The Express.
London, England, 1861-04-11 00:00:00

EVANGELICAL oorrrzmurraz soCzzrz

--e
Yesterday evening a meeting of the friends and
supporters of this society was held in the lower room,
Rseterhall. There was • very numerous seserablege, emir
prising amoopt others Xmas. E. Bell, 11. P., aid J.
Theo,
Ba kLY. After the company had partaken of 11%
Rev. Mr. BIABSTALL opened the rneethig in the
usual way.
Mr. J. Baum, 11. P., having been called upon to occupy
the chair, said that be had acne more to laser than to
speak—to hear what had been done aid what they were
about to do for Italy in the cause of religious enlightenment
and instruction. After ezpreasing the interest and the
sympathy which he felt in the objects of the society hi
called
The Rev. Mr. BLIZOLOCK, secretary of the moiety who
stated the object, of the society. Jihad not bees armed
for the purrs of medieg oat adadoearise, bet to aid the
Society for the of the Gospel in Foreign Parts.
The Evangelista Society bed limited its sphere
of operation to the ion of the Holy Scripttwee
is Frame, Italy, sad Belem, and they had at the pre-
sent time 90 massioneriee la Italy, 90 in the proviso* of
the Vaudois, 11 at Nice, and five at Oenoa ; and is
addition to those there were between 40 28d ao oolportews
in connection with the Bible Society. They (the Continental
Society) confined their attention to the three countries he
had enumerated ; they did not seek to go into far distant
leads where the heathen dwelt, those poor benighted weep
tares walking in darkness were cared for by other societies,
but the society that was assembled sought to put the Onv
pal in the way of those who dwelt in lands between Ragland
aid the heathen lands.

Mr. H. Duce drew a vivid picture of some of his own ez-
penences of the condition of some of the religious poor is
Italy, since they had received the blessed word through
the instrumentality of the society, and he contrasted
strongly the woebegone and wretched appointee
the people presented while under the trammels of popery
with the evident self-respect and tranquil Wiriness that
enlightenment In religkm developed aumeg them. The
movement in Italy was almost identical with the movement
that brought about the great revolution in religious matters
is the 16th century ; it wee impulsive, generous, sad Pp.;
bet the speaker head that when religion settled down into
order and regularity it did not admiral one iota. The
peculiarities at the Italian Christians of the present day
were identical with Wee of the Christians of the 16th
century, and it behoved them to be circumspect although
earnest in their faith.
The 11ev. Dr. /gam, of Leghorn, and the representative
there of the Society for the Promotioa of the Gospel
among the Jews, serrated numerous insteaces of persecu-
tion, which, however, were not the acts of the people, but
the priests. The haft of the people had much changed
in Italy ; the Pope himself was ridiculed la ellu at the
late earsival, and the march of Christian enlightenment
wee proved by the feet that while only a few years ago
wore imprisoned for havieg • New Testanwat is
public
pennons wen
they were ia the present day sold openly In
the dna&
The MADMAN coseldered that the whole qasslios of idle
char in religion from Homan catholicism to preaseemitlem
be brought about in the same way ea pelltieal
change; wen effected, when some Garibaldi or Mammoth of
eliristiaalty should arise and deal destruction upon the
mummeries and superstitions of popery.
Protestor LZONZ Lm strongly advocated the claims of
the exist to the sympathy of all true Christiase. The
Ilib the Bible alone—lndi the standard guide of
action for Christians, and by placing the blessed work in the
hands of the Italians, as the Evangelical Continental Society
did, they gave them the means of arriving at a knowledge
of the truth, the living fountain of nghteousees•
Mr. EDWARD BALL, M.P., in • lengthened and forcible
speech, exhorted the meeting to strengthen the society and
increase its operation by liberality towards its funds.
Several other gentlemen also addressed the meeting, and
after • warm vote of thanks to the chairman, the assembly
dispene.l after singing the doxology, and subseribing Übe-
tally at the doors.