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BIBLE SOCIETIES. 



BIBLE SOCIETIES. 



123 



Portugal, and Italy efforts have been made to introduce the Scriptures, 

 but in 1816 a popish bull was issued forbidding the diffusion of the 

 Bible among the people as dangerous ; and in 1817 another was issued 

 forbidding the establishment of Bible societies. In more recent years, 

 individuals in Italy have been proceeded against, and even imprisoned, 

 for having a Bible in their possession. In the Austrian dominions, 

 also, in the same year (1817), the distribution of Bibles and the esta- 

 blishment of Bible societies were forbidden. Agents are also in Greece, 

 and at Smyrna, Bucharest, Constantinople, Damascus, Astrachan, Selin- 

 ginsk, Tunis, &c., exclusive of the extensive connexions of the society 

 throughout the British dependencies in every quarter of the world. 



In the United States of America, the first society which was 

 formed was the Philadelphia Bible Society, in 1808. This example 

 was imitated in numerous other places of the Union ; and in 1816 the 

 idea of a general national institution was earned into execution by the 

 establishment of the American Bible Society. There are now there 

 upwards of 1000 establishments distinguished as ladies' societies. 



It will be unnecessary to trace further the progress of the formation 

 of other societies in different parts of the globe, the details being in all 

 cases similar. "We therefore return to the immediate history of the 

 British and Foreign Bible Society. 



The first application of the society's funds to printing the Scriptures 

 in a foreign language took place in 1804, when 2000 copies were pro- 

 \,"f,-i\ for circulation among the Mohawk Indians. At this time the 

 foundation was laid of a library, which has become by frequent acces- 

 sions a valuable and curious collection of biblical literature. The 

 society was very early called upon to exercise its judgment and dis- 

 cretion in regulating the movements which it had produced. It hat! 

 adopted from the first, as a fundamental principle, the resolution of 

 circulating only the authorised English version of the Scriptures 

 without note or comment. The individual who proposed the Mohawk 

 :i was well known to the Indians, and thinking to prepare for 

 the more favourable reception of the Scriptiires among them, he wrote 

 an address every way calculated to effect this purpose, which he caused 

 to be pasted inside each copy. The society, in strict adherence to its 

 conviction of the duty of circulating the Scriptures alone, was com- 

 |i.'lli-d to suppress the excellent address whioh had been prepared. 

 The prudence, good sense, and moderation of the committee of the 

 Bible Society, exercised at this period, when it might have been 

 anticipated that it would have been anxious to awaken the enthusiasm 

 rather than repress the zeal of its supporters, have throughout its 

 whole career formed the most remarkable characteristics of its pro- 

 ceedings. 



Yet notwithstanding the general care and prudence of the committee, 

 a deviation from the strict letter of the fundamental rule, which per- 

 mit* only the circulation of the authorised version, raised a contro- 

 which at one time appeared to threaten the stability of the 

 society. About the year 1821 it began to be intimated publicly, that 

 the committee had been in the practice of permitting the apocryphal 

 books to be intermingled in such copies of the Scriptures as were fur- 

 nished to foreign societies. The staunch friends of the authorised 

 version ezdtwirely took up, the matter very warmly, especially in Scot- 

 laud ; the controversy was carried on with much heat and acrimony ; 

 and (a, natural consequence in all such controversies) the original 

 accusation was not allowed to stand alone. Complaints were made of 

 mul-practices in the expenditure of the society's funds ; the correctness 

 of many of the translations of the Scriptures made under the direction 

 of the committee was impugned ; and other matters were laid to the 

 charge of the managers of the society, all of which combined led to a 

 secession of many auxiliary societies, and weakened for a time the 

 authority and influence of the parent society. The committee, in 

 1826, brought forward the following resolutions : " 1. That the funda- 

 mental law of the society, which limits its operations to the circulation 

 of the Holy Scriptures, be fully and distinctly recognised as excluding 

 the circulation of the Apocrypha. 2. That in conformity to the pre- 

 ceding resolution, no pecuniary aid can be granted to any society 

 circulating the Apocrypha ; nor, except for the purpose of being applied 

 in conformity to the said resolution, to any individual whatever. 

 3. That in all cases in which grants, whether gratuitous or otherwise, 

 of the Holy Scriptures, either in whole or in part, shall be made to any 

 society, the books be issued bound, and on the express condition that 

 they shall be distributed without alteration or addition." Confidence 

 has been gradually restored since these resolutions were acted upon ; 

 and the society is now (1859) in a higher state of activity and prosperity 

 than it has ever enjoyed since its foundation. 



It would have been utterly impossible for the Bible Society to 

 extend its operations into every corner of the globe unless its resources 

 II.K! !<een increased by the various branches into which it ramified. 

 Tnfese branches have communicated life and energy to the parent stem 

 from the most remote and distant quarters. The growth of societies 

 whose operations were auxiliary to those of the original institution 

 does not appear to have been very rapid. In March, 1805, the first 

 Bible association was formed at Glasgow ; in July, an association was 

 formed in London ; and in April, 1806, one was formed at Birmingham. 

 These associations had not a separate and distinct existence, and pos- 

 scMed no independent forms of government ; they were simply unions 

 "w individuals whose contributions were devoted to the parent 

 society. In proportion as the system of which they formed a part 



gathered power and influence, they necessarily assumed a more impor- 

 tant chai-acter. As auxiliary societies, although still in connection 

 with their prototype, their functions and exertions became more indi- 

 vidual and local in their nature.* 



The first auxiliary Bible society was established on the 28th of 

 March, 1809, at Reading. It adopted the regulations of the parent 

 society. On the 30th of the same month, auxiliary societies were 

 established at Nottingham and Newcastle-xipon-Tyne. The Edinburgh 

 Society was established July 31 ; and similar institutions were formed 

 in East Lothian, Leeds, and Exeter, on the 4th of October, 25th of 

 October, and 8th of December, respectively. The first auxiliary insti- 

 tution, established in the year 1810, was at Manchester. An auxiliary 

 Bible society was formed at Kendal on the 5th of January ; one at 

 Bristol on the 1st of February ; one at Sheffield on the 5th ; one at 

 Leicester on the 19th ; and the Hull Auxiliary Society was establish^! 

 April 4th. Eleven of these institutions had been established previous 

 to the sixth anniversary of the parent society. The public nature of 

 the proceedings connected with the establishment of these societies 

 occasioned the claims and merits of the institution to be much more 

 generally known and acknowledged : and the formal recognition of its 

 value and importance, made by men of high character and influence 

 residing in those vicinities where local societies arose, added to tin; 

 authority and consequence with which the Bible Society began to be 

 invested, and, with other circumstances, tended greatly to enlarge its 

 resources and increase the magnitude of its operations. The formation 

 of juvenile and female Bible societies contributed to multiply the efforts 

 of the Society for the circulation of the Scriptures. By means of these 

 subdivisions, which were subordinate to their own local institution, a 

 wider sphere of action and personal influence was created, the benefit 

 of which extended throughout the whole system. The scholars of 

 Holborn Sunday -school, who contributed II. 17s. at the eighth anni- 

 versary of the parent society in 1812, offered the first example of the 

 young appearing as contributors to the society. The York Juvenile 

 Bible Society, the first institution of the kind, was formed during this 

 year, which was further distinguished by the establishment of the first 

 Ladies' Auxiliary Society. It is right, however, to mention, that at 

 New York, U. S., in 1809, there had been formed the Young Men's 

 Bible Society; and at Sheffield, in 1805, when the existence of the 

 British and Foreign Bible Society was unknown to the parties, a female 

 association existed, whose object was the circulation of the Scriptures. 



The projectors of the Bible Society not having foreseen the origin 

 and progress of the auxiliary institutions, had made no provision for 

 their uniform regulation ; but their number had become so con- 

 siderable in 1812 that the subject was forced upon them, and in the 

 spring of that year an address was prepared, entitled, ' Hints on the 

 Constitution and Objects of Auxiliary Societies,' the object of which 

 was to effect the consolidation of the auxiliary societies on a just and 

 uniform basis. In 1812 the objects and interests of the Bible Society 

 were ably promoted by the circulation of the following tracts : 

 1. 'On the Advantages of Distributing the Holy Scriptures among 

 the Lower Orders of Society, chiefly by their own agency,' by 

 Mr. Dealtry. 2. ' An Appeal to Mechanics, Labourers, and others, re- 

 specting Bible Associations,' by Mr. Montgomery, of Sheffield. 3. ' On 

 the Influence of Bible Societies on the Temporal Interests of the 

 Poor,' by Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Chalmers. 



The expenditure of the Bible Society, from the commencement of 

 the Institution up to the 31st of March, 1858, has been 4,646,2672. 5.2r2., 

 and they have issued from London 11,681,886 Bibles, or portions of the 

 Old" Testament, and 12,849,108 New Testaments, or portions of the 

 same. On various parts of the Continent, by means of the branches of 

 the Society and the employment of colporteurs, they have distributed 

 1,877,468 Bibles and parts of the Old Testament, and 7,575,484 New 

 Testaments, or parts of it; a total of 33,983,346. The income of the 

 Society for the year ending March, 1858, was 152,5742. ; of which 

 79,0412. was derived from subscriptions, donations, legacies, interest on 

 funded property, &c. ; 70,2072. from receipts for Bibles, Testaments, 

 and draw-backs of duty; and 27662. from special contributions to a 

 Chinese New Testament and India Fund. The total expenditure for 

 the year was 153,1772., and the society was under engagements to the 

 amount of 83,8182. The abstract of the report for the year euding 

 March 31, 1859, shows the total receipts to have been 154,9062., of 

 which 76,8592. had arisen from the sale of Bibles, Testaments, &c. 

 The expenditure during the year had been 158,6422., and the number 

 of volumes issued was 1,625, 985, a large increase on previous years on 

 all the items. 



These immense resources were derived, in a great measure, from the 

 exertions of the affiliated societies. In 1858, the total number of 

 auxiliary societies was 629 ; of branches, 743 ; and of associations, 

 about 1800. Of these, according to the Fifty-fourth Annual Report, 

 there were 524 auxiliary societies in England and Wales, and 402 

 branches. In Scotland, 27 auxiliaries and 4 branches ; in Ireland, two 

 auxiliary societies only. In the British colonies and dependencies, 

 there were 1 7 auxiliary societies in North America, and 263 branches ; 

 in the West Indies, 25 auxiliaries and 3 branches; in Asia, 7 auxili- 



* Auxiliary societies arc allowed to purchase Hiblcs and Testaments at prime 

 cost; their members have Ihe name privileges also, at the local depositories, as 

 the members of the parent society enjoy in London. 



