The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-09-30 00:00:00

BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE

SOCIETY.

The annual meeting of the Stourbridge Auxiliary of
the British and Foreign Bible Society, was held in the
Union Hall, on Tuesday evening. There was • large
attendance. Among those present were the Revs. H.
Sherrard, T. Wil;isms, hisjor Paull the deputetiuni,
J. Richards, J. lhomew J. stone, Messrs. J. B. Sitep•
herd, A. Freer, W. Cooper, J. Allsop, D. Skidmore, iL
Hipwood,
Mr. J. Alloop, sen., occupied the chair, and said the
expected chairman had not made his eppearance, and
tuerefore he won placed in that position, and he wonld
therefore call upon the line. 11. sherrard to commence
the meeting by reading a portion of scripture, and
prayer.
She Rev. H. Sherrard then read the 4th chap, of the
Ephemeris, and offered up prayer.
The Chairman then nailed upon the scceetary, the Rey.
J. Richards, to read the report for toe past year.
The Rev. J. Richards then read the following :—The
depository's btateinut for the past year op to the present
month showed—stock In baud for last year, bibles, 337 ;
testaments. 178; portions of the Scripture, 89. Received
from the Society during the pre, cut year: Bibles, 349 ;
testaments, 286; portion., 41. Issued from depot this
year Bib Les, 459; testaments, 865; portions, 5. Stock
remaining in hand: Bibles, 219; testaments, 99; por.
tions, 39. The' lreasurres statement of accounts
showed • balance in hand from last year of £26 45 4d.
it also included the sum of £39 for sale of bibles, and
subscriptions amounting to 1:29, with several items which
raised the total income to £lO3 Ss. The tapenditurt
included the stun of £25 forwarded to the Parent Society.
£2B 5s for purehaae of bible., ike. After the payment
of sundry items there wea a balance of £4O 12s lid Pi
hand. He (Mr. Richard') hoped they should be enabled
to send a larger sum to the Parent Society than on the
last occasion, and that they would be able to send up
similar sums as in former years when they received au
anonymous subscription of £3O from a benevolent lady
in the town—(cheers).

The Hey. J. Stone then moved the following resoluti,n
That the report be adopted, and that the officers and
committee be re-appointed." lie said the resolution bad
been put in his band by Mr. Williams, who then ran
away, lie had not intended to any anything when he
came in, but as he had to move the resolution he could
not help saying a word or two. He then urged upon
them the use of such societies, and earnestly hoped they
would be well supported in the &Alia.
. .

The ChairmaU'then introduced the Rev. W. Major
Paull to the meeting.
Mr. Paull then said that the Bible Society was now 67
years old, and it showed no signs of decay or decrepituds
It was at the present time in a better condition than ever
lee British people had the first claim upon its funds, as
they were chiefly raised by them, and more than one-half
of the Bibles and Testaments circulated daring the
past year were throughout the Britieh Isles. The
society had recently had distributed portions of the
scriptore at a small price, which they hoped 80011 tik
reduce, in order that they might be placed within the
reach of all the school children of the country. Roles,
tean four millions of Biblen and Testaments had been
circulated during the past year amongst the people of the
various nations of the earth. The Bible had been trans-
lated into fifteen new languages daring the past year, and
should its progrees still continue, before many centuries
it would be translated into every lenauaire in the world
The society tied a variety of depots and stores in ammo.'
every town in Oreat Britain, and throughout the whole
world. Referring to the success attained, Mr. Paull mai I
that the spread of the Scriptures was very interesting la
Madagascar. Without going into the history of that en.
tion, many of them would recollect that noose years age
minsumarnis were sent out there by the London
! Society. They translated the Bible into the Melees;
: language, after which the preaching of the gospel ara•
attended with partial success. Shortly afterwards, hoc.
! ever, a peen ascended the throne, who had the nature
of a tigress, rather thou of a woman. She exiled the
miesionarien, and Christian worship and prayer were
forbidden. She did her utmost to extinguish the church.
Many persona, including nobles by birth and character,
were martyred from time to time, either by the spear or
fire. However, this persecution did not lest many years,
and now they might look upon Madagascar as one of the
most emaziug trophies of Christianity in modern days,
In India the Bible had been translated into at least 35
languages, besides various other languages into whiell
portions of the scriptures were translated. He mer, ly
mentioned these foreign nations to show that whilst they :
exerted their influence for the circulation of the scnp.
tore, in Epginud, the heathen nations have a large or. !
tion of attention. In referring to the contrast between
Roman Catholic and Protestant nations, he mentioned
that in Norway there was a burning desire to circulate
the scriptures. The cane was different in Roman Catho
tic countries, although he was glad to tell teem that at
the present time there was not now a legal barrier
throughout the whole world. In Austria, by connivance
Some 60 000 copies of tlisniezßainbdle atinilrepogritivoennsoopf
in 1851, they hod a depot there, which the Roman Catli
alien became acquainted with; they compelled the Em-
peror to break it up, and forbid circulationtheana
S
, veye dl swayt
. The priests ,
toitewthairlinp,
stpu,ternesseui,
itr:•v!„:„etiiiwiedrthoe•ftßußViibele
society.
wet, at the present time as bitter and unscrapnlons a 4
ever in seeking to get Ii of —pies of tho Bible for ,
dcetruction. During tlc iie.. y,..er the circulation of
copies of the Scriptures had ced d last year by 40.000
copies, and it now reach,- I A !11..1 of 88,000 copies an-
uu.,lly. tho Pope'n juhul. iuil been the means nf in-
creasing the circulation of the Bible, which was a fair
proof that the Pope's power waning upon the Conti-
nent. Dialog the late war the agents of the society had
bei•n the mean, of doing i great •leal of good. It wes
to see two professedly Chrintiau nations could n d
settle their differences without appealing to arms ; hot
immediately that the war commenced representatives if
the Bible Society were sent out and obtained permission
to Gala the map of both armies, and by the circulation