The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-10-03 00:00:00

JUVENILE MISSIONARY MEETING AT
FORDINGTON.
To Ust Editor.

Sir,—The friendly reporter of our Fordington
Juvenile Church Missionary Society Meeting in your
paper of to-day has spoken of me as having been
elected a member of one of the Translation Com-
mittees in connection with the British and Foreign

Bible Society.
There lea little inaccuracy here which tempts me to
trouble you with a few lines, not about myself, but.
by way of testimony to the work of that great and
noble Society, and of Christian brethren, not members
of the Church of England, in and on behalf of China.
So far as Bible translation is concerned, the main
work was accomplished with remarkable ability and
MVO= some twenty years ago. About that time the
whole Bible in deeded Chinese (a version which is more
widely used by missionaries and their converts than
any other, and, though not quite without blemishes, is
a singularly lucid and useful translation) was com-
pleted at the Bible Society's expense chiefly through the
exertions of missionaries of the London Missionary
Society.
Very large numbers of copies have since then
been printed and distributed, chiefly by way of
sale, amongst the Chinese. In order to guard against
unauthorised, and, sometimes, inadvertent alterations
In the successive editions, it was thought well to form
a standing committee of missionaries in China, to
r from time to time on the state of the text, and
originate and regulate if possible, real emendations,
w it guarded against changes of no significance or
which appeared to be for the worse. It was upon this
Committee for the Conservation of the Text of the
Bible that some of my missionary brethren, unknown
to me, were good enough to elect me.
Works of Biblical translation are still going on
in China. Only this year the whole Bible has
completed in the Mandarin or Court dialect of
colloquial Chinese; a language which differs from the
classical dialect mentioned above, something as Italian
differs from Latin. This version is the work of a
single missionary of great ability, • Russian by
birth, but now a clergyman of the American
Episcopal Church.
The American Bible Society also publishes large
numbers of another classical version. But, as
I have already said, the Bible which has the
largest circulation in China, and which is accepted by
several Christian denominations in several different
provinces, is that which our own honoured Bible
Society publishes—the work of earnest and able men,
, some of whom still survive in old age, and some, like
Medhurst, have fallen asleep. To them and to the
Society, which fostered, and availed itself of, their
efforts for the good of the hundred-millions of China,
we missionaries, of whatever church or sect, are deeply
Indebted. —I am, sir, your obedient servant,
°DAG' E. Mow.s.
September 29th, 1876.
--
MILTON ABBAS.
Ox Wednesday evening, a meeting on behalf of the
British and Foreign Bible Society was held in the great
hall of the Abbev—when, notwithstanding the rain,
which fell heavily, nearly 300 persons assembled together.
After singing No. 37, Sankey's songs and solos, prayer was
offered by the Rev. H. S. Rolleston. The chairman, Mr.
J. Mansell Pleydell, in a forcible address introduced the
subject of the evening's meeting, and then called upon
the Rev. C. Bingluon. who gave some historical re-
miniscences of the Abbey. The Rev. Carr J. Glyn then
spoke of the vastness of the work of this Society, which
had circulated during the peat year 2,000,000 copies and
portions
tir of the word of God in about 210 languages and
and urged upon all who love the Lord Jesus to
aaaist in this Itlaaaed work. of_aending forth His word, for
the salvation of the lost This Society is the rallying
point for all true Christians. The Rev. H. Moule said he
had been considering what the Lord Jesus thought of that
meeting. What was His view of It? Speaking for himself,
he believed the British and Foreign Bible Saciety was
one of the greatest means in God's hands for murying out
His promises of blessing to the whole world. He also
believed God was aboat to do greater things than ever
by means of this Societr, and referred to the grand work
which is going on in China. No. 66, Sankey's songs and
solos, was then sung, after which Lieutenant S. Churchill
spoke of what he had seen of ths work of this society in
India. The Rev. R. Cotton spoke of the unity wrought
by the Spirit of God in all true believers. It was the work
of Christ to make known His Father's will The Spirit
works in His people the mind of Christ, who takes no
cognisance of the petty denominational distinctions, by
which so many are separated the one from the
other. The society is not of man; he that sitteth
upon the heavens watches the movement, and
stamps it with His approval and blessing.—The
Rev. J. Marsh was quite content to be the
last speaker. We had listened to six most admirable
speakers, and he, for one, thought that was quite enough
for one night. He was thankful to find so large an
amount of sympathy with this blessed society in the
neighbourhood, and earnestly hoped that sympathy would
spread yet more and more. After singing hymn 81, the
Rey. Carr J. Glyn pronounced the benediction. The
collection, made at the doors, amounted to LIG is. Bd.