in all the dioceses of this kingdom, preaching in the Irish tongue, would be a great means of their conversion, and therefore that application be made to the most Reverend and Right Reverend the Lords Archbishops and Bishops, that they take into their consideration what number of such preachers will be necessary in every diocese, and how they may be supported.

"Their Graces and Lordships' Answer.

"We think that endeavouring the conversion of the Papists is very commendable, and as to preaching in the Irish tongue, we think it useful when it is practicable.'

"In the Convocation of 1709, sundry resolutions were passed, expressing in strong terms the duty of circulating the Scriptures in the Irish language, and the necessity of appointing persons to preach in Irish to the natives.

"At the same period much encouragement was given in Trinity College, Dublin, to the study of the Irish language, with the view of preparing clergymen qualified to perform the service of the Church in that language,

"In the year 1711, the Parliament of Ireland took up the consideration of the measures proposed in Convocation-sundry resolutions were passed, and a bill proposed to forward their views in converting the Irish, by the establishment of charity schools, and by providing a race of clergy able to instruct the common people in their own language. The adjournment of the Parliament put a stop to the measure whether it was renewed or not the author, Mr. Richardson, from whose works these notes have been extracted, does not mention; but from some mention which he makes of doubts being entertained by persons in high station, of the expediency of the measures recom