BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 2834, 11 September 1890, Page 4

BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.

A MEETfNfi to further the objects of the abovo Society was hold in S. Andrew's Schoolroom, Cambridge, on Monday evening, Hept. Ist, at 8 p.m. There was ft good attendance, the Mayor, (Mr Priestly) presiding. There were also upon the platform, Archdeacon Willis, Revs. W. Kvans and C. H. Garland, Capt. Pallant (Salvation Army), and Mr Thos. Wella. MiBB Maud Nixou kindly presided at the haimonimn. The meeting was opened liy the singing of a hymn, after which devotional exercises were indulged

in. The chairman said they had agreed that each speaker should only occupy tho attention for ten minutes : there would, however, be one exception—Mr Thos. Wells, who would deal with the matter at greater length, and would present to them some interesting statistics in connection with the society. He then proceeded to mention a few phases of the sooiety that are not usually thought of. First he touched upon the commercial aspect, and pointed out that it was the ouly publishing firm that confined their business to the printing and distributing of one book. The business \v<«s of such a gigantic nature that in the twelve months ending in March last year, the turnover was £100,000. He also referred to the many different languages in which the society had printed the bible—now about 320—and stated that many of them had actually been created, as they had never been written, although spoken. That the Bible Society as a promoter of Christian unity was amply illustrated by the different sects represented upon the platform that evening ; and the tens of thousands of souls saved through the instrumentality of tho society, spoke of the great good the institution was doing all over the world. He then as secretary read the following report :— Seventh Report of the (Jambridof Bkanch ok the Auckland Adximauy of the British and Foreign Bibm Society. Since the holding of the last meeting (in July 18S9) some alterations in the arrangements of this branch have been rendered necessary by the destructive fire which you will all remember as having taken place in Duke street, early in March of last year. Up to that time, the depot was with Mr Ward, the chemist, whoso premises shared the fate of so many on that side of the street. The fire involved th« destruction of a considerable portion oi the bibles, etc., in stock at the time, tc the amount of £5 6s which amouni however was fully covered by in anrance, so that no loss was events ally sustained. As Mr Ward decider to leave Cambridge, your Committee had to look elsewhere for a local home for the society, Mr Bond kindly proffered his newly built premises as the depot, and thither the remaining stock was accordingly transferred, and it is now housed there. The stock in hand at present is as follows:— English bibles. 80; English testaments and psalms, 41 ; Maori bibles. 4 ; Maori testaments and psalms, 4; 129 ot a total value of £14 11s 4d. The Treasurer, Mr F. J. Brooks, then read the balance-sheet of the Cambridgi branch to December 31st, ISB9, whicl showed that £10 19s 9d had been sent t< the parent society, and a balance ii bund of £5 17s. Mr Brooks asked thosi willing to subscribe to kindly forwarc their amounts to him, as it was nol intended this year to canvass from housi to house. At the close of the meeting severa subscribers paid at once. Intending sub aci'ibers will please communicate with Mr Brooks at an early date. Mr Thos. Wells said : I have, by thi last mail, received a report of the annua meeting of the parent society, held ir May last, from which I will read you : few extracts. But before doing so . may be permitted to say a few words The objects and operations of the societj are to encourage the wider circulation o the Holy Scriptures throughout tin British and, according to its ability other countries, whether Christian Mohammedon or Pagan. A right, noble object, is it not, to sow the seec of the Word of God —the need whose frui is eternal life? For 90 years tin unceasing aim and effort of this greai society Ikih be«n to sow this seed and t< tend the growth of the plant over th< entire surface of the knowiijworld. An< when we contemplate tho resnlt we maj well thank God and take courage am persevere. The sowing of the Society appears to me to have been foretold b} our blessed Lord when He likened thi Kingdom of God, which, in our case, we may call the word of God, to a grain o seed, which sown in the ground grew up no one knowing how, until it became tin greatest of all trees. How aptly thii illustrates the work of this great, this God-matured, this God-protected am God-blessed Society. Think of iti almost miraculous progress. Ninetj years ago a few simple lathers of thi Church, prompted thereto, no donbt, ty God's Holy Spirit, founded it in : small and unpretvntions manner, ant inside a century it has become thi greatest of all trees. Ann Miis he it noted without the usual business in duccments to its shareholders o

pecuniary profits nml dividends. To get an approximate idea of the scope of its work yon must settle down to .study the 620 pages of its last year's report. _ I would, however, nsk ymir consideration for a few of its great functions :—(n) It is the greatest printer, dealer and distributor of the Sacred book in the world; (b) it is a grand Missionary Society of the lirst water; it is also the friend of every other Missionary Society and their necessary helper in foreign lands ; (c) the sun never _ seta on the scones of its operations ; (il) ; it is a great linguistic college and Boeiety, sending forth the Bible to hundreds of the nations of the earth so that "every man may hear in their own tongues the wonderful works of God." In all the above the work and responsibilities are ever and rapidly increasing. At the eighty-fifth annual meeting of the society held in London on the Ist May last, the President, the Earl of Marrowby said :—" The past has been a very encouraging year for the Bible ■Society. A steady increase of interest is growing up in its favour in all parts of the country. Our free contributions and donations go on increasing. A largelyincreased number of conferences have been held and the .schools informed of our work, and Kton led the way in intercut in it. At the recent I'ari.s Exliibition our work was marvellous, 270,000 bibles or portions being asked for auil given." Again, speaking ot the three great Latin countries of Europe, viz., Fiance, Italy and Spain, he says, " that more and more they are willing to buy the sacred book for themselves. In Switzerland its circulation is progressing wonderfully. In Germany, the centre of Anti-Christian criticism, where the world was taught the Bible was a found out bonk, its circulation has of recent, years gone up by leaps and bounds. There is an increase of nearly 45,000 copies for the year in Germany alone, and apparently German love of the Scriptures was never greater than now. He also given us the gladening intelligence of a great move in favour of the Uible lhatis going on in China, and that Dr. Wright the Society's Secretary had been despatched there, and was Attending a great congress at Shanghai, of all the Protestant Missionaries to consider many grave mutters as to versions, tan-u----,i!>r, circulation of the Uible in China and Japan. I now come t,, ihi- s-.ii.:i(:ty s statistical work.

! MuikluUv may v,-,! r-mn! a entinu ~ . u ■,-,;., ;,ii ",,ro-..r.--s Tii.- ;„,: ; ~„;;. ;,„■:.!;:, ~..: i.. ~,,t >,;. to ban.!, !io that except in the ease of the number of isnues i'or tin: vwir ending lilst March last, all the others are to the iJlst of Mu'ch 18S , ) The ihsuch for the year end--i ■■ : . 3.7 "V^ . ■ . ■: ■■ ! • ':: ■ : ; ■ :' •11i! - ilyil lilwCC i.<* Willi tllOati 01 jSSO,

Income of the society for the year ending 31st March, 18S9 : Free, £113,870; on stock account, £08,678 : tota', £212,548. Remittances to the society irom Australia and New Zealand for the year ending 31st March. 1880: Free, £4,130 ; on stock account, £3,099 ; total, £7,22!). The disbursement of the society for above period, exclusive of stock purchase, £220,104; total disbursement of the society for the above period, exclusive of stock purchase, for the S5 years ending ISB9, £10,706,315. Issues for the year ending 31st March, 18S9: Bibles, 810,141; New Testaments and New Testaments and Psalms, 1,483,682; portions, 1.383.381 ; total, 3,677.204. Issues for the 81 years, 1808 to 1880, both inclusive: Bibles, 36,124,030; New Testaments and New lestaments and Psalms, 56.244.725; portions, 27,778,028; total, 120,136,783. Average issue for the ten years 18S0 to 18S!) ; Bibles. 808,655; New Testaments and New Testaments and Psalms, 1.399,874 ; portions, 1,266,342; total, 3,747,8/2. The translation, printing or dirtribution of the whole, or part of the Bible has been promoted by the society Directly in 225 languages or dialccts; indirectly in 65 languages or dialects, making a total of 290, and the present year has brought the figures to 294. Colportage for 188S--ISB9. The average number employed by the society in 25 countries of the world at this work was 641, who sold 955.315 Bibles, or portions (nearly a million.) These statistics give some faint idea of the colossal nature of the work, and I would ask you to consider its importance, present and future. I purpose to do this mainly by reading to you a few extracts from the masterly speeches of some of the great speakers which they delivered at the annual meeting of the society, held in Exeter Hall, London, on the Ist of last May. The Archbishop of York speaking on the necessity of the word being given to every nation in its own tongue, said : " How can the nations of the world hear without n preacher ? To us the Bible is the World of Life. How can it be the Word of Life to them till they have known it! And consequently your society has resolved that there shall be no nation in the world so humble that they will not, if they can, translate and circulate it throughout that nation, so that the Word of Life may spring up in the rills and fountains everywhere, to the saving of souls in the great day of account." The Rev. C. H. Spurgeon on the Bible furnishing the only safe guidance for the whirlpool of politics and labour troubles of the present day, said ; " I look to the Word of God for guidance as to the threatening politics of the age. We are not pessimists nor optimists, but with the use of common sense we cannot help feeling that we aro entering upon times which, while they promise pro--1 gress, also contain a threat of anarchy. The great cure of evil politics will be to permeate the population with the Word of God. We shall not be governed by that low estate which 1 sours itself into malice, if our working 1 men love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, and love the Word of God. If ' you have more of the Spirit of Christ, Christian England will not be broken to pieces. We shall not see blood flowing ' down our streets with the Gospel here. 1 But if the Bible and its influence were ' taken away, the horrors of Paris at the 1 end of the Inst century would soon be | repeated in London. Spread your Bibles by millions ; give them away in every ' place. May the society go on with this 3 mission-work, ever taking the .Bible at the great lever with which to uplift the ' fallen masses of mankind." Mr Wells ' also quoted from speeches by the presi--1 dent of the society (the Earl of liarrowby) and the lie'. J. McNeill, foi 3 which, however, we have not room. ' The whole of the gentlemen upon the 1 platform gave short addresses, aftet J which a collection was taken up, and he Archdeacon pronounced the bencdic' ion.