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New York, 5th mo. 4th, 1816. MY GOOD FRIEND, I scarce know how to begin this letter, as I feelashamed and mortified that I have so long neglectedreplying to thy last very acceptable communication. I rejoice to find such a number of your good peoplein England are engaged so devotedly in improvingthe condition of the lower classes in society; yourBible Society, and the immense sums raised for thepoor, who have suffered by the calamity of war onthe continent, is truly astonishing, and I sincerelytrust and believe, will procure the blessing of DivineProvidence on your nation. The communications of the British and Foreign Bible Society, show that genuinereligion is held in veneration, in many parts of thecontinent, to a much greater extent than many here-tofore believed. I trust it will yet appear more fullyin France, notwithstanding that deluded nation seem-ed to have been dead as to any sense of it. As thespirit of our most holy religion spreads over theworld, the condition of mankind will be meliorated—the minds of men will be softened, instead of being filled with bitterness, revenge, and hatred—they willlearn of Christ to love each other, and thus, in God'sown time, an end be put to war and bloodshed.Owing to the late war, the morals of the people of this country have been (as was reasonably to be expected)much injured. Notwithstanding this, there is a ge-neral religious improvement evidently increasingamongst all denominations of Christians—so that I entertain a hope, which, I trust, is well grounded,that, on the whole, we are growing better. BibleSocieties are established in all directions of the UnitedStates, except Virginia, and other slave states,* * In most of these states, Auxiliary Bible Societies have since been estab-lished. andgreat attention is paid to schools, and otherwise toimprove the state of the common people.