an important religious association of the Church of England, founded in 1698, designed to support charity schools in England and Wales, and to circulate annotated Bibles, tracts, and books, chiefly in the British dominions. It has published many valuable works of a popular religious character. It is distinct from, but somewhat akin with the Religious Tract Society, which was instituted in 1799, and which has a wider field, It is supported by endowment, contributions, and sales, and has an annual income of about half a million; dollars.