THE BIBLE SOCIETY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12697, 27 October 1904, Page 4

THE BIBLE SOCIETY.

The annual meeting of the Auckland Auxiliary of the British and Foreign Bible Society will be held to-night. Always a memorable gathering, it is the more so on. this occasion, for during the year the Centenary of the parent society was celebrated throughout the civilised world. The great bulk of our colonists will agree with us when we say that no voluntary organisation has done greater work or has filled a higher and nobler place in our national history than this society which has thrust aside all sectarian prejudices and has united every Protestant Church in the common purpose of carrying the Bible to the uttermost corners of the earth. It is frequently said that the great Book has lost its old-time pre-eminence and is not known to the multitude with the minuteness. and exactitude which resulted from the concentrated study of bygone years. This is not altogether correct. The Bible is still the Bible,' and what the British world thinks of it is shown by the sustained and increasing energy of the truly national organisation, whose Auckland auxiliary meets tonight. Thanks to the Bible Society the time is drawing near when every human being who can read may read a the Gospel in his own tongue, when there shall be neither speech nor language in which its voice is not heard. Contributory to 'this sublime aim is the great Centenary Fund of a quarter million guineas, initiated to mark the recent centenary. Of this £180,000 has already been raised, including the greater part of Auckland's quota of £500, although nearly six months remain of the year assigned for raising the money. This does not look as : though men thought less of the. Bible than heretofore, and we are confident that when the present period of transition has passed it will be found that among the- things that have survived change and transit! is the Book which has been so truly said to be " the cause of England's greatness." ' ■■' ---.'