BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 999, 24 April 1891, Page 34

BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.

WELLINGTON AUXILIARY. The annual meeting of the Wellington Auxiliary of the British and Foreign Bible Society was held Thursday night in St John’s Schoolroom. Mr Aitken, the President of the local branch, presided, and on the plat, form were the Revs Patterson, Elliott, Allen, Robjohns, and Habens. There was a fair attendance, and during the evening the choir of St John’s sang several anthems. On the motion of Mr Aitken the following report was adopted unanimously : The following is a summary of the report for the year ending February 28, 1891 : More had been raised for this the greatest of all Societies thau for several previous years. It is still a much smaller sum than might bo raised in the city without crippling any other funds. The six lady collectors were thanked for their industry and devotion. A contribution of £25 had been sent towards the groat missionary work of the Society. The Secretary, gratefully acknowledging it, says, amongst other things, “ that so prosperous a Colony as New Zealand should at least be able to send £IOOO per annum ; and we hope that it may suoceed in doing so. To raise the contribution to £IOOO would be something definite to aim at.” In 1889-90 what was sent from New Zealand was £sll 10s. The retirement of Mr Benjamin Smith from the office of treasurer, through infirmities of age, was noted with regret, and also with gratitude for long and faithful service. Mr A. Hoby hns been appointed to the vacant office. Two dozen bibles have been granted to the Alexander Home. From the depot have been sold 950 bibles and 600 New Testaments. In giving an account of the last unusually enthusiastic annual meeting in London, the fact was emphasised that under the presidency of the Earl of Harrowby. the representatives of four sections of the Christian Church advocated its great claims, the late Archbishop of York, Rev F. W. Macdonald (Wesleyan), Rev G. H. Spurgeon (Baptist), and Rev John MoNeill (Presbyterian), and together they illustrated its catholicity. On the other hand, “ It is to be regretted that in this olty one large section of the Church holds aloof from the auxiliary, and renders soarcely any aidto its funds.” In 1889-90theSociety issued 3,792,263 volumes of Scripture, making a grand total cf . 123,929,046 since 1804. 614 colporteurs in 24 countries are employed by the Society, and 314 Bible women in the Tenawas of India. Versions in 291 lan. gnages are supplied to the great Missionary Societies, and free grants are liberally made to the blind, to soldiers, sailors, emigrants,

and others. “ It is not too mnch to say that weie the Bible Society’s activity checked, or its existence ended, much of the life of Christian work in every part of the would wonli be instantly paralysed.” The Rev. -H. T. Robjohns, M.A., then addressed the meeting,saying he was rejoiced at the improvement that had taken place in the auxiliary. Referring to the suggestion that New Zealand might well raise £IOOO. He said that it sent last year to London a contribution’ of only £sll 10s. This was from a population of about 650,000 —inclnd* ing Maoris, But Wales with only just doable the population, 1,360,513, 88nt ten times as much to the Bible Society, viz., £5975 5s 7d. Wales had not only occasioned the starting of the Society, but had been well to the front all the 87 years of its existence. Let none object to sending money to the Society, for this great missionary movement, for more came back to New Zealand and the Islands of the South Seas than was ever sent from the antipodes. Speaking of the Bible itself, and taking the Gospel of St John to illustrate what had been the drift of adverse criticism during the last oentury and a quarter, he showed how it came through the very fire, and with what result. In this connection were commended two new books, the last Bampton lectures, by Canon Watkins ; a disciple of Dr Light* foot, entitled “Modern Criticism and the Fourth Gospel ” ; and another by Dr Dale of a more popular kind ; indeed, first delivered to an ordinary middle class congregation in Birmingham in the form of discourses, “ The Living Christ and the Four Gospels.” Since' the Bible Society is part of a great missionary movement the speaker glanced at the present position of missionaries, and gave some account of the rise of a new life in the universities. So great and real has been the university revival, that no less than 66 University men gave themselves (to say nothing of other societies) to one Missionary Society, viz., the Church Missionary Society. With this revival Professor Drummond was intimately connected. A sketch was then given of the state of Bible circulation from the Apostolic Age ; and It was suggested that the discovery lately of a lost M.S. of Aristotle, which dates from the first century, makes it not impossible that the originals of the gospels may yet aee the light. ~ Coming to A.D. 1535, the acquisition by the Bible Society of the Fry collection of valuable Bibles was narrated the collection, including a precious copy of Coverdale’s Bible, worth more than £6OO of that date. Now, the Society had sent out in round numbers 124 millions of seriptnrea in close upon 300 languages. But there were 3424 languagee spoken on this earth, not conntiog new nations and new tongues. How these would be reduced, as the great work went on, was illustrated by the case of the New Testament in Motu, now preparing for New Guinea. Tliß three great departments of work, viz., translation, printing, distribution were described. The last great piece of printing undertaken by the Society, was that of St Matthew, for the German blind. What was done in the way of distribution might be judged from the fact that 13,000 copies of the Scriptures were issued every working day throughout the year. A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the meeting.