THE DUKE OF AUGHT ON THE BIBLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8580, 30 May 1891, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE DUKE OF AUGHT ON THE BIBLE.

The Duko of Connaughfc was the leading speaker in the Mansion House a few days ago, at a meeting on behalf of the British and Foreign Bible Society/Having had the great advantage of serving in different parts of our large Empire, and of travelling over a great deal of territory in different parts of the world, he, in common with most travellers, appreciated —possibly even more than those who lived at home—the .great benefits conferred on mankind by the Word of (rod as represented in our Bible, lie.had read with deep interest the report of the society for this year, and most heartily id he congratulate its members on the very marked and increased progress which it was making, not only in all parts of our own Empire, but throughout every part of the globe which was so far open to the influences of civilisation. They could understand that a society like. this must havo large funds at its disposal, if it were to carry on the work which had been undertaken during the last eighty-eight years. He would not weary the maeting with figures, bub there were some interesting facts in the report which would demonstrate to them more than anything else tho immense work which was being carried on by the society. He had marked one passage, however, which would bo sufficient to prove the enormous amount of that work:--" Tho society was cosmopolitan. In eightv-eiglit years it had put over 120 millions of Bibles, Testaments, and complete books of the Bible into circulation in abovo 300 languages and dialects." In the centre of the city, where men were best c:'!,';u'iate(l to promote the commerce of this Empire in the most distant rogions of the work!, they would be able to at,once appreciate the importance of tho few linos he had read to them. They would recognise, probably, that no undertaking of a similar character had ever produced the results he had mentioned. It meant a stupendous amount of labour ; it mean tho endurance and perseverance which were rarely to be met with. Ho hoped the very few and inadequate words which he had had the honour to address to them would appeal to them, in the manner he would wish, to support liberally a society which had for its aim the circulation of tho Holy Scriptures amon£ mankind. They lived in an age when there was much scepticism and much selfishness, and he was sure, if they desired to combat theso evils successfully, '■■ they could not do so better than by attacking thorn with the Biblo in their hands.