The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1882-04-25 00:00:00

BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.

Toe annual meeting In connection with this noble
society was held at the Town H.ll on Thursday even.
log last, when there was a fairly goo i attendance. On
the platform were the Rio. 'l'. Knipe (In the chair),
Rev. E. Ludlow (NLartinstown), Rev. E. W. Collin.
son (Woodeford), Rev. C. F. Powys, Rev. T. Nears
(Independent), and the Rev. W. Allen (Wesleyan),
and the Rev. D. Thompson (Deputation.)
A hymn having been sung, and prayer offered by the
Rev. W. ALLIS, the CHLIaMMI, as is customary at
the meetings of the Bible Society, read • portion of the
Pealms.
The CHAIRMAN, in the course of his opening speech,
said if they valued the Word of God they would desire
to spread the knowledge of it throughout all lands.
There were same special points In the operations, the
organisation, the objects, and the aim of this society
that ought to be very attractive to all Christians. In
the first place it retried them from the low level of
differences of opinion and controversies up to the
fountain head of all Christians, and led them from the
unwholesome plains, so to speak, of men's thoughts up to
the eternal hills, where the everlasting sources of truth
and love were ever Bowing, and round the basis of this
satiety they who might differ on minor points
migbt dad a pleasure and a delight in drinking, as it
seem side by gide at those eternal fountains, finding
a relief In meeting together round the great eroiross of
everlasting truth. Here and here alone I. this blessed
volume they hsd God's will le Man, written by
inspired pens and by men spoke not of their own
knowledge but spike as they were moved by the
Holy Spirit—by an who gave not their own private
interpretatioes of what God's will was, but were lad
by God the Holy Ghost Himself to relate that will to
And them was another point that raised the
e7xiety In one respect above all other Christian,
philan:brnnit, and misakinary fields—because of its
world-wide appilraijon. It was no redaction up in
other societies, whether he spoke of the Church
Missionary Society, the Wesleyan Missions, the
Loudon Missionary Society, or any other Missionary
Society. The Bible Society rises from the very nature
of their operationr, but the field of the work of the
other societies only extended to faroff heathen lands.
There 1111:41 op
special field of labour, and there were
the wide p ns which they were to sow the ever-
lasting • It would be out of place to
employ one of tho f.tents of the great
Missionary Society as • miestonary in the home
miseions. The work of the Bible iseciedy was a
different idyle of work altogether. The city Missioik
odes for instance were of • different clam of men, and
under a different organisation to many of the
missionary societies, sad so in other ways the very
need, object, and aim that other societies had in view
limited their field. But there was no limit to the
field and the operations of the Bible Society. From
northlo south, from east to west, over all the broad
surface of the'vride, wide world their contention was
that God desired and contrainded tiost hl n msmage
should be sent to perishing souls. Whatesbr 'Creoles
I and foreign tonnage', whatever barbaric aeosota moo
might speak, they were bound, if God gave them grans
and power to do so, to send the message of the Gospel
in the language of the pimple. Tbo rev. gentleman,
In conclusion, and alter making allusion to the work
In Northern Italy, said they were met toothier to
pledge themselves to do what in them lies t spread
the knowledge of God's Word from land to land and I
from shore to there, till it covered the whole earth as
the waters bomb I Om qs (ApPlale•
The Rev. T. Nears (Hen. Secretary) promote I the
13th report. He was very hippy_ to say that it
compared very favourably, finan4all7, with any of
those that had preceded it. The amount of money
received from the different auxiliaries and villages in
the neighbourhood of the town last year was the
tartest they had had since be had occupied the position
of IscLatecj. Lad year, however, there were some
exceptional oplieetious, which swelled the total; still,
taking the averse.of ftie Al years, he was happy to
say there bad been no decade. blit a gradual pi ogress
and Worsens. (Applause.) He referred to this fact
with imperial pleasure, bemuse it was One of ymy
large significance and important's, they ba,i been
passing through times., as they well knew, of very
great importance in this agricultural neighbourhood,
but he trusted in the good providence of God they had
Ciaout of those trying times and were now enter.
o o cycle of fruitful lemma, when all their
troubles In the pan would speedily be forgotten.
Bat during this &it at agriel depression the
Mends of the Bible &aft in this town and
neighbourhood bad net grown lasi Of their fonds
diminished; their subscription to this iftwel ad
noble institution, whatever reduction they WA;
hays made in their other expenditure, have not been
suncinlithed, and themes= to have thought Its privilege
to defy theeneelvse in other things in order to continue
their contributions to this great and noble society. This
led him to see the dlieculales by which they were
surrounded, and the yea resides fo • which they
had to be devoutly thankfuL If he had time at his
dienosq, he mold show them bow very favourably
they contrasted as a nation in their religious thoughts
and IntPfelitions with the continent of Europe; and
tberifon he wee very happy to have competition with
toddy *boss vpa to dioposoloalo the Word

of God, which he believed was the only antidote which
could be found for the unwholesome doctrines which
were grevalent in the nations which prided themselves
as being the leaders of thought in the world. The
rev. soothes= then read an extract floor a catechism
written by a celebrated Frenchman, and which was
circulated through the country and through the very
'Wag,s to which their colpotteurs went. "What ii
was asked irr the catechism be referred to
—"God is an expression. What:is the exact value of
this invasion i—The exact value of this exprernion is
nature. What is natant—Nature is the totality of
all that we know to snit in the universe. What
other defiuitions are there of the word nature ?
It is the material world and all is matter. White
Is the soul I—Not4.osr." fhe sum and substance
of their philosophy was that their enemy was
God, and that fie red of God is the beginning
of sexton. 1 his was the kind of wisdom and the
kind ut teaching they taught, and he felt it an honour
to be outosected with . society which disseminated the
only troll Word of (led. Looking over the reports of the
Dorchester auxiliary, be found that since its founds
tion in 1845 they had forwarded to the parent society
free contributions to the amount of £5,162, which
represented • large amount of Christian feeling arid
love for the Word of God, and a large amount of
interest for the spread of the truth in other parts of
the earth. Tisia year It, was glad to report, they had
been emoted to forward a free ountributom, as mega as
any previous year, with the exception of last year.
Still, he reminded the meeting, they were chiefly
indebted to the country neighbourhoods for their very
favourable report, for he was not sure that, se a town,
they did the' duty by the Bible Society. The
financial statement was as follows :
The treasurer in account with the Dorchester Auxiliary,
1881.2:—Dr.—Bairince brought forward, .C 43 19o; minus,
o,dhclools. £3 2.. 7,1.; Woodsfurd amocuatioe, An 8.. 9i.;
Cu,yuts.S.S.S4S“...., 2.. 41.; queerer., ineeuns,
£119.. fld.; Charnitesser arnociaison, 4.6 15,. 74.;
Newtou anociatiorr, 4.7 5.. 55.• rincietrn amoriation,
All 6s. 51.; CLLISSIOWAIS 6.0C1144.... £3 164; Herons-
town assuciation, Ltl le. Si.; Wert Stafford asseciemon. 1
£3 6r.; Mr.. Genre. per U. Come, mq, Al la;
ISuctland Newton .14110CiSUOU. £63.. 94.; 'in memos tans,'
per Mom M P'S, £22a; Ladies' ememation. £2l Its. 10d.;
depository, 5..33 3.. 31; mutual einscriosts, £l6 lis. 64.;
AMerhaniptoe assoclatioa, £l2 ts. M.; Piddletreuttude
eseuciadoe, 12s. 41.; Qwecinuulgaa assocuation. £6 8.. 101.;
collected at Hr. Steele's, per Mr. Dixon, ; box at
Soeth..Westann &anon. ita Si; total. £itO7 16.. 6.1. Cr.
Paid for Hall. 17a. 61; eponymic. fur ri.puteson Ohm.
minder, 75.; paid curiaee of reports, is. 91; hire for
Pioulatrenunde tor 1849. £1 2..; prisons bill, 74. 6,f.; pur-
e/We account, es per ISAVOSJIM. A:4l 61. 1,14 free contrib..
Mon, Lille; postage and ream impeuses. ta 3d.; balance
In bank, £3 13e. but; aduil, SIN 16. 64.
The Kee. D. nowreow then delivered a vary
powerful address on the work of the society. lirsally
was necessary, he said, in the present day to stir
themselves up to undeistand the position tarry wale
is. He fanciest there were a great =my even in this
town, es well as others, who did not realise what their
society is. lie referred with sorrow to the condition
of the nations on the Coutiueut, but as lung as the
Bible Society was tooted in Engiand ise Lai uo fear fur
the truth in our uMn dear land. He proxeried to give
some little stMenneuts as to bow the society stood this
year. It began in 1891, when £O9l was collected
tnroughout the whole of England for the work; in
five years it had tuerearsed to £14,000, and in a few
years after that it had reached £84,000. The con-
tributious to the society fur the year ending 3Lst
March last amounted to £104,837. (Applause.)
That was a long sounding figure, but it was £9.974 less
than lost year. They bail, however, increased in the
number of Diet: assruchuons or auxiliaries, having
now about 4,900 of these societies; but, uotwithetand-
Mg that, their funds bad gone down, and he
thought they might attribute that to the bad timer—
to the want of funds and not to the went of
heart on the past of the people. The amount of
mousy received for Scriptures sold at home was
£47,503, and £17,338 for Scriptures *old abroad—a
little her abroad thou at home They received £1,400
lees for sales at home last year than the year before, and
.C 1,200 wore for sale of the Scriptures abroad. Forty-
five milliou copies of the W„rd of ti.d in the English
tongue and as many more-47 millions more—in all
other languages besides, had been distributed, and it I
was therefore thoroughly true to its title; 121,000
copies in the Irish language; 2,000,000 in the Welch;
160,000 in the Gaelic language in the northern parts of
Scotland; 160,000 for the Isle of Man, in the language
which is fast dying out; 45,000,000 in the Ferlisb
tongue ;23,000 printed for the use of the blini, showed
something of the work that had been done by the
Society. Just as an intonee of the exceptional work
which.n, was carrying on, he mentioned that up ti the
present time the blind ha I received Scriptures printed
in falsest type, in 194 languages. Rderring to the
Revised New Testament, which hat been • auoject of
considerable difficulty to the society, he said he had
been asked again and again if the society was going
to take up the Revised Version, but the
rule of the society was that the only cupids
to be circulated iu the language. of the United King.
dont should be the authorise i eatable. Thu society
had not yet circulated it, on I he did not think their
friends were motions for it. Passing on to refer to the
work on the Continent, the Deputation said in France
no lees than nine million copies had been circulated,
and the people willingly subscribed t the work;
112,000 copies were circulated by meson of the II
colportnis employed, and the 67 depas ; Belgium,
96,000; Holland, 3,400; Germany, 330 0(X); Austria,
101,000 ; Italy, 59,000 ; Sp 40 ; Purities',
9,n00; Denmark and Norway, 65,000 ; Swedeu.
78,000; Ru.ia, 275,000—thue making 200,000,000 c spies
of the Scriptures circulate I on the Cout,noot in ice
year. In fedi. there were 140 colporteurs employed,
who lad year circulated 200.1 X) copies. In conclusion,
be said Englaud existed to bless other nations, and he
urged them to be faithful to the trust, and to continue
the work which had been given them. (Applau...)
The England of to-day was not the Euglaud of 300
years ago, and ha thanked God for it, cud God had put
this blessing and privilege upon them, that they
eh
.nl.l be the messengers owl the distributors of His
Word throughout the whole world. God would n it, be
their debtor, but He would reward ten-fold unto their
Urea what they .pent upon Him; ant the more they
did f r the good ..f thie fallen world and fur 'tie sake,
God would bless them as a nation sod as individuals.
(Applause.)
The Rev. E. Loin, dv then addressed the meatier,
and explained that on the amount sent in by the
Martinatown auxilliry be should explain £l3 was
collected by Lougbredy and Littlebredy. They had
no association of their own, but east the money
through his hands. Alluding to the work, the rev.
gentleman said they bad reason c mtinually to thank
God for what had been done, and be prayed that when
the depression referred to had been removed, and
increased means of promoting the work was given, God
would open the hearts of those who might be the
recipients of his bounty to glorify Him, in a thankful
and spiritual use of it. The rev. gentlemao moved
the re-election of the following officers of the associa-
tion :—President, Rey. T. W. Knipe' secretory,
Rev. T. Nears; minute secretary, Mr. Walter
Pouscy ; Depository, Mr. Henry Bascombe ; cons.
mines. Rev. Cl. F. Powys; Rev. E. W. °Aline .n,
Rev. W. Allen, Mr. G. Came. Mr. M. Devenish,
Bev. W. Hartle, Rev. R. R. Albin. Mr. G. Pouncy,
Mr. G. Crocker, Jan, and Mr. W. Dixon.
The Rev. 0. F. POWYS seconded the motion, which
was carried.
Rev. E. W. Colddinsee, proposed and the Rev. T.
NUN'S seconded, a cordial vote of thauks to the
depuiation, and the meeting closed with elegies and
Prayer.