B I B 



378 B I B 



branches into which it ramified. These branches have com- 

 municated life and tncrgy 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, ISOfi, one 

 was formed at Birmingham. These associations had not a 

 separate and distinct existence, and possessed no indepen- 

 dent forms of government : they were simply unions of a 

 it* 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 neces- 

 sarily assumed a more important character. As auxiliary 

 societies, although still in connexion with their prototype, 

 their functions and exertions became more individual and 

 local in their nature.* 



The first auxiliary Bible society was established on the 

 23th of March, 1809, at Reading. It adopted tho regu- 

 lations of the parent society. On the 30th of the same 

 nv>nth. auxiliary societies were established at Nottingham 

 and Newcastle upon-Tyne. The Edinburgh Society was 



'lished 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 

 fir*t auxiliary institution, established in the year 1810, was 

 at Manchester. An auxiliary Bible society was formed at 

 Kemlal 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 established 

 April 4. Eleven of these institutions had been establishc>d 

 previous to the sixth anniversary of the parent society. The 

 public nature of the proceedings connected with the esta- 

 blishment of these societies occasioned (he claims and merits 

 of the institution to he much more generally known and ac- 

 knowledged ; 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 the authority and consequence with which the Bible So- 

 ciety began to be invested, and, with other circumstances, 

 tended greatly to enlarge its resources and increase the 

 m>i<;nitude of its operations. The formation of juvenile and 

 fem.ile Bible societies contributed to multiply the efforts of 

 the Society for the circulation of the Scriptures. By means 

 of those subdivisions, which were subordinate to their own 

 local institution, a wider sphere of action and personal in- 

 fluence was created, the benefit of which extended throughout 

 the whole system. The scholars of Holborn Sunday-school, 

 who contributed I/. 17. at the eighth anniversary of the 

 parent society in 1812, offered tho first example of the 

 \"iing appearing as contributors to the society. The York 

 Juvenile Bible Society, the first institution of the kind, was 

 firmed 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 

 1 809, there had been formed the Young Men's Bible Society ; 

 knd 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 projector? of the Bible Society not having foreseen 

 the origin and progress of the auxiliary institutions, had 

 made no provisions for their uniform regulation ; but their 

 numlier had become BO considerable in 1812 that the sub- 

 ject was forced upon them, and in the spring of that year 

 an address was prepared, entitled ' Hints on the Constitu- 



:md 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 

 fthe folio-ring tracts : 1. 'On the Advantages of Distri- 

 buting the Holy Scriptures among the Lower Orders of 

 Society, chiefly by their ow.n agency,' by Mr. Dealtry. 

 . An Appeal to Mechanics, Labourers, and others, re-pec'i- 

 ing Bible Associations,' by Mr. Montgomery of ShellU !(!. 

 .1. ' On the Influence of Bible Societies on the Temporal 

 Interests of the 1'o.ir,' by Mr. (now Dr.) Chalmers. 



f'lllowing is a statement of the annual expenditure of 



i'lb'e Society, from the commencement of the institu- 

 tion up to the 31st of March, 1 s.i.i ; 



Auxiliary loeMIri *K allowed to piirrhuMi Bilile. and Tol.imctiH nt 

 prim* nut ; ttwir oxobcii he (he MUM |>rn il. K r. !>. at the local i- 

 j M the mecil*r of the parent luclety cnjuj iu Loudon. 



During the first year . 

 second . 

 third . . 



fourth 

 fifth . 

 sixtli 

 seventh , 



eighth 

 ninth . . 



tenth 

 eleventh 

 twelfth 

 thirteenth 

 fourteenth 

 fifteenth 

 sixteenth . 

 seventeenth . 

 eighteenth 

 nineteenth . 



twentieth 



twenty-first 



twenty-second 



twenty-third . 



twenty-fourth 

 twenty-fifth . 

 twenty-sixth 

 twenty-seventh 

 twenty-eighth 

 twenty-ninth . 

 thirtieth . 

 thirty-first , 



Total . 2,121,640 18 11 



In the Thirty-first Annual Report (for 1835) it is stated 

 that the funds of the society for the previous year amounted 

 to 107,9261. 1*. 9rf., which is tho largest sum ever received 

 in any one year ; the prospective engagements of the so- 

 ciety were, however, never so heavy, amounting to 69,3 10/. 

 3*. 4rf. 



These immense resources were derived, in a great mea- 

 sure, from the exertions of the affiliated societies, which 

 amounted, in March, 1835, to not fewer than 3258, viz. : in 

 Great Britain, 284 auxiliaries, 388 branches, and 1824 asso- 

 ciations. Of these associations, above 1190 are conducted 

 by ladies in Ireland, in connexion with the Hibernian Bible 

 Society : 71 auxiliaries, 331 branches, and 203 associations. 

 In the British colonies and dependencies, 39 auxiliaries, 48 

 branches, and 70 associations. 



Among its foreign relations the British and Foreign Bible 

 Society enumerates many auxiliaries and branches. In 

 Europe it has established itself at Malta as a central p. < nt 

 of great and increasing importance. In Asia its cause is 

 aided and represented by the Calcutta, Madras, Bombay, 

 and Colombo auxiliary societies, with their various branches. 

 Similar institutions are established in Australia, at Sydney, 

 New South Wales ; Hobart's Town, Launceston, and Corn- 

 wall, Van Dieman's Land: in Africa, at Sierra Leone, the 

 Cape of Good Hope, Salem, and the Mauritius : in the Bri- 

 tish Colonies of North America, t. e., in Nova Scotia, at 

 Halifax, at Liverpool in Queen's County, at Pictou, Yar- 

 mouth, and Argyle; in New Brunswick, at St. John's, St. 

 Andrew's in Charlotte County, Fredericton, and Miramichi ; 

 and in the Canadas, at Quebec, Montreal, Toronto, and 

 Kingston: and likewise in the West Indies, at Jai> 

 Antigua, Barbadoes, St. Christopher's, Dominique, Tobago, 

 Montserrat, Bahama, Brockvillc, Nevis, St. Lucia; and in 

 the Bermudas, at Berbice, and British Guiana. Grenada. 



The number of auxiliary societies in connexion with the 

 American National Bible Society U 863. The Philadelphia 

 Bible Society, the oldest institution in the United States, 

 has also its various branches. 



Since the formation of the British and Foreign Bibla 

 Society, up to 1835, it has issued 8,539.356 copies of the 

 Scriptures, viz., 3,266,445 Bibles, and 5,272,901 Testaments. 



The American societies have issued 1,730,504 Bibles and 

 Testaments. 



The total number issued by the respective societies on the 

 Continent of Kuropc, in Asia, and America is 5,845, 64fi, 

 making, with the number issued by the British and Koieiun 

 Bible Soricty. a total of 14,385,002 copies of the Scriptures 

 put into circulation since the formation of the society. On the 

 Continent of Europe it has printed, or extensively aided in 



